Cartography Degree in Elgin, IL — Salary & ROI 2026
Cartography degree analysis for Elgin, IL. COL-adjusted salary data, local tuition costs, ROI calculator, and job market outlook.
Starting Salary
$49K
COL-adjusted
Mid-Career
$70K
COL-adjusted
ROI Payback
3.8 yrs
in Elgin
Cost of Living
79
index (100 = avg)
Cartography in Elgin, IL Overview
Elgin, Illinois (pop. 114,797) has 13 colleges offering Cartography programs. The local cost of living index of 79 keeps student expenses low, with average rent near campus at $1,008/month. Cartography has seen growing enrollment nationally, reflecting rising employer demand for GIS and Remote Sensing skills. The adjusted starting salary in Elgin is approximately $48,980.
Category
STEM
Local Colleges
13
Public Tuition
$10,014/yr
Private Tuition
$30,900/yr
Room & Board
$9,983/yr
Avg Fin. Aid
$15,897/yr
Unemployment
4.7%
Graduation Rate
47%
Cartography Salary in Elgin (COL-Adjusted)
Salaries adjusted for Elgin's cost of living index of 79 (national average = 100).
Note: National average Cartography salary: $62,000 starting, $88,000 mid-career, $115,000 senior level.Elgin adjustment factor: 0.79x based on the local cost of living index.
Cartography ROI Calculator for Elgin
Estimate your return on investment for a Cartography degree using local Elgin tuition and cost of living data.
Public avg: $10,014 | Private avg: $30,900
Elgin avg aid: $15,897/yr
Federal avg: 6.5% | Private: 4-14%
Total Education Cost
$79,988
tuition + room & board - aid
Annual Earnings Premium
$21,330
vs HS diploma in Elgin
ROI Payback Period
3.8 years
to break even
Lifetime Return in Elgin
$-988
Lifetime earnings premium ($79,000) minus total education cost ($79,988)
Student Loan Payoff for Cartography in Elgin
Standard Plan (10 years)
Aggressive Plan (5 years)
Colleges in Elgin for Cartography
Judson University
private
$30,900/yr
$123,600 total
Community Colleges (2-Year Transfer)
Elgin Community College
$4,980/yr
Top Employers for Cartography in Elgin
Elgin offers opportunities in Tech companies, Research labs, Government agencies for Cartography graduates. National top employers in this field include:
Key Elgin Hiring Sectors for STEM
Tech companies
Research labs
Government agencies
Startups
Consulting firms
Common Cartography Job Titles
Cartography in Nearby Illinois Cities
Chicago, IL
$68K starting · COL 109
98 colleges
Aurora, IL
$58K starting · COL 92.8
7 colleges
Joliet, IL
$67K starting · COL 108
12 colleges
Naperville, IL
$63K starting · COL 102
13 colleges
Rockford, IL
$56K starting · COL 90
8 colleges
Springfield, IL
$57K starting · COL 92
9 colleges
Peoria, IL
$64K starting · COL 104
5 colleges
Waukegan, IL
$56K starting · COL 90.3
4 colleges
Other STEM Majors in Elgin
Prompt Engineering
$40K starting · 1.5 yr ROI
Computational Linguistics
$75K starting · 2 yr ROI
Computer Science
$67K starting · 2.8 yr ROI
Software Engineering
$70K starting · 2.7 yr ROI
Data Science
$65K starting · 3 yr ROI
Actuarial Science
$40K starting · 3 yr ROI
Cybersecurity
$63K starting · 3 yr ROI
Robotics Engineering
$40K starting · 3 yr ROI
Cartography Degree in Elgin — 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 Elgin.