Careers > Cartographers and Photogrammetrists

Cartographers and Photogrammetrists

$71.89K Median Salary 1.2K Job Openings (Annual Projection) 5.3% Job Growth

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About This Career

Research, study, and prepare maps and other spatial data in digital or graphic form for one or more purposes, such as legal, social, political, educational, and design purposes. May work with Geographic Information Systems (GIS). May design and evaluate algorithms, data structures, and user interfaces for GIS and mapping systems. May collect, analyze, and interpret geographic information provided by geodetic surveys, aerial photographs, and satellite data.

Reported Job Titles

Aerial Photogrammetrist, Cartographer, Cartographic Designer, Digital Cartographer, Mapper, Photogrammetric Technician, Photogrammetrist, Stereo Compiler, Stereoplotter Operator

Career data shown for:

Skills You'll Need

Click on skills to find related courses.

Abilities

Written Comprehension

Near Vision

Oral Comprehension

Inductive Reasoning

Deductive Reasoning

Oral Expression

Written Expression

Flexibility of Closure

Far Vision

Information Ordering

Visualization

Category Flexibility

Problem Sensitivity

Speech Clarity

Speech Recognition

Fluency of Ideas

Mathematical Reasoning

Originality

Perceptual Speed

Selective Attention

Knowledge

Geography

Computers and Electronics

English Language

Design

Mathematics

Skills

Reading Comprehension

Critical Thinking

Writing

Active Listening

Active Learning

Complex Problem Solving

Judgment and Decision Making

Monitoring

Speaking

Coordination

Social Perceptiveness

Time Management

Technology Skills

Graphics or photo imaging software

Presentation software

Map creation software

Geographic information system

Analytical or scientific software

Development environment software

Computer aided design CAD software

Data base user interface and query software

Information retrieval or search software

Desktop publishing software

Electronic mail software

Operating system software

Web page creation and editing software

Spreadsheet software

Document management software

Enterprise resource planning ERP software

Enterprise application integration software

Data compression software

Office suite software

Cloud-based data access and sharing software

Word processing software

Data base management system software

Object or component oriented development software

Internet browser software

Platform interconnectivity software

Flight control software

Web platform development software

Tools

Scanners

Digital cameras

Plotter printers

Global positioning system GPS receiver

Radarbased surveillance systems

Computer servers

Drafting kits or sets

Compasses

Triangles

Stencils or lettering aids

Laminators

Infrared imagers

Levels

Notebook computers

Theodolites

Aircraft guidance systems

Film editors

Digital image printers

Laser printers

Photographic enlargers

Curves

Protractors

Digital camcorders or video cameras

Scales

Personal computers

T squares

Map measurers

Templates

Abilities

Written Comprehension: The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Near Vision: The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Oral Comprehension: The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Inductive Reasoning: The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
Deductive Reasoning: The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Oral Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Written Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
Flexibility of Closure: The ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.
Far Vision: The ability to see details at a distance.
Information Ordering: The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
Visualization: The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.
Category Flexibility: The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
Problem Sensitivity: The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
Speech Clarity: The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
Speech Recognition: The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
Fluency of Ideas: The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).
Mathematical Reasoning: The ability to choose the right mathematical methods or formulas to solve a problem.
Originality: The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
Perceptual Speed: The ability to quickly and accurately compare similarities and differences among sets of letters, numbers, objects, pictures, or patterns. The things to be compared may be presented at the same time or one after the other. This ability also includes comparing a presented object with a remembered object.
Selective Attention: The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.

Knowledge

Geography: Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
Computers and Electronics: Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
English Language: Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Design: Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
Mathematics: Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

Skills

Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Writing: Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Active Learning: Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Complex Problem Solving: Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Time Management: Managing one's own time and the time of others.

Technology Skills

Graphics or photo imaging software: SmugMug Flickr
Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint
Map creation software: ESRI Site Scan for ArcGIS; OpenDroneMap
Geographic information system: ESRI ArcView; Geographic information system GIS systems
Analytical or scientific software: Statistical analysis software; TapRooT
Development environment software: Adobe Systems Adobe Creative Suite
Computer aided design CAD software: Autodesk AutoCAD; Autodesk Revit
Data base user interface and query software: Blackboard software; Database software; Microsoft Access; Yardi software
Information retrieval or search software: LexisNexis
Desktop publishing software: Adobe Systems Adobe InDesign; Microsoft Publisher
Electronic mail software: IBM Notes; Microsoft Exchange; Microsoft Outlook
Operating system software: Microsoft Windows
Web page creation and editing software: Facebook; Google Sites; LinkedIn; Social media sites
Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel
Document management software: Adobe Systems Adobe Acrobat; Filing system software; Records management software; Transcription system software
Enterprise resource planning ERP software: Oracle JD Edwards EnterpriseOne; Oracle PeopleSoft; Oracle PeopleSoft Financials; SAP software
Enterprise application integration software: Electronic Data Interchange EDI systems
Data compression software: Corel WinZip
Office suite software: Microsoft Office software
Cloud-based data access and sharing software: Dropbox; Google Drive; Microsoft SharePoint
Word processing software: 3M Post-it App; Evernote; Google Docs; Microsoft Word
Data base management system software: Apache Solr; Elasticsearch; MySQL
Object or component oriented development software: Oracle Java
Internet browser software: Web browser software
Platform interconnectivity software: Connectivity software
Flight control software: Flight simulation software
Web platform development software: Microsoft Active Server Pages ASP

Tools

Scanners: Data input scanners
Digital cameras:
Plotter printers: Plotters
Global positioning system GPS receiver: Global positioning system GPS receivers
Radarbased surveillance systems: Radar navigation systems
Computer servers: Domain name servers DNS
Drafting kits or sets: Drafting instruments; Drafting machines
Compasses:
Triangles:
Stencils or lettering aids: Paint stencils
Laminators: Nip rolls
Infrared imagers: Infrared analyzers
Levels: Optical levels
Notebook computers: Laptop computers
Theodolites: Survey transits
Aircraft guidance systems: DroneDeploy; Landing pad; Local area augmentation system LAAS receivers; Microwave landing system MLS receivers
Film editors: Film processors and editors
Digital image printers: Blueprint machines
Laser printers: Computer laser printers
Photographic enlargers: Photo enlargers
Curves: French curves
Protractors:
Digital camcorders or video cameras: Digital video cameras
Scales: Triangular scales
Personal computers:
T squares:
Map measurers: Planimeters
Templates: Machine templates

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