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Cartographer
Cartographers collect information about the geography of an area to design and produce maps, charts and plans.
Average salary (a year)
£18000
Starter
£45000
Experienced
Typical hours (a week)
39.0 to 41.0 hours
a week
Work Hours
evenings
occasionally
How to become
Explore the different ways to get into this role
You can get into this job through:a university course; an apprenticeship; working towards this role; the armed forces
University
You can take a degree in
geography, geographical information systems (GIS), land surveying, earth sciences, oceanography
Employers may also accept degrees in other subjects like computer science, software engineering or graphic design.
A postgraduate qualification may help you to find work in a specialist field of cartography like GIS.
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
  • 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree
  • a degree in a relevant subject for postgraduate study
More Information
equivalent entry requirements|https://www.gov.uk/what-different-qualification-levels-mean/list-of-qualification-levels
student finance for fees and living costs|https://www.gov.uk/student-finance
university courses and entry requirements|https://www.ucas.com/
Apprenticeship
The following apprenticeships may be relevant to this role
geospatial and mapping science specialist degree apprenticeship, geospatial survey technician advanced apprenticeship
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
  • 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship
  • 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a higher or degree apprenticeship
More Information
equivalent entry requirements|https://www.gov.uk/what-different-qualification-levels-mean/list-of-qualification-levels
guide to apprenticeships|https://www.gov.uk/apprenticeships-guide
Work
You may be able to get into this job by starting as a trainee cartographic technician and working your way up.
Employers may expect you to have completed
an apprenticeship in geospatial surveying, A levels in geography, art and design, mathematics or computing, a relevant level 3 course
Other Routes
If you want to work as a cartographer in the armed forces, you can apply to become a geographic technician with the Army or the join the Royal Air Force an air cartographer.
When you leave the services, you could use your experience to find work in commercial cartography and mapping.
More Information
Career Tips
You can find cartography jobs in the private and public sector.
Look for opportunities with:Ordnance Survey, local and national government departments, transport companies, publishing companies, surveying or oil companies, the armed services
Professional And Industry Bodies
You could join the British Cartographic Society for networking, information resources and career development support.
Further Information
You can find out more about a career in cartography from:the British Cartographic Society, Ordnance Survey
What it takes
Find out what skills you’ll use in this role
Skills and knowledge
You'll need:
    Knowledge of geography
    Maths knowledge
    To be thorough and pay attention to detail
    Analytical thinking skills
    Excellent written communication skills
    Design skills and knowledge
    The ability to work well with others
    Concentration skills
Digital Skills Level
to be able to use a computer and the main software packages confidently
What you will do
Discover the day-to-day tasks you’ll do in this role
Day to day tasks
In this role you could
use desktop publishing and specialist computer software, design digital or paper based maps, check maps and charts are accurate and to scale, edit maps by adding or removing new roads, structures or landmarks, collect and analyse data from remote sensors on satellites and planes, use GIS to model and analyse landscape features, plot the heights and positions of geographical features from photographs, carry out surveys of the land, sea or coastal areas
Working environment
You could work in an office.
Career Path & Progression
Look at progression in this role and similar opportunities
With experience you could become a senior cartographer and manage mapping projects and staff.
If you specialise in working with GIS, you could apply for Chartered Geographer (GIS) status.
You could also work on a freelance basis as a consultant.
Job profile data provided by The National Careers Service.
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