Cartographers draw maps for a living. And maps are used for more than just atlases. You’ll find them in newspapers, helping readers make sense of a complicated issue. You’ll find them on your smartphone, giving you directions for getting from point A to B.

You might expect to find mapmakers back in the 2nd century, even the 15th and 16th centuries. Ptolemy was a cartographer. Leonardo da Vinci was one too. But you might not expect to find them in 21st century America.

And yet demand for cartographers is high. And it’s really no wonder. Tanya Buckingham, assistant director of the Cartography Lab at the University of Wisconsin – Madison, says the field has seen incredible change, even in the last decade. "Since [2001], we have seen the explosion of interactive maps; the democratization of cartographic tools, cloud-based tools and data storage; print on demand; as well as the ever changing trends in screen size," she writes in an email.

For Buckingham, the discipline is the perfect intersection of her interests. There’s an analytical part of the job, which involves pouring over data to find trends and patterns. And there’s also an artistic part of the job, which involves visualizing that data in a design. "I enjoy the process of making beautiful graphics to explain ideas, which are better understood with visuals."

There is demand for accurate maps, especially across web-based platforms. "We should expect to see an increase in cloud-based services, open source resources, and improved user interface and user experience design, both for applications and software," Buckingham explains.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 5.0% employment growth for cartographers between 2022 and 2032. In that period, an estimated 700 jobs should open up.

Most cartography hopefuls will get a bachelor’s degree in cartography, geography, civil engineering or another similar field. While in school, students should develop a familiarity and be comfortable with GIS (geographic information system) technology, but not to the detriment of a comprehensive cartography education. "The field is changing so rapidly that the knowledge a student obtains should not be tied to a specific software, or scripting and coding language," Buckingham says. "Instead, the education [should be] rooted in the fundamentals of spatial thinking and problem solving. To think this way, students are prepared to adapt with the rapidly changing field."