Earth science and physics

How to become a cartographer and photogrammetrist

Official title: Cartographer and photogrammetrist

Also called: Mapmaker, Photogrammetric surveyor, Aerial surveyor, Geospatial analyst, Mapping officer, Cartographer, Land surveyor

Cartographers and photogrammetrists create maps by collecting, measuring and interpreting geographic data from land surveys, aerial photographs and satellites.

Main tasks

Create maps
Analyse aerial, satellite and ground-based photographs
Use software to build 3D models
Survey land and bodies of water
Analyse survey and geographical data
Check maps to find issues
Research new technology
Write and present data reports

How to become one

You usually need a qualification to become a cartographer or photogrammetrist. You usually need University Entrance to do the study or training for this job. Other requirements: a bachelor's degree in surveying and mapping science, earth sciences, software engineering and computer science or similar area; a postgraduate certificate or diploma in earth sciences or similar area; experience in similar work; to be a member of the New Zealand Cartographic Society.

See the full Tahatū profile

Ways in

University: Architecture & Built Environment degrees, Offered by 5 universities in New Zealand
University: Science degrees, Offered by 6 universities in New Zealand
University: Computing & IT degrees, Offered by 6 universities in New Zealand

Pay · Past change · AI and this job

Most common pay: $63,000 to $172,000 a year (median $96,000), a TEC estimate before tax.
Upper: $386,000 a year
TEC's pay figures are estimates only. TEC says they must not be used to set pay, in pay negotiations or in visa applications.
Change in the number of people doing this job between the 2018 and 2023 Censuses: Strong increase (TEC). This is past change, not a forecast.
People employed in the group Surveyors and Spatial Scientists: 2,301 at the 2018 Census and 2,736 at the 2023 Census (+18.9%). Past change, not a forecast.
Generative AI could change some tasks in this job, by the ILO's global estimate.

Who does this work

About 150 people did this job at the 2023 Census (TEC).
In the group Surveyors and Spatial Scientists, 16% of workers are female (sex at birth, 2023 Census).
Where people in the group Surveyors and Spatial Scientists work (2023 Census): Auckland 32.2%, Canterbury 13.9%, and Waikato 9.6%.

Questions people ask

How do I become a cartographer and photogrammetrist?

How much does a cartographer and photogrammetrist earn in New Zealand?

The Tertiary Education Commission estimates median pay at $96,000 a year, before tax. Most common pay is $63,000 to $172,000 a year.

Has the number of people working as a cartographer and photogrammetrist grown in New Zealand?

It has grown strongly: TEC records a strong increase in the number of people doing this job between the 2018 and 2023 Censuses. This is past change, not a forecast.

Will AI change the work of a cartographer and photogrammetrist?

Generative AI could change some tasks in this job, by the ILO's global estimate.

Sources

Tertiary Education Commission (Tahatu Career Navigator): Tahatu career ideas: descriptions, tasks, pay estimates, people employed, employment change 2018 to 2023, entry requirements, registration, interest scores (Site scrape 2026-10 (816 career ideas, sitemap lastmod 2026-10-01)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 4 October 2026
Stats NZ (via Figure.NZ): Census totals by topic for individuals 2013, 2018, 2023 (CEN23_TBT_004): employed by occupation, ANZSCO V1.3, summed to unit group (2023 Census (CEN23_TBT_004)), CC BY 4.0 (Stats NZ), CC BY 3.0 NZ (Figure.NZ), retrieved 4 October 2026
Stats NZ (via Figure.NZ): Census 2023: employed by regional council, occupation (ANZSCO V1.3 unit group) and sex at birth (2023 Census), CC BY 4.0 (Stats NZ), CC BY 3.0 NZ (Figure.NZ), retrieved 4 October 2026
International Labour Organization, Generative AI and Jobs: A Refined Global Index of Occupational Exposure (ILO Working Paper 140, Gmyrek et al.) (ILO Working Paper 140, May 2025, Annex Table A1), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 4 October 2026

This content is sourced from the Tertiary Education Commission through the Tahatū Career Navigator website (www.tahatu.govt.nz) and used under the CC BY 4.0 licence. All or some of the information has been modified by Peernovo. TEC has not approved, endorsed or tested these modifications. TEC will not be held accountable for any errors within this content.

Qualification information from NZQA, used under CC BY 3.0 NZ.

This work is based on/includes Stats NZ's data which are licensed by Stats NZ for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence. Census data via Figure.NZ.

Includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.

Sources: Tertiary Education Commission, Tahatū Career Navigator (career ideas, pay estimates, entry requirements and study options, CC BY 4.0, modified by Peernovo); Stats NZ, 2023 Census (via Figure.NZ) and the National Occupation List (CC BY 4.0); NZQA qualification information (CC BY 3.0 NZ); O*NET interest scores (CC BY 4.0); ILO global generative AI exposure index (CC BY 4.0). Links between career ideas and ANZSCO groups, degree fields and broad job groups are Peernovo's.

These results are not official statistics. They have been created for research purposes from the Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI), which is carefully managed by Stats NZ.

Graduate outcomes: these results are not official statistics. They have been created for research purposes from the Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI), which is carefully managed by Stats NZ.

Updated 4 October 2026