Cartographers and Photogrammetrists Salary
Cartographers and Photogrammetrists in Richmond, VA make a median of $78,850 a year, or about $37.91 an hour. The range runs from $59K at the entry level to $112K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97.86), that's roughly $80,574 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,655/month, about 31.9% of take-home, which is tight.
Where the paycheck goes
What $79K actually covers in Richmond, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Richmond’s Regional Price Parity (97.86). 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 Richmond
Cartographers and photogrammetrists pay in Richmond tracks closely to the national median, $79K locally vs. $81K nationwide, a 3% difference. Rent runs $1,655/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 33.2% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 97.86) 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 Richmond, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk | $80K | $81K |
| Durham-Chapel Hill | $77K | $79K |
| Asheville | $79K | $82K |
| Raleigh-Cary | $81K | $83K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Richmond, VA
Entry-level cartographers and photogrammetrists (10th percentile) start around $59K. Mid-career wages sit at $79K. Top earners bring in $112K or more, a $53K 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 annually. We'll email you when Richmond numbers change.
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a cartographers and photogrammetrist afford a 2BR apartment alone in Richmond?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $79K, rent takes 33.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,655/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 Richmond?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new cartographers and photogrammetrists typically earn — is $59K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,853/month. At HUD’s $1,655/month FMR, rent would take 43% 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 Richmond?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $79K locally vs. $81K nationally, a 3% difference.
How does Richmond compare to the national average for cartographers and photogrammetrists?
Richmond pays $79K median vs. the U.S. average of $81K — that’s -3%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97.86), the purchasing-power equivalent is $81K — below the national median.
How much do cartographers and photogrammetrists make in Richmond, VA?
The median is $78,850 a year, that works out to about $38 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $58,560, and experienced cartographers and photogrammetrists can clear $112,000. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $79K enough to live in Richmond?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,987/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,655/month, which eats 33.2% 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 Richmond?
Richmond has a Regional Price Parity of 97.86 (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 $80,574 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.