Geography and Cartographyat University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Graduates earn $42,210/yr in their first year — about 10.0% above the national Geography and Cartography average. Base-case 10-year earnings $611K; scenarios range from $553K to $626K depending on AI disruption.
What this degree looks like at University of North Carolina at Charlotte
UNC Charlotte's Geography and Cartography program consistently produces strong outcomes, largely due to its focus on practical, applied skills within a thriving metropolitan economy. Charlotte's robust growth in finance, logistics, urban planning, and energy creates significant demand for professionals adept at spatial data analysis and visualization. You'll find graduates leveraging their GIS and mapping expertise in diverse roles, from optimizing supply chains for major corporations to informing urban development projects and market analysis for financial institutions.
While certain repetitive mapping tasks face increasing automation risk from AI, the program's success points to students developing critical problem-solving and strategic application skills. The higher-paying career paths often involve managing teams, leading projects, or providing specialized consulting where your geographical insight drives decisions. To maximize your career resilience and earning potential, proactively seek internships that involve project leadership, data interpretation, and client communication, demonstrating how you can translate complex spatial information into actionable business intelligence.
Three scenarios, ten years out
Each scenario is a different assumption about how AI reshapes the career paths this major feeds into. Earnings projections stack the full 10-year cumulative trajectory; scores use the same 0–100 metric as the hero, recomputed under that scenario's assumptions.
10 year projection
Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to University of North Carolina at Charlotte's starting earnings; optimistic and pessimistic adjust for AI's effect on each career path this major feeds into.
Common career destinations for this program's graduates, weighted by the school's specific occupation mix. Salary is BLS national median; AI risk is per-role task-exposure research.
Peer schools offering Geography and Cartography
How University of North Carolina at Charlotte stacks up against other schools offering this major.
Other top programs at University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Other highest-scoring programs offered at University of North Carolina at Charlotte, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.
Consider the trade route
Not sure a 4-year degree is the right path? Trade programs in Geography and Cartography offer shorter timelines, lower debt, and strong AI resilience for hands-on careers.
Compare Geography and Cartography trade programs on TradeSchoolOutlook →Frequently asked about Geography and Cartography at University of North Carolina at Charlotte
How does University of North Carolina at Charlotte's Geography and Cartography program score?
This program scores 61/100, reflecting respectable but not exceptional financial outcomes for Geography and Cartography graduates.
How vulnerable is Geography and Cartography to AI automation?
AI won't 'replace' Geography and Cartography careers outright, but it is likely to reduce the number of job openings. We model 49% task exposure, which compresses field employment probability in our scenarios.
Why does University of North Carolina at Charlotte rank so high for Geography and Cartography?
The #5 ranking out of 95 programs is driven by strong financial outcomes — graduates earn well, debt is manageable relative to income, and the job market supports the field.