Quote Originally Posted by zackxoxo View Post
I've researched the expected job growth for cartography Jobs on the bureau of labor and according to them it's supposed to grow by 29% from now to 2024. Is this actually realistic and what should my concentration be in school if I plan to pursue this career. What do cartographers actually do in their jobs?
I'm not sure you're gonna get a lot of response by posting in this thread. It's quite unrelated to your question...

I think it's probably important to be clear on the differences between "real" cartography and what we do here. This forum is mostly home to enthusiasts, artists and hobbyists. Most of the maps that are created are for fantasy or science fiction settings. I think it's probably also safe to say that we all started because we love it, and not because we expected to make a livelihood. That said, there is money to be made, for example in novels and games.

"Real" cartography, on the other hand, is, I guess, about the mapping of Earth. It's much less interested in the creative or aesthetic sides of mapping, and more focused on technical details. Now, I believe that this type of cartography can be very lucrative in different industries (e.g. mining and oil companies, governments, probably military), but it is a totally different thing to what most people do here. That said, there are a few people on these forums who specialise in either real world locations, or in fictional locations using "real" cartography techniques and software. Waldronate, I think, is the main person that comes to mind.

Hope that clarifies a bit for you. If you want to learn more, I'd recommend perhaps starting a new thread in the appropriate subforum to ask your question. That way you'll get wiser people than me to offer their knowledge.

Wingshaw