Cartography Degree in Anchorage, AK — Salary & ROI 2026
Cartography degree analysis for Anchorage, AK. COL-adjusted salary data, local tuition costs, ROI calculator, and job market outlook.
Starting Salary
$75K
COL-adjusted
Mid-Career
$106K
COL-adjusted
ROI Payback
3.4 yrs
in Anchorage
Cost of Living
121
index (100 = avg)
Cartography in Anchorage, AK Overview
Anchorage, Alaska (pop. 291,247) has 18 colleges offering Cartography programs. The local cost of living index of 121 is higher than average, so budget accordingly, with average rent near campus at $1,400/month. Cartography has seen growing enrollment nationally, reflecting rising employer demand for GIS and Remote Sensing skills. The adjusted starting salary in Anchorage is approximately $75,020.
Category
STEM
Local Colleges
18
Public Tuition
$8,100/yr
Private Tuition
$24,000/yr
Room & Board
$19,313/yr
Avg Fin. Aid
$15,634/yr
Unemployment
3%
Graduation Rate
58%
Cartography Salary in Anchorage (COL-Adjusted)
Salaries adjusted for Anchorage's cost of living index of 121 (national average = 100).
Note: National average Cartography salary: $62,000 starting, $88,000 mid-career, $115,000 senior level.Anchorage adjustment factor: 1.21x based on the local cost of living index.
Cartography ROI Calculator for Anchorage
Estimate your return on investment for a Cartography degree using local Anchorage tuition and cost of living data.
Public avg: $8,100 | Private avg: $24,000
Anchorage avg aid: $15,634/yr
Federal avg: 6.5% | Private: 4-14%
Total Education Cost
$109,652
tuition + room & board - aid
Annual Earnings Premium
$32,670
vs HS diploma in Anchorage
ROI Payback Period
3.4 years
to break even
Lifetime Return in Anchorage
$11,348
Lifetime earnings premium ($121,000) minus total education cost ($109,652)
Student Loan Payoff for Cartography in Anchorage
Standard Plan (10 years)
Aggressive Plan (5 years)
Colleges in Anchorage for Cartography
University of Alaska Anchorage
public
$8,100/yr
$32,400 total
Alaska Pacific University
private
$24,000/yr
$96,000 total
Community Colleges (2-Year Transfer)
UAA Community Campus
$4,300/yr
Top Employers for Cartography in Anchorage
Anchorage offers opportunities in Tech companies, Research labs, Government agencies for Cartography graduates. National top employers in this field include:
Key Anchorage Hiring Sectors for STEM
Tech companies
Research labs
Government agencies
Startups
Consulting firms
Common Cartography Job Titles
Other STEM Majors in Anchorage
Prompt Engineering
$61K starting · 1.5 yr ROI
Computational Linguistics
$115K starting · 2 yr ROI
Computer Science
$103K starting · 2.8 yr ROI
Software Engineering
$106K starting · 2.7 yr ROI
Data Science
$99K starting · 3 yr ROI
Astrophysics
$103K starting · 3 yr ROI
Actuarial Science
$61K starting · 3 yr ROI
Cybersecurity
$97K starting · 3 yr ROI
Cartography Degree in Anchorage — FAQ
Data Sources: Salary data from BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook. Cost of living from BLS Regional Data. College data from NCES/IPEDS. Updated March 2026.
Explore More
Compare Cartography ROI in other cities, or explore other majors in Anchorage.