Compare salary growth, lifestyle factors, AI impact, and pivot opportunities side by side. Pivot from Cartographic Technician to Applied Physicist Pivot from Applied Physicist to Cartographic Technician
Cartographic Technician appears more likely to be enhanced by AI tools, while Applied Physicist may face relatively more disruption or slower augmentation.
Collects and analyzes geographical data to create and update maps.
View Full Profile →Applied Physicist roles help organizations coordinate people, processes, decisions, and resources to achieve business goals.
View Full Profile →| Metric | Cartographic Technician | Applied Physicist |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Salary | $45,000 | $181,813 |
| Year 5 Salary | $58,000 | $187,009 |
| Year 10 Salary | $75,000 | $192,205 |
| Top Salary | $98,000 | $278,648 |
Based on 10 analyzed tasks
AI is significantly automating the extraction of map features from satellite imagery.
Based on 5 analyzed tasks
AI may automate some routine research, documentation, analysis, or communication tasks in this career, but human judgment, context, quality review, and stakeholder communication remain important.
Associate's degree requirement
Bachelor's degree requirement
Degree field requirement
Degree field requirement
Master's degree requirement
PhD requirement
Move into an adjacent geospatial support role maintaining datasets performing edits and preparing outputs. It is a direct practical transition.
Typical Salary: $65000-$95000
Skills Needed: GIS software, data editing, metadata, map layouts
Difficulty: Easy
Move between related career paths by building adjacent skills and experience.
Typical Salary: $110000-$165000
Skills Needed: physics modeling, instrumentation, data analysis, experimentation
Difficulty: Moderate