Agricultural Engineers vs Cartographers and Photogrammetrists: $99K vs $81K Median Pay

Agricultural Engineers vs Cartographers and Photogrammetrists: what changes?

Consider Agricultural Engineers if you want to apply knowledge of engineering technology and biological science to agricultural problems concerned with power and machinery, electrification, structures, soil and water conservation, and processing of…. Consider Cartographers and Photogrammetrists if you would rather research, study, and prepare maps and other spatial data in digital or graphic form for one or more purposes, such as legal, social, political, educational, and design purposes. Both list bachelor's degree; compare training and prior experience separately.

Try this next: Compare three local entry-level postings for Agricultural Engineers and Cartographers and Photogrammetrists. List the duties, credentials, prior experience, and paid training each employer actually asks for. Try a supervised class or sample project from each field before choosing a program.

BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. National medians are not starting offers. Occupation size is not a count of vacancies. View the BLS data.

Compare the practical differences

Agricultural Engineers

National median pay (2025): $98,590
Route into the job: Bachelor's degree
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.
Work to investigate: Prepare reports, sketches, working drawings, specifications, proposals, and budgets for proposed sites or systems.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 100

Know before you choose

This is a small national occupation (1,500 jobs in 2025), so location and employer concentration can matter more than the national median suggests.

See the full Agricultural Engineers brief

Cartographers and Photogrammetrists

National median pay (2025): $81,390
Route into the job: Bachelor's degree
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.
Work to investigate: Compile data required for map preparation, including aerial photographs, survey notes, records, reports, and original maps.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 900

Know before you choose

This is a small national occupation (14,700 jobs in 2025), so location and employer concentration can matter more than the national median suggests.

See the full Cartographers and Photogrammetrists brief

How the national numbers differ

Cartographers and Photogrammetrists has the edge on annual openings

Cartographers and Photogrammetrists is at 900 annual openings, compared with 100 annual openings for Agricultural Engineers.

Agricultural Engineers has the edge on median pay

Agricultural Engineers is at $98,590, compared with $81,390 for Cartographers and Photogrammetrists.

Cartographers and Photogrammetrists has the edge on projected growth

Cartographers and Photogrammetrists is at 7.4% projected growth, compared with 6.9% projected growth for Agricultural Engineers.

49.6/ 100

Agricultural Engineers

52.5/ 100

Cartographers and Photogrammetrists

Each available metric is ranked from 0 to 100 against the careers on ChooseField. The weighted average uses this profile: pay 30%, growth 25%, openings 30%, preparation level 15%. Missing values are not scored as zero; their weights are redistributed across available metrics. Occupation size has zero weight: employment is not accessible vacancies. Preparation categories do not measure admission difficulty or years without earnings. The score summarizes national measures; local opportunities and personal fit still need separate consideration.

Detailed evidence

Agricultural Engineers vs Cartographers and Photogrammetrists

Dimension	Agricultural Engineers	Cartographers and Photogrammetrists
Median pay (2025)	$98,590	$81,390
Pay percentile	81.6 percentile	73.8 percentile
Projected growth (2025–2035)	6.9%	7.4%
Annual openings (2025–2035)	100	900
2025 employment	1,500	14,700
How you qualify	Bachelor's degree	Bachelor's degree
O*NET preparation group	Job Zone 4	Job Zone 4
Related work experience	No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.	No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
On-the-job training	BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.	BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.

The table reports national benchmarks and reviewed work descriptions. It does not rate personal suitability, job security, or physical safety.

Read Agricultural Engineers brief Read Cartographers and Photogrammetrists brief

Agricultural Engineers vs Cartographers and Photogrammetrists: what changes?

The facts most likely to affect your decision

Agricultural Engineers

Cartographers and Photogrammetrists

How the national numbers differ

Cartographers and Photogrammetrists has the edge on annual openings

Agricultural Engineers has the edge on median pay

Cartographers and Photogrammetrists has the edge on projected growth

Agricultural Engineers vs Cartographers and Photogrammetrists

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