Cartography Degree in Hayward, CA — Salary & ROI 2026
Cartography degree analysis for Hayward, CA. COL-adjusted salary data, local tuition costs, ROI calculator, and job market outlook.
Starting Salary
$81K
COL-adjusted
Mid-Career
$115K
COL-adjusted
ROI Payback
2.5 yrs
in Hayward
Cost of Living
131
index (100 = avg)
Cartography in Hayward, CA Overview
While Hayward has a smaller college scene with 5 institutions, Cartography students benefit from lower tuition costs. Room and board averages $14,898/year, and the car-friendly layout shapes the student experience. Cartography has seen growing enrollment nationally, reflecting rising employer demand for GIS and Remote Sensing skills. The adjusted starting salary in Hayward is approximately $81,220.
Category
STEM
Local Colleges
5
Public Tuition
$6,972/yr
Private Tuition
$44,745/yr
Room & Board
$14,898/yr
Avg Fin. Aid
$13,102/yr
Unemployment
3.2%
Graduation Rate
63%
Cartography Salary in Hayward (COL-Adjusted)
Salaries adjusted for Hayward's cost of living index of 131 (national average = 100).
Note: National average Cartography salary: $62,000 starting, $88,000 mid-career, $115,000 senior level.Hayward adjustment factor: 1.31x based on the local cost of living index.
Cartography ROI Calculator for Hayward
Estimate your return on investment for a Cartography degree using local Hayward tuition and cost of living data.
Public avg: $6,972 | Private avg: $44,745
Hayward avg aid: $13,102/yr
Federal avg: 6.5% | Private: 4-14%
Total Education Cost
$87,480
tuition + room & board - aid
Annual Earnings Premium
$35,370
vs HS diploma in Hayward
ROI Payback Period
2.5 years
to break even
Lifetime Return in Hayward
$43,520
Lifetime earnings premium ($131,000) minus total education cost ($87,480)
Student Loan Payoff for Cartography in Hayward
Standard Plan (10 years)
Aggressive Plan (5 years)
Colleges in Hayward for Cartography
California State University, East Bay
public
$6,972/yr
$27,888 total
Community Colleges (2-Year Transfer)
Chabot College
$1,540/yr
Top Employers for Cartography in Hayward
Hayward offers opportunities in Tech companies, Research labs, Government agencies for Cartography graduates. National top employers in this field include:
Key Hayward Hiring Sectors for STEM
Tech companies
Research labs
Government agencies
Startups
Consulting firms
Common Cartography Job Titles
Cartography in Nearby California Cities
Los Angeles, CA
$87K starting · COL 141
69 colleges
San Diego, CA
$87K starting · COL 140
68 colleges
San Jose, CA
$80K starting · COL 129
95 colleges
San Francisco, CA
$71K starting · COL 114
22 colleges
Fresno, CA
$73K starting · COL 118
37 colleges
Sacramento, CA
$69K starting · COL 112
38 colleges
Long Beach, CA
$72K starting · COL 116
14 colleges
Oakland, CA
$82K starting · COL 132
13 colleges
Other STEM Majors in Hayward
Prompt Engineering
$66K starting · 1.5 yr ROI
Computational Linguistics
$124K starting · 2 yr ROI
Computer Science
$111K starting · 2.8 yr ROI
Software Engineering
$115K starting · 2.7 yr ROI
Data Science
$107K starting · 3 yr ROI
Astrophysics
$111K starting · 3 yr ROI
Actuarial Science
$66K starting · 3 yr ROI
Cybersecurity
$105K starting · 3 yr ROI
Cartography Degree in Hayward — 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 Hayward.