Cartographer

Salary
Graduate: £15,000 to £18,000
Employee with 10-15 years in the role: £20,000 to £30,000
Senior position: £45,000 to £50,000

Main Employers

Government departments and local authorities
Met Office
Public utilities
Oil companies
Consultancies
Commercial map publishers
Automotive service agencies
Land and air survey consultants
Specialist organisations, such as The British Geological Survey (BGS), The Ordnance Survey (OS), The Defence Geographic and Imagery Intelligence Agency Headquarters (DGIA)

Job Profile
Cartographers produce maps, charts, plans and three-dimensional models in either digital or graphic form, using information provided by geodetic surveys, aerial photographs, and satellite data. Cartographers are involved with the scientific, technological and artistic aspects of developing and producing maps and cartographic information. They compile geographic, political, and cultural information, collecting, analysing, and interpreting both spatial data, such as latitude, longitude, elevation, and distance, and nonspatial data, such as population density, land-use patterns, annual precipitation levels, and demographic characteristics.

Cartographers have evolved from detailed illustrators to sophisticated technical analysts. Using advanced computer tools, they input and analyse geographic map data and chart the movement of wildlife, the progression of erosion or the precise locations of plant species. They share their findings with government agencies, policy developers, and environmental groups.

Role and Responsibilities
Jobs will vary according to each employer; however you could expect to be involved in:

Producing detailed maps, charts, graphs, diagrams and spreadsheets
Collecting data using a range of techniques, including remote sensing and geographical information systems (GIS)
Communicating information through the use of colour, symbolisation and style
Analysing and evaluating mappable information
Liaising with surveyors and designers
Using stereoscopic vision with overlapping photographs to plot heights and positions in the preparation of maps
Capturing, maintaining and outputting digital geographic data
Generalising map data to allow for a reduction in scale (derived mapping)

Qualifications
Relevant further education subjects include: Cartography; Civil Engineering; Computing; Earth Sciences; Environmental Science; Geographical Information Systems (GIS); Geography; Graphic Design; Surveying; Urban and Land Studies

Graduates are preferred but HND entry is possible. Occasionally, school leavers can obtain a junior post and progress through day-release study. For more specialised areas of cartography, you may need a postgraduate qualification in a subject such as Geomatic Engineering, Oceanography, Surveying, Remote Sensing or Topographic Science.

The Society of Cartographers and the British Cartographic Society websites both have a list of universities offering degrees and postgraduate courses in cartography.

Career Opportunities
This is a small area of employment and entry is competitive. It may be necessary to gain a role involving basic activities to enter the industry. Technicians support cartographers in the preparation, maintenance and cataloguing of maps, so may be a way of progressing. Employers with vacancies tend to approach the universities that offer cartography/surveying-related degrees.

Progression often depends on the size, structure and nature of the employing organisation. For those working in small companies, geographical mobility can be important for career development.

Government departments and specialist bodies offer better pay and progression, although most large employers provide structured training schemes. Within larger organisations there are also more opportunities to transfer to other parts of the business. Developments in new media and the increasing use of technology have increased the opportunities for cartographers to move into related areas such as photogrammetry, remote sensing, GIS and some aspects of IT-related consultancy.

Some cartographers do freelance work for cartographic companies or publishers, but opportunities are limited, and working freelance involves a large financial outlay for equipment.

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