Cartography Degree in Columbia, MO — Salary & ROI 2026
Cartography degree analysis for Columbia, MO. COL-adjusted salary data, local tuition costs, ROI calculator, and job market outlook.
Starting Salary
$52K
COL-adjusted
Mid-Career
$74K
COL-adjusted
ROI Payback
3.9 yrs
in Columbia
Cost of Living
84
index (100 = avg)
Cartography in Columbia, MO Overview
Columbia, Missouri (pop. 126,254) has 10 colleges offering Cartography programs. The local cost of living index of 84 keeps student expenses low, with average rent near campus at $1,005/month. Cartography has seen growing enrollment nationally, reflecting rising employer demand for GIS and Remote Sensing skills. The adjusted starting salary in Columbia is approximately $52,080.
Category
STEM
Local Colleges
10
Public Tuition
$11,142/yr
Private Tuition
$31,070/yr
Room & Board
$10,910/yr
Avg Fin. Aid
$16,890/yr
Unemployment
3.4%
Graduation Rate
63%
Cartography Salary in Columbia (COL-Adjusted)
Salaries adjusted for Columbia's cost of living index of 84 (national average = 100).
Note: National average Cartography salary: $62,000 starting, $88,000 mid-career, $115,000 senior level.Columbia adjustment factor: 0.84x based on the local cost of living index.
Cartography ROI Calculator for Columbia
Estimate your return on investment for a Cartography degree using local Columbia tuition and cost of living data.
Public avg: $11,142 | Private avg: $31,070
Columbia avg aid: $16,890/yr
Federal avg: 6.5% | Private: 4-14%
Total Education Cost
$88,208
tuition + room & board - aid
Annual Earnings Premium
$22,680
vs HS diploma in Columbia
ROI Payback Period
3.9 years
to break even
Lifetime Return in Columbia
$-4,208
Lifetime earnings premium ($84,000) minus total education cost ($88,208)
Student Loan Payoff for Cartography in Columbia
Standard Plan (10 years)
Aggressive Plan (5 years)
Colleges in Columbia for Cartography
University of Missouri
public
$11,142/yr
$44,568 total
Stephens College
private
$31,070/yr
$124,280 total
Community Colleges (2-Year Transfer)
Moberly Area Community College Columbia
$3,900/yr
Top Employers for Cartography in Columbia
Columbia offers opportunities in Tech companies, Research labs, Government agencies for Cartography graduates. National top employers in this field include:
Key Columbia Hiring Sectors for STEM
Tech companies
Research labs
Government agencies
Startups
Consulting firms
Common Cartography Job Titles
Cartography in Nearby Missouri Cities
Kansas City, MO
$58K starting · COL 94
44 colleges
St. Louis, MO
$60K starting · COL 97
23 colleges
Springfield, MO
$50K starting · COL 80
5 colleges
Independence, MO
$53K starting · COL 85.8
5 colleges
Lee's Summit, MO
$59K starting · COL 95.5
4 colleges
OFallon, MO
$54K starting · COL 87.3
4 colleges
St. Joseph, MO
$56K starting · COL 90.4
3 colleges
St. Charles, MO
$52K starting · COL 83.4
3 colleges
Other STEM Majors in Columbia
Prompt Engineering
$42K starting · 1.5 yr ROI
Computational Linguistics
$80K starting · 2 yr ROI
Computer Science
$71K starting · 2.8 yr ROI
Software Engineering
$74K starting · 2.7 yr ROI
Data Science
$69K starting · 3 yr ROI
Actuarial Science
$42K starting · 3 yr ROI
Cybersecurity
$67K starting · 3 yr ROI
Robotics Engineering
$42K starting · 3 yr ROI
Cartography Degree in Columbia — 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 Columbia.