Cartography Degree in Sacramento, CA — Salary & ROI 2026
Cartography degree analysis for Sacramento, CA. COL-adjusted salary data, local tuition costs, ROI calculator, and job market outlook.
Starting Salary
$69K
COL-adjusted
Mid-Career
$99K
COL-adjusted
ROI Payback
3.6 yrs
in Sacramento
Cost of Living
112
index (100 = avg)
Cartography in Sacramento, CA Overview
Sacramento is one of California's top college towns, with 38 institutions and a student population of 18,535. Public tuition averages $7,488/year here — well below the national average, making it a cost-effective choice. Cartography has seen growing enrollment nationally, reflecting rising employer demand for GIS and Remote Sensing skills. The adjusted starting salary in Sacramento is approximately $69,440.
Category
STEM
Local Colleges
38
Public Tuition
$7,488/yr
Private Tuition
$44,382/yr
Room & Board
$19,962/yr
Avg Fin. Aid
$16,517/yr
Unemployment
3.6%
Graduation Rate
55%
Cartography Salary in Sacramento (COL-Adjusted)
Salaries adjusted for Sacramento's cost of living index of 112 (national average = 100).
Note: National average Cartography salary: $62,000 starting, $88,000 mid-career, $115,000 senior level.Sacramento adjustment factor: 1.12x based on the local cost of living index.
Cartography ROI Calculator for Sacramento
Estimate your return on investment for a Cartography degree using local Sacramento tuition and cost of living data.
Public avg: $7,488 | Private avg: $44,382
Sacramento avg aid: $16,517/yr
Federal avg: 6.5% | Private: 4-14%
Total Education Cost
$109,800
tuition + room & board - aid
Annual Earnings Premium
$30,240
vs HS diploma in Sacramento
ROI Payback Period
3.6 years
to break even
Lifetime Return in Sacramento
$2,200
Lifetime earnings premium ($112,000) minus total education cost ($109,800)
Student Loan Payoff for Cartography in Sacramento
Standard Plan (10 years)
Aggressive Plan (5 years)
Colleges in Sacramento for Cartography
Sacramento State University
public
$7,488/yr
$29,952 total
University of the Pacific
private
$52,584/yr
$210,336 total
William Jessup University
private
$36,180/yr
$144,720 total
Community Colleges (2-Year Transfer)
Sacramento City College
$1,540/yr
Top Employers for Cartography in Sacramento
Sacramento offers opportunities in Tech companies, Research labs, Government agencies for Cartography graduates. National top employers in this field include:
Key Sacramento 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
Long Beach, CA
$72K starting · COL 116
14 colleges
Oakland, CA
$82K starting · COL 132
13 colleges
Bakersfield, CA
$83K starting · COL 134
18 colleges
Other STEM Majors in Sacramento
Prompt Engineering
$56K starting · 1.5 yr ROI
Computational Linguistics
$106K starting · 2 yr ROI
Computer Science
$95K starting · 2.8 yr ROI
Software Engineering
$99K starting · 2.7 yr ROI
Data Science
$92K starting · 3 yr ROI
Actuarial Science
$56K starting · 3 yr ROI
Cybersecurity
$90K starting · 3 yr ROI
Robotics Engineering
$56K starting · 3 yr ROI
Cartography Degree in Sacramento — 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 Sacramento.