Salary
Average Salary: $57,440
Expected Lifetime Earnings: $2,398,005
If you're really looking forward to retirement and living like a king, then cartography probably isn't the job for you. The pay for being a cartographer isn't bad, it just isn't great either. It's not going to leave you applying for food stamps, but we wouldn't suggest planning to put a down payment on a Maserati either.
The median salary for your average mapmaker is about $57,440 (source), which is a pretty good yearly salary. You won't be rich, but you'll definitely be able to get by comfortably. Especially if you grab one of the better jobs out there.
Most cartographers work full time, and that means good pay. However, field workers (the people who visit and photograph sites) often work longer days—which means even better pay. Salary also depends on the company you're working for. Google Maps, for instance, probably will pay higher than your average road construction company.
You'll start off at the lower end: around $40,000 or so (source). However, some will earn up to $70,000 a year (source)—and that's a pretty penny to tuck in your pocket at the end of a hard workday.