Also called: Rare Map Specialist, Cartographic Antiquarian
Finds, researches and sells centuries-old maps, atlases and globes to collectors, libraries and museums.
You inspect a 1700s map of the Mississippi under a magnifier to check the paper, printing and hand coloring, then dig through reference books to date it. You photograph and describe it for your website, pack it for a museum buyer, and fly to an auction where a single map can sell for thousands.
Mostly self-employed; income swings with sales.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 4 years after high school. Often a bachelor's in history, geography or art history; learned by working for a dealer.
Ways in: 4-year college, On-the-job training. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: History, Geography, Art History.
Growing slowly. A tiny trade; online sales help small dealers reach collectors.
Low risk in 5 years, medium in 10. AI helps catalog and price maps online; judging paper, printing and fakes in person and building trust with collectors stay human.
Classes: AP World History, Geography, Art.
Official data: O*NET occupation 41-2031.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.