Cartographer

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
• student finance for fees and living costs
• university courses and entry requirements

You could complete a geospatial survey technician advanced apprenticeship, or geospatial mapping degree apprenticeship.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

• 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
• guide to apprenticeships

You may be able to get into this job by starting as a trainee cartographic technician and working your way up.

Employers may look for an apprenticeship in geospatial surveying, or A levels or equivalent, in geography, art and design, mathematics or computing.

If you want to work as a cartographer in the armed forces, you can apply to the British army as a geographic technician, or the Royal Air Force as an air cartographer.

After you leave the services, you could use your experience to find work in commercial cartography and mapping.

Further information

You can find out more about a career in cartography from the British Cartographic Society and Ordnance Survey.

You'll need:

• knowledge of geography
• maths knowledge
• to be thorough and pay attention to detail
• analytical thinking skills
• excellent written communication skills
• excellent verbal communication skills
• design skills and knowledge
• the ability to work well with others
• to be able to use a computer and the main software packages confidently

In this role you could be :

• using desktop publishing and specialist computer software
• designing digital or paper based maps
• checking maps and charts are accurate and to scale
• editing maps, adding and removing new roads, structures or landmarks
• collecting and analysing data from remote sensors on satellites and planes
• using GIS to model and analyse landscape features
• plotting the heights and positions of geographical features from aerial photographs
• carrying out topographic surveys of the land and hydrographic surveys of the sea and coastal areas

You could work in an office.