Map clerks handle map files and geographic records — maintaining map collections, processing requests, and supporting the people who need geographic information for engineering, planning, or government work.
Map Clerk pay typically runs $35K–$51K at this level, and jobs in this field are projected to shrink 11% through 2034.
Workdays involve steady file work — pulling, updating, and refiling maps; processing requests; and maintaining digital and physical map collections. Modern map work increasingly involves GIS systems alongside or replacing traditional map collections, and many clerks find themselves bridging two eras of how the work gets done.
Collaboration usually involves engineers, planners, surveyors, or government staff who need maps. What's harder than expected is the specialized knowledge required — map work has its own conventions (projection systems, scales, symbology) and you're expected to know enough to find the right resource for what someone actually needs, not just what they asked for.
People who thrive tend to be methodical, geographically curious, and patient with detail. If you find map work interesting in itself — not just as paperwork — the role often fits well. People who don't care about the geographic content tend to find the work too quiet for what it asks of them.
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Roles with similar work and overlapping career paths
View all Admin & Office roles →Map clerks handle map files and geographic records — maintaining map collections, processing requests, and supporting the people who need geographic information for engineering, planning, or government work.
Median pay for a Map Clerk is about $42K nationally, with the field ranging roughly from $29K to $64K depending on experience, employer, and metro (BLS).
Core skills for this role include Reading Comprehension, Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Speaking, and Active Listening.
Most people in this role hold a postsecondary certificate.
Employment in this field is projected to decline about 11.3% through 2034, with roughly 2.6 million people working in it today (BLS).
Closely related roles include Returned Telephone Equipment Appraiser, Charter, and Medical Records Coder.
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