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geospatial intelligence

Types of Degrees geospatial intelligence Majors Are Earning

People majoring in geospatial intelligence may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	8
Bachelor’s Degree	33
Master’s Degree	11

What geospatial intelligence Majors Need to Know

Programs in geospatial intelligence build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that geospatial intelligence graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing geospatial intelligence emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Law and Government — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Public Safety and Security — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills emphasized by a geospatial intelligence program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Active Listening — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to geospatial intelligence careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, geospatial intelligence graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.6 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.4 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.3 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.3 / 7
Working with Computers	4.3 / 7
Processing Information	4.2 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.2 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.1 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.0 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.0 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by geospatial intelligence professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
National Crime Information Center (NCIC) database	Data base user interface and query software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
ESRI ArcView	Geographic information system	—
Geographic information system GIS software	Geographic information system	✓
Linux	Operating system software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for geospatial intelligence graduates include:

• Investigator
• Identification Officer
• Crime Scene Investigator (CSI)
• Criminalist
• Police Investigator
• Law Enforcement Specialist
• CIA Agent (Central Intelligence Agency Agent)
• Fingerprint Classifier
• Criminal Records Technician
• Field Evidence Technician
• Forensic Technician (Forensic Tech)
• Community Service Officer
• Evidence Custodian
• Forensic Specialist
• Forensic Science Technician (Forensic Science Tech)

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to geospatial intelligence graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
High school diploma or equivalent	22.3%
Bachelor’s degree	21.4%
Doctoral degree	18.3%
Some college courses	14.0%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	9.0%
Postsecondary certificate	5.7%
Master’s degree	5.4%
Post-master’s certificate	2.3%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	1.2%
Post-doctoral training	0.2%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in geospatial intelligence?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 62.3% of geospatial intelligence degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	20	37.7%
Men	33	62.3%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of geospatial intelligence graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	40	75.5%
Asian	2	3.8%
Hispanic or Latino	6	11.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native	1	1.9%
Two or More Races	2	3.8%
Race Unknown	1	1.9%
International Students	1	1.9%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do geospatial intelligence Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of geospatial intelligence graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$51,422
4 years	$49,125
5 years	$55,237

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $55,237 — roughly 7% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Is a Degree in geospatial intelligence Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, geospatial intelligence graduates earn a median of $49,125 four years after completion — roughly 29% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Security Science and Technology	43.04
Criminalistics and Criminal Science	43.0402
Cyber/Computer Forensics and Counterterrorism	43.0403
Cybersecurity Defense Strategy/Policy	43.0404
Financial Forensics and Fraud Investigation	43.0405
Forensic Science and Technology	43.0406
Law Enforcement Intelligence Analysis	43.0408
Security Science and Technology, General	43.0401
Security Science and Technology, Other	43.0499
Terrorism and Counterterrorism Operations	43.0304
Criminal Justice and Corrections	43.0100
Cultural/Archaelogical Resources Protection	43.0123

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.