Geographic Information Systems Technologists and Technicians: Career Profile
Assist scientists or related professionals in building, maintaining, modifying, or using geographic information systems (GIS) databases. May also perform some custom application development or provide user support.
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What Do Geographic Information Systems Technologists and Technicians Perform?
Typical responsibilities of geographic information systems technologists and technicians cover:
- Produce data layers, maps, tables, or reports, using spatial analysis procedures or Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology, equipment, or systems.
- Design or prepare graphic representations of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) data, using GIS hardware or software applications.
- Maintain or modify existing Geographic Information Systems (GIS) databases.
- Provide technical expertise in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology to clients or users.
- Perform computer programming, data analysis, or software development for Geographic Information Systems (GIS) applications, including the maintenance of existing systems or research and development for future enhancements.
- Enter data into Geographic Information Systems (GIS) databases, using techniques such as coordinate geometry, keyboard entry of tabular data, manual digitizing of maps, scanning or automatic conversion to vectors, or conversion of other sources of digital data.
- Review existing or incoming data for currency, accuracy, usefulness, quality, or completeness of documentation.
- Perform geospatial data building, modeling, or analysis, using advanced spatial analysis, data manipulation, or cartography software.
Key Skills and Knowledge
Effective geographic information systems technologists and technicians rely on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Top Skills
The competencies most important for this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Core Knowledge
Other Geographic Information Systems Technologists and Technicians Job Titles
This career also goes by job titles like:
- CADD GIS Technician (Computer-Aided Design and Drafting Geographic Information Systems Technician)
- Cartographic Technician
- Conversion Specialist
- Field GIS Technician (Field Geographic Information Systems Technician)
- GIS Consultant (Geographic Information Systems Consultant)
- GIS Specialist (Geographic Information Systems Specialist)
- GIS Technician (Geographic Information Systems Technician)
- Geographic Information System Analyst (GIS Analyst)
Employment and Demand
The U.S. employs around 540,311 geographic information systems technologists and technicians working in the United States today. Employment is projected to decline by -1.9% over the projection horizon.
Salary for Geographic Information Systems Technologists and Technicians
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $82,846 |
| Hourly median | $39.83 |
| 10th percentile | $46,560 |
| 25th percentile | $64,703 |
| 75th percentile | $100,988 |
| 90th percentile | $119,131 |
Compensation varies based on experience, location, and industry.
Geographic Information Systems Technologists and Technicians Salary by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| Virgin Islands | $179,830 |
| Maryland | $141,540 |
| District of Columbia | $137,610 |
| Virginia | $132,810 |
| Delaware | $132,670 |
| Washington | $131,800 |
| California | $128,750 |
| Colorado | $119,560 |
| West Virginia | $113,030 |
| Hawaii | $112,050 |
| Arizona | $112,010 |
| Vermont | $109,220 |
| Texas | $108,170 |
| North Carolina | $106,240 |
| Massachusetts | $105,890 |
| New York | $105,210 |
| Ohio | $104,330 |
| Alabama | $104,330 |
| South Carolina | $104,330 |
| New Jersey | $103,910 |
| Iowa | $103,690 |
| Oregon | $102,940 |
| Florida | $102,750 |
| New Mexico | $102,500 |
| Pennsylvania | $102,330 |
| Michigan | $102,300 |
| Maine | $101,760 |
| Georgia | $100,950 |
| Nevada | $100,570 |
| Illinois | $100,310 |
| Kansas | $100,090 |
| Alaska | $100,040 |
| Minnesota | $99,740 |
| South Dakota | $98,550 |
| Connecticut | $97,870 |
| Rhode Island | $96,990 |
| Indiana | $96,530 |
| Idaho | $95,640 |
| Utah | $95,640 |
| Oklahoma | $95,640 |
| Kentucky | $90,380 |
| Wyoming | $90,010 |
| Nebraska | $87,920 |
| New Hampshire | $87,420 |
| Mississippi | $86,380 |
| Wisconsin | $85,290 |
| Missouri | $84,250 |
| Montana | $78,690 |
| Arkansas | $77,830 |
| Louisiana | $75,560 |
| North Dakota | $69,640 |
| Tennessee | $65,370 |
| Puerto Rico | $42,250 |
Top-Paying U.S. Regions
Compensation for geographic information systems technologists and technicians vary by region. Top regions by median wage:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western US | $126,964 | 25.0% | 1.54 |
| Middle Atlantic | $121,117 | 18.1% | 2.97 |
| Rocky Mountains | $108,235 | 3.6% | 0.97 |
| Southwest | $107,900 | 16.0% | 1.38 |
| New England | $102,646 | 2.6% | 0.65 |
| Southeast | $101,290 | 22.4% | 1.02 |
| Great Lakes | $97,392 | 6.3% | 0.61 |
| Plains States | $89,865 | 5.8% | 1.14 |
Highest-Paying Metro Areas for Geographic Information Systems Technologists and Technicians
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $168,070 | 15,550 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $157,380 | 18,680 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | DC | $144,040 | 35,080 |
| Charlottesville, VA | VA | $142,150 | 140 |
| Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV | MD | $139,940 | 420 |
| Lexington Park, MD | MD | $138,090 | 1,020 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | WA | $134,230 | 10,400 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | MD | $133,680 | 9,110 |
Industry Breakdown
Most geographic information systems technologists and technicians work in these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 130,160 | $106,200 |
| Information | 43,000 | $126,550 |
| Finance and Insurance | 28,690 | $126,080 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 25,660 | $127,600 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 24,880 | $96,000 |
| Manufacturing | 21,020 | $102,950 |
| Educational Services | 18,100 | $79,900 |
| Wholesale Trade | 13,130 | $100,550 |
The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.
Tech Stack
- Document management software: Adobe Acrobat (hot technology)
- Video creation and editing software: Adobe After Effects (hot technology)
- Graphics or photo imaging software: Adobe Creative Cloud software (hot technology)
- Graphics or photo imaging software: Adobe Illustrator (hot technology)
- Graphics or photo imaging software: Adobe Photoshop (hot technology)
- Data base user interface and query software: Amazon Web Services AWS software (hot technology)
- Operating system software: Apple iOS (hot technology)
- Content workflow software: Atlassian JIRA (hot technology)
- Computer aided design CAD software: Autodesk AutoCAD (hot technology)
- Computer aided design CAD software: Bentley MicroStation (hot technology)
- Web platform development software: Bootstrap (hot technology)
- Development environment software: C (hot technology)
What the Workplace Is Like
The on-the-job environment of geographic information systems technologists and technicians reflects the following characteristics:
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
- Spend Time Sitting
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
- Telephone Conversations
Getting Started in This Career
The role falls in Medium Preparation Needed (Job Zone 3), signaling the level of preparation typically expected.
Similar Occupations
Similar Occupations
- Computer Systems Analysts (Primary-Long)
- Database Administrators (Supplemental)
- Database Architects (Primary-Long)
- Data Warehousing Specialists (Supplemental)
- Computer Programmers (Supplemental)
- Software Developers (Supplemental)
- Computer Systems Engineers/Architects (Supplemental)
- Statisticians (Supplemental)
Top Programs to Study For This Career
Future geographic information systems technologists and technicians commonly pursue programs in:
Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services
5 programs across 5 majors
- Computer Science
- Computer Information Systems
- Information Science
- Information Technology
- Data Processing
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
4 programs across 4 majors
- Computational Science
- Human Computer Interaction
- Mathematics & Computer Science
- Accounting & Computer Science
Biological and Biomedical Sciences
2 programs across 1 majors
Health Professions and Related Programs
1 programs across 1 majors
Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting and Related Protective Services
1 programs across 1 majors
Physical Sciences
1 programs across 1 majors
About the Data
This profile draws on the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 15-1299.02 (Computer Occupations, All Other).
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