Cartographers and Photogrammetrists Salary
Cartographers and Photogrammetrists in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC make a median of $77,320 a year, or about $37.17 an hour. The range runs from $54K at the entry level to $120K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97.57), that's roughly $79,246 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,711/month, about 33% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $77K get you in Durham-Chapel Hill?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Durham-Chapel Hill’s Regional Price Parity (97.57). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About cartographers and photogrammetrists
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What this looks like in Durham-Chapel Hill
Cartographers and photogrammetrists pay in Durham-Chapel Hill tracks closely to the national median, $77K locally vs. $81K nationwide, a 5% difference. Rent runs $1,711/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 34.6% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 97.57) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Pay and costs are both near average, leaving limited margin for savings at the median wage.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for cartographers and photogrammetrists in metros near Durham-Chapel Hill, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Asheville | $79K | $82K |
| Raleigh-Cary | $81K | $83K |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia | $79K | $81K |
| Wilmington | $66K | $69K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Durham-Chapel Hill, NC
Entry-level cartographers and photogrammetrists (10th percentile) start around $54K. Mid-career wages sit at $77K. Top earners bring in $120K or more, a $66K spread from bottom to top.
Cartographers and Photogrammetrists pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Cartographers and Photogrammetrists salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $103K | +26% | 1,450 |
| Minnesota | $100K | +23% | 100 |
| Washington | $96K | +18% | 870 |
| Nevada | $94K | +15% | 180 |
| Massachusetts | $92K | +13% | 160 |
| New York | $89K | +10% | 230 |
| Alaska | $89K | +10% | 60 |
| New Jersey | $88K | +9% | 170 |
| Oregon | $88K | +8% | 640 |
| Colorado | $87K | +7% | 1,220 |
| Virginia | $87K | +6% | 860 |
| Oklahoma | $86K | +6% | 70 |
| Iowa | $85K | +4% | 90 |
| Maryland | $84K | +4% | 450 |
| Connecticut | $84K | +3% | 150 |
| Arizona | $82K | +1% | 400 |
| Nebraska | $82K | +0% | 50 |
| North Carolina | $81K | -0% | 900 |
| Florida | $80K | -2% | 610 |
| New Mexico | $79K | -3% | 70 |
| Maine | $79K | -3% | 40 |
| Missouri | $77K | -5% | 170 |
| Wisconsin | $77K | -6% | 260 |
| Utah | $75K | -8% | 150 |
| Michigan | $75K | -8% | 250 |
| Indiana | $75K | -8% | 40 |
| Texas | $74K | -9% | 1,780 |
| Pennsylvania | $73K | -10% | 140 |
| Tennessee | $73K | -10% | 150 |
| Idaho | $73K | -10% | 100 |
| South Dakota | $73K | -10% | 140 |
| South Carolina | $72K | -11% | 150 |
| Montana | $72K | -11% | 160 |
| New Hampshire | $72K | -11% | 70 |
| Kentucky | $71K | -12% | 90 |
| North Dakota | $71K | -13% | 80 |
| Ohio | $71K | -13% | 490 |
| Wyoming | $71K | -13% | 100 |
| Georgia | $63K | -23% | 490 |
| Louisiana | $60K | -26% | N/A |
| Illinois | $55K | -33% | 180 |
Showing 1–10 of 41 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track cartographers and photogrammetrists salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Durham-Chapel Hill numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a cartographers and photogrammetrist afford a 2BR apartment alone in Durham-Chapel Hill?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $77K, rent takes 34.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,711/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,500/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for cartographers and photogrammetrists in Durham-Chapel Hill?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new cartographers and photogrammetrists typically earn — is $54K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,210/month. At HUD’s $1,711/month FMR, rent would take 53% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is cartographers and photogrammetrist a high-paying job in Durham-Chapel Hill?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $77K locally vs. $81K nationally, a 5% difference.
How does Durham-Chapel Hill compare to the national average for cartographers and photogrammetrists?
Durham-Chapel Hill pays $77K median vs. the U.S. average of $81K — that’s -5%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97.57), the purchasing-power equivalent is $79K — below the national median.
How much do cartographers and photogrammetrists make in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC?
The median is $77,320 a year, that works out to about $37 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $53,500, and experienced cartographers and photogrammetrists can clear $119,790. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $77K enough to live in Durham-Chapel Hill?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,942/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,711/month, which eats 34.6% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a cartographers and photogrammetrists salary go in Durham-Chapel Hill?
Durham-Chapel Hill has a Regional Price Parity of 97.57 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median cartographers and photogrammetrists salary is worth about $79,246 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do cartographers and photogrammetrists get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.