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Signal/Geospatial Intelligence

Types of Degrees Signal/Geospatial Intelligence Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Signal/Geospatial Intelligence have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Bachelor’s Degree	5
Master’s Degree	47

What Signal/Geospatial Intelligence Majors Need to Know

Studies in Signal/Geospatial Intelligence emphasize a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Signal/Geospatial Intelligence graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Signal/Geospatial Intelligence emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Law and Government — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Public Safety and Security — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Administrative — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

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

Skills

The skill set built by a Signal/Geospatial Intelligence program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Active Listening — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to Signal/Geospatial Intelligence careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Signal/Geospatial Intelligence graduates report doing:

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

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Signal/Geospatial Intelligence professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
National Crime Information Center (NCIC) database	Data base user interface and query software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Linux	Operating system software	—
Microsoft Visio	Process mapping and design software	—
DesignWare 3D EyeWitness	Graphics or photo imaging software	—
Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System IAFIS	Data base user interface and query software	—
National Integrated Ballistics Information Network NIBIN	Data base user interface and query software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Signal/Geospatial Intelligence graduates include:

• Identification Officer
• Criminalist
• Investigator
• Crime Scene Investigator (CSI)
• Police Investigator
• Law Enforcement Specialist
• CIA Agent (Central Intelligence Agency Agent)
• Crime Scene Evidence Technician
• Crime Scene Specialist
• Police Evidence Specialist
• Cyber Forensic Specialist
• Computer Forensic Specialist
• Criminal Specialist
• Site Identification Specialist
• Accident Investigator

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Signal/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	30.0%
Bachelor’s degree	27.6%
Some college courses	18.9%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	11.7%
Postsecondary certificate	7.3%
Master’s degree	2.9%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	1.7%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Signal/Geospatial Intelligence?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 73.1% of Signal/Geospatial Intelligence degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	14	26.9%
Men	38	73.1%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Signal/Geospatial Intelligence graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	35	67.3%
Asian	1	1.9%
Hispanic or Latino	4	7.7%
Black or African American	4	7.7%
Two or More Races	1	1.9%
International Students	7	13.5%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Signal/Geospatial Intelligence Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Signal/Geospatial Intelligence graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$63,824
4 years	$63,738
5 years	$74,331

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $74,331 — roughly 16% above the 1-year mark.

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

Online Signal/Geospatial Intelligence Programs

Fully online options is tracked by IPEDS for Signal/Geospatial Intelligence. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	1	0
Bachelor’s	1	0
Master’s	1	1

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Signal/Geospatial Intelligence Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Signal/Geospatial Intelligence graduates earn a median of $63,738 four years after completion — roughly 68% 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
Intelligence, Command Control and Information Operations	29.02
Command & Control (C3, C4I) Systems and Operations	29.0204
Cyber/Electronic Operations and Warfare	29.0207
Information Operations/Joint Information Operations	29.0205
Information/Psychological Warfare and Military Media Relations	29.0206
Intelligence, Command Control and Information Operations, Other	29.0299
Intelligence, General	29.0201
Strategic Intelligence	29.0202
Explosive Ordinance/Bomb Disposal	29.0404

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.