Leads huge mapping projects using lasers on planes and drones to scan entire states in 3D.
You plan flight lines for an airplane carrying a lidar scanner over 5,000 square miles, manage the team cleaning the data, and deliver 3D flood maps to the government.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 10 years after high school. Geomatics, GIS, or engineering degree plus 10+ years in mapping.
Ways in: 4-year college, Graduate school. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Geomatics, GIS, Geography.
Growing faster than average. Lidar and 3D mapping are booming.
Medium risk for 10 years. AI auto-classifies lidar and builds maps, shrinking production teams; winning contracts and managing quality stay human.
Classes: AP Computer Science, AP Statistics, Geography.
Official data: O*NET occupation 11-9199.
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.