Cartographic Technician, GS-1371

By Human Capital

Definitions:

EXPERIENCE: One year of work experience is twelve months working full-time (at least 35-40 hours per week). Part-time experience can be pro-rated (i.e., a year at 20 hours per week is credited as 6 months of experience). If your position consisted of mixed duties, experience credit is given for the percentage of time that you spent on qualifying duties (i.e., if you held a position for 2 years, full-time, consisting of 25% personnel work and 75% budget work, and then applied for a budget position you could calculate your experience as follows:. 2 yrs = 24 months. 24 months x 75% [percentage of time spent on budget duties] = 18 months of qualifying experience.)

UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION: A year of undergraduate education is 30 semester hours, 45 quarter hours or the equivalent of college study. This education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university for which high school graduation or the equivalent was a prerequisite.

GRADUATE EDUCATION: In the absence of specific graduate program information, a year of graduate education is 18 semester hours or 27 quarter hours of graduate level college course work, or the number of credit hours the school attended has determined to represent 1 year of full time study. This education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university.

For GS-05:

Applicants must meet one of the following to qualify for the GS-5 level: One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-04 level in the Federal service this is in or related to the duties of this position. Specialized experience may include work in the fields of cartography, physical geography, geodesy, astronomy, photogrammetry, oceanography, computer science, land surveying, geophysics, and remote sensing if it equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of this position.

Examples of GS-4 level work: 1) constructing controlled and semi-controlled mosaics from available databases or aerial photographs; 2) establishing horizontal directions to photo-control points; or preparing photographs for plotting including the selection and delineations of detail and pass points, transfer centers and pass points for adjoining photographs. ** OR applicants may substitute successful completion of a full four year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree that included at least 18 semester hours in courses such as cartography, physical geography, geodesy, astronomy, photogrammetry, oceanography, computer science, land surveying, geophysics, remote sensing, algebra, trigonometry or calculus. No more than 9 out of 18 semester hours should be in mathematics or statistics.

** OR a combination of successfully completed post-high school education and specialized experience may be used to meet the qualification requirements for GS-5. Only progressive education in excess of the first 60 semester hours or 90 quarter hours (i.e., beyond the first two years) of a course study leading to a bachelor's degree is creditable toward meeting the specialized experience requirement, assuming the education includes the required number of directly related semester hours, or the equivalent, in any combination of courses such as cartography, physical geography, geodesy, astronomy, photogrammetry, oceanography, computer science, land surveying, geophysics, remote sensing, algebra, trigonometry or calculus.(CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS ON HOW TO COMBINE UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION & SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE)

For GS-06:

Applicants must meet one of the following to qualify for the GS-6 level: One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-5 level in the Federal service. Specialized experience may include work in the fields of cartography, physical geography, geodesy, astronomy, photogrammetry, oceanography, computer science, land surveying, geophysics, and remote sensing if it equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of this position.

Examples of GS-5 level work: Perform limited drafting and mapping work involving a variety of basic cartographic methods; performs detailed tasks to gather and prepare digital data sets, maps, and/or charts; digitizes data sets and enters information into metadata files; maintains data bases for generating cartographic output; prepares or modifies maps using Geographic Information System (GIS) software; prepares finished copies of maps, graphs, and illustrations for reports; prepares base maps on scale-stable material; learns operations characteristics, capabilities, and limitations of digital cartographic systems; operates drafting machines and equipment.

**OR applicants may substitute successful completion of 1 year of appropriate graduate level education (18 semester hours, 27 quarter hour or the equivalent) in cartography or other field of study directly related to the work of this position for the required 1 year of specialized experience, provided it demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform the work of this position.

**OR applicants may substitute a combination of appropriate specialized experience (as described above) that is beyond the first 1/2 year of progressive graduate study to meet the qualification requirements.

For GS-07:

Applicants must meet one of the following to qualify for the GS-07 level: One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-06 level in the Federal service that is in or related to the duties of this position. Specialized experience may include work in the fields of cartography, physical geography, geodesy, astronomy, photogrammetry, oceanography, computer science, land surveying, geophysics, and remote sensing if it equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of this position.

Examples of GS-6 level work: Performs drafting and mapping work to produce a variety of cartographic products; prepares or modifies digital maps; digitizes, scans, creates, complies, or drafts maps, diagrams, and data according to basic cartographic principles; creates digital data bases, map layouts, and base maps using Geographic Information System (GIS); prepares illustrations, maps, and charts using standard GIS and/or drafting methods according to basic cartographic principles and publication standards; edits previously digitized data for completeness, coding, and accuracy.

** OR applicants may substitute a combination of appropriate specialized experience (as described above) that is beyond the first 1/2 year of progressive graduate study to meet the qualification requirements.

For GS-08:

Applicants must meet one the following to qualify for the GS-8 level: One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS7 level in the Federal service that is in or related to the duties of this position. Specialized experience may include work in the fields of cartography, physical geography, geodesy, astronomy, photogrammetry, oceanography, computer science, land surveying, geophysics, and remote sensing if it equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of this position.

Examples of GS-7 level work: Prepares conventional maps, graphs, and illustrations using traditional cartographic methods or automated systems; performs automated and/or manual digitizing to convert data into Geographic Information System (GIS) databases; produces plotted maps using automated systems and software such as ARC/INFO and ARCVIEW; enters data obtained from a variety of sources in digital format; edits, verifies, and formats data in digital form; processes cartographic data and graphic products for entry into a digital database by editing and reviewing data for accuracy and consistency.

**OR applicants may substitute successful completion of 2 years of progressively higher level graduate education (36 semester hours, 54 quarter hours or the equivalent) leading to a master's degree or possession of a master's degree in cartography or other field of study directly related to the work of this position for the required 1 year of specialized experience if it provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform the work of this position.

**OR applicants may substitute a combination of appropriate specialized experience (as described above) and appropriate graduate level education (as described above) that is beyond the first 1 1/2 years of progressive graduate study to meet the qualification requirements.

For GS-09:

Applicants must meet one of the following to qualify for the GS-09 level: One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-08 level in the Federal service that is in or related to the duties of this position. Specialized experience may include work in the fields of cartography, physical geography, geodesy, astronomy, photogrammetry, oceanography, computer science, land surveying, geophysics, and remote sensing if it equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of this position.

Examples of GS-08 level work: Performs digitization of standard and complex map products including maps, graphic illustrations, and/or enhanced spatial databases; imports and manipulates digital data from a variety of platforms including DOS, Windows, Macintosh, and UNIX; organizes, direct and schedules work for digitizing; writes or modifies computer programs for data conversion, display, or analysis; scans, edits and manipulates digital map data;

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