What do they do?
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.
Also known as:
Geospatial Technician, GIS Admin (Geographic Information Systems Administrator), GIS Analyst (Geographic Information System Analyst), GIS Analyst (Geographic Information Systems Analyst), GIS Applications Specialist (Geographic Information Systems Applications Specialist), GIS Assessment Tech (Geographic Information Systems Assessment Technician), GIS Coordinator (Geographic Information Systems Coordinator), GIS Developer (Geographic Information Systems Developer), GIS Specialist (Geographic Information Systems Specialist), GIS Tech (Geographic Information Systems Technician)
No Data Available
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2.2%
Change
Ranks #54 in job growth rate440Job Openings
Ranks #22 in net job growth
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Colleges with the most graduates that become Geographic Information Systems Technologists and Technicians
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- Bachelor's degree (39%)
- Some college, no degree (19%)
- Master's degree (16%)
- Associate's degree (13%)
- High school diploma equivalent (10%)
- Doctorate or Professional Degree (2%)
- Less than high school diploma (1%)
Most Popular Majors that prepare Geographic Information Systems Technologists and Technicians
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#1
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Degrees Granted
7,287
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Female Students
1,764
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Male Students
5,523
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Median Starting Salary
$53,000
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#2
-
Degrees Granted
6,776
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Female Students
1,414
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Male Students
5,362
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Median Starting Salary
$62,633
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#3
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Degrees Granted
892
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Female Students
233
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Male Students
659
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Median Starting Salary
$53,350
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#4
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Degrees Granted
791
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Female Students
214
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Male Students
577
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Median Starting Salary
$53,350
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#5
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Degrees Granted
94
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Female Students
31
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Male Students
63
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Median Starting Salary
$46,300
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People in this career often have these skills:
- Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
- Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
- Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
People in this career often know a lot about:
- Geography - Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
- Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
- English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.
- Engineering and Technology - Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
People in this career often have talent in:
- Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
- Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
- Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
- Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
- Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
- Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
- Information Ordering - The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
- Flexibility of Closure - The ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.
- Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
- Category Flexibility - The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
- Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
- Selective Attention - The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
People in this career often do these activities:
- Evaluate data quality.
- Prepare graphics or other visual representations of information.
- Prepare analytical reports.
- Create databases to store electronic data.
- Update computer database information.
- Analyze data to identify trends or relationships among variables.
- Prepare data for analysis.
- Design software applications.
- Write computer programming code.
- Develop models of information or communications systems.
- Develop scientific or mathematical models.
- Coordinate project activities with other personnel or departments.
- Provide technical support for software maintenance or use.
- Troubleshoot issues with computer applications or systems.
- Collaborate with others to resolve information technology issues.
- Conduct research to gain information about products or processes.
- Design integrated computer systems.
- Update knowledge about emerging industry or technology trends.
- Test software performance.
- Design computer modeling or simulation programs.
- Document technical specifications or requirements.
- Collaborate with others to determine design specifications or details.
- Train others in computer interface or software use.
- Recommend changes to improve computer or information systems.
- Analyze Geographic Information Systems (GIS) data for use in green applications.
This page includes data from:
Career data:
O*NET 31.0 Database
by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (“USDOL/ETA”). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA
Occupation statistics: USDOL U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Occupational Employment Statistics
Videos:
CareerOneStop
, USDOL/ETA and the Minnesota Department of Employment & Economic Development
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