Understanding the world through places and maps—satellite images, GIS, surveying, and spatial data used by cities, apps, and national security.
Top pay: highest pay, longest training
Spatial Data Scientist: Builds models using location data—for delivery routes, store locations, climate risk, and ride-sharing apps. Typical pay $125k.
Geospatial Software Engineer: Builds the software behind digital maps, navigation apps, and satellite image analysis. Typical pay $136k.
Mid pay: solid pay, degree or apprenticeship
Geographer: Studies places, landscapes, and how people and the environment shape each other. Typical pay $97k.
GIS Analyst: Uses mapping software to analyze location data—where things are, and why it matters. Typical pay $75k.
Remote Sensing Scientist: Analyzes satellite and aerial images to track forests, floods, crops, and cities from above. Typical pay $105k.
Hazard Mitigation Specialist: Maps flood, wildfire, and earthquake risks and plans how communities can reduce damage. Typical pay $78k.
Map & GIS Librarian: Manages collections of maps—from 1600s originals to digital GIS data. Typical pay $68k.
GIS Manager: Leads the mapping and geographic data team for a city, utility, or company. Typical pay $105k.
Location Intelligence Analyst: Uses maps and location data to help businesses decide where to open stores and how to reach customers. Typical pay $79k.
High School Geography Teacher: Teaches students about countries, cultures, maps, and how people and places connect. Typical pay $72k.
International Boundary Technician: Keeps the 5,525-mile U.S.-Canada border visible by clearing a 20-foot strip through forests and repairing thousands of boundary markers. Typical pay $58k.
Starter: fastest way in
GIS Technician: Enters and updates data in digital mapping (GIS) systems for counties, cities, utilities and engineering firms, and checks map data for errors. Typical pay $50k.
Surveying & Mapping Technician: Assists surveyors in the field, holding equipment and recording measurements. Typical pay $50k.
Drone Mapping Pilot: Flies drones to map land, buildings, farms, and disaster zones. Typical pay $52k.
Map Data Editor: Fixes and updates the data in digital maps used by navigation apps. Typical pay $44k.
Lidar Technician: Processes laser-scan data from planes, drones, and cars to build detailed 3D maps of the ground and buildings. Typical pay $54k.
Street-Level Imagery Collector: Drives or walks with camera rigs to capture street-level photos and data for digital maps. Typical pay $40k.
Cadastral Mapping Technician: Maintains the official maps of property lines that counties use for taxes and land records. Typical pay $54k.
Cemetery Mapping & Records Specialist: Maps every grave in old and new cemeteries with GPS, drones and historic records so families and staff can find exactly where people are buried. Typical pay $46k.
Antique Map Dealer: Finds, researches and sells centuries-old maps, atlases and globes to collectors, libraries and museums. Typical pay $50k.
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.