Cartographer Job Description
Cartographers have been society's map makers for centuries, helping people get to know the world around them. Just as maps have evolved over time, becoming more accurate and detailed, the way that cartographers work has changed. Many cartographers have moved from the drafting table to the computer, using special software to gather data and create their maps.
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Planning a Map
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Depending on their employer--be it an engineering or architectural firm, a government agency or a map-publishing business--cartographers are asked to make many different kinds of new maps or to update existing maps. A government agency might want to generate a revised map of population density in one particular county, for instance, while a map-publishing business might be hired to highlight a tourist destination's most popular businesses on a map. Cartographers plan how the map will be executed; what scale, colors and size it will be; and what data will be needed based on the type of map they need to create.
Gathering Data
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While cartographers may still spend time in the field gathering information for their maps, more and more they receive images and data on their computers. They use aerial photography, satellite imagery and Global Positioning System (GPS) and Global Information System (GIS) technology. They may compile all sorts of data, such as latitude and longitude, elevation, distance, population density, annual precipitation, demographic characteristics and political and cultural information.
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Creating a Map
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Cartographers generally use computer software to organize the necessary data into maps. Rather than working with pens on paper, they use computer-aided drafting (CAD) programs to place their lines. Their final product may be in either graphic or digital form.
Qualifications and Training
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Cartographers generally come into the job with a bachelor's degree in cartography or a relevant discipline, such as geography, engineering, forestry, surveying or computer science. Some cartographers, however, get their start as technicians or trainees instead of through post-secondary education. Applicants with good computer skills will probably have the greatest appeal to employers.
Earnings and Job Outlook
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According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in May 2006 the average cartographer or photogrammetrist (a closely related profession) earned $48,240 per year. Employment in the geospatial information field generally (among cartographers, photogrammetrists, surveyors, and mapping and surveying technicians) was projected to grow considerably--by 21 percent--between 2006 and 2016.
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