Mystery Career #8: Who Am I? Can You Guess My Job?

I have always loved to find things. When I was a young child I would spend hours drawing pictures showing the whereabouts of buried pirate treasure chests. Then my bothers and I and any other adventuresome kids would spend days searching the neighborhood for the secret treasures. Now, I make my living by showing others where things are located, just by more sophisticated means than crayons and pencil. My clients aren't looking for things half as fun as buried treasure, but I still enjoy my work! Can you guess my profession?

I create high-tech and complicated versions of my work for many diverse purposes and clients. On one project I might be working to identify the hachure and other terrain features for the U.S. National Park Service. Or, I might be tasked to pinpoint the location of sewer and gas lines for a major city construction project. Have you guessed my profession?

I took an interest in algebra, geometry and trigonometry in high school. I also like to research and analyze data, as well as visualize three-dimensional spaces. All of these skills have enabled me to become progressively better at my craft.

I have a four year bachelor's degree in my field, but many of my colleagues have degrees in other fields such as geography, engineering, computer science, architecture, surveying, or forestry. Have you guessed my profession yet?

I spend most of my 40 hour work week at my desk, pouring over data, aerial photos, and other visual information on the computer. I utilize my CAD program to help me create most of my works. I love creating with my CAD program because not only can I populate my works with flora and fauna, I can intersperse population, political or cultural statistics in them, too. Oftentimes, I am called upon to update such works on a yearly basis.

Sometimes, I get out the colored pencils and paper and work at my drawing board like they did it all in the old days. But that method is only used now mostly to rough out a new concept. The rest is developed on my computer. Still can't guess what I do for a living?

These are some of the tools I use almost every day to create my masterpieces: alidades, graticules, neatlines, hypsometry, an EDM, a theodolite, CAD software and a GIS.

Have you guessed that I am a cartographer, or map maker? Excellent! I work for a large firm that specializes in hiring out map makers on a contract basis. Many of my colleagues work in unique and specialized areas. One colleague I graduated from college with designs maps for fantasy battle games on the internet. Another colleague has a top secret clearance and works for a government intelligence agency.

Many cartographers also work for the government at science, forestry and military agencies. Other cartographers are employed by private utility, architectural, engineering, and construction companies. There are many diverse fields a cartographer can work in.

An entry-level cartographer can expect to make about $30,000 a year. Experienced cartographers can make over $80,000 per year.

Demand for cartographers is expected to be higher than most fields between now and 2016, due to the ever increasing demand for accurate geographic information and global mapping.

If the terminology I used kept you guessing a bit, the definitions follow below:

1. alidade: a telescope mounted to a ruler that is used to plot horizontal or vertical direction
2. CAD: computer aided design software
3. cartographer: map maker
4. EDM: Electronic Distance Measuring device
5. GIS: Geographic Information Systems
6. graticle: the system of parallel and meridian lines on a map
7. hachure: map lines that indicate how steep a slope is. Close hachure lines indicate steep slopes
8. hypsometry: the measurement of terrain elevation above sea level
9. neatline: the line that sets the map apart from its margins
10. theodolite: an instrument used for measuring angles

To read the previous Mystery Career Installment, click here

Sources:

1. "Surveyors, Cartographers and Photogrammetrists, and Surveying and Mapping Technicians," www.bls.gov/oco/ocos040.htm.

2. "Cartographers (Map Makers)," www.calmis.ca.gov/file/occguide/Cartogph.HTM.

3. "Glossary of Cartographic Terms - Perry-Castañeda Map Collection - UT Library Online," www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/glossary.html.

4. "Cartographer jobs - CNNMoney.com," jobsearch.money.cnn.com/a/all-jobs/list/q-Cartographer/pn-2.