Cartography Degree in Boston, MA — Salary & ROI 2026
Cartography degree analysis for Boston, MA. COL-adjusted salary data, local tuition costs, ROI calculator, and job market outlook.
Starting Salary
$85K
COL-adjusted
Mid-Career
$121K
COL-adjusted
ROI Payback
3.1 yrs
in Boston
Cost of Living
137
index (100 = avg)
Cartography in Boston, MA Overview
Boston is one of Massachusetts's top college towns, with 24 institutions and a student population of 40,388. Public tuition averages $14,167/year here — near the national average for public universities. Cartography has seen growing enrollment nationally, reflecting rising employer demand for GIS and Remote Sensing skills. The adjusted starting salary in Boston is approximately $84,940.
Category
STEM
Local Colleges
24
Public Tuition
$14,167/yr
Private Tuition
$60,730/yr
Room & Board
$14,423/yr
Avg Fin. Aid
$10,458/yr
Unemployment
4.5%
Graduation Rate
56%
Cartography Salary in Boston (COL-Adjusted)
Salaries adjusted for Boston's cost of living index of 137 (national average = 100).
Note: National average Cartography salary: $62,000 starting, $88,000 mid-career, $115,000 senior level.Boston adjustment factor: 1.37x based on the local cost of living index.
Cartography ROI Calculator for Boston
Estimate your return on investment for a Cartography degree using local Boston tuition and cost of living data.
Public avg: $14,167 | Private avg: $60,730
Boston avg aid: $10,458/yr
Federal avg: 6.5% | Private: 4-14%
Total Education Cost
$114,360
tuition + room & board - aid
Annual Earnings Premium
$36,990
vs HS diploma in Boston
ROI Payback Period
3.1 years
to break even
Lifetime Return in Boston
$22,640
Lifetime earnings premium ($137,000) minus total education cost ($114,360)
Student Loan Payoff for Cartography in Boston
Standard Plan (10 years)
Aggressive Plan (5 years)
Colleges in Boston for Cartography
Boston University
private
$62,360/yr
$249,440 total
Northeastern University
private
$59,100/yr
$236,400 total
University of Massachusetts Boston
public
$14,167/yr
$56,668 total
Community Colleges (2-Year Transfer)
Bunker Hill Community College
$5,760/yr
Roxbury Community College
$5,280/yr
Top Employers for Cartography in Boston
Boston offers opportunities in Tech companies, Research labs, Government agencies for Cartography graduates. National top employers in this field include:
Key Boston Hiring Sectors for STEM
Tech companies
Research labs
Government agencies
Startups
Consulting firms
Common Cartography Job Titles
Cartography in Nearby Massachusetts Cities
Worcester, MA
$73K starting · COL 117
11 colleges
Springfield, MA
$82K starting · COL 133
6 colleges
Cambridge, MA
$82K starting · COL 133
6 colleges
Lowell, MA
$70K starting · COL 112.5
5 colleges
Brockton, MA
$67K starting · COL 108.5
5 colleges
Quincy, MA
$80K starting · COL 128.5
4 colleges
New Bedford, MA
$64K starting · COL 102.5
4 colleges
Lynn, MA
$73K starting · COL 118.5
4 colleges
Other STEM Majors in Boston
Prompt Engineering
$69K starting · 1.5 yr ROI
Computational Linguistics
$130K starting · 2 yr ROI
Computer Science
$116K starting · 2.8 yr ROI
Software Engineering
$121K starting · 2.7 yr ROI
Data Science
$112K starting · 3 yr ROI
Actuarial Science
$69K starting · 3 yr ROI
Cybersecurity
$110K starting · 3 yr ROI
Robotics Engineering
$69K starting · 3 yr ROI
Cartography Degree in Boston — 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 Boston.