---
title: "Remote Sensing Scientist and Technologist"
description: "Apply remote sensing principles and methods to analyze data and solve problems in areas such as natural resource management, urban planning, or homeland…"
canonical: "https://nuecareer.com/careers/remote-sensing-scientist-and-technologist"
last-updated: "2026-10-09T10:57:55.138Z"
---

# Remote Sensing Scientist and Technologist

**Category:** Life, Physical, and Social Science · **SOC code:** 19-2099 · **O\*NET-SOC code:** 19-2099.01

Apply remote sensing principles and methods to analyze data and solve problems in areas such as natural resource management, urban planning, or homeland security. May develop new sensor systems, analytical techniques, or new applications for existing systems.

Also advertised as: Geospatial Intelligence Analyst; Image Scientist; Remote Sensing Analyst; Remote Sensing Scientist; Research Scientist; Scientist; Sensor Specialist.

## At a glance

- **Median annual wage:** $122,570 (BLS OEWS, May 2025)
- **Median hourly wage:** $58.93/hr
- **Wage range (10th–90th percentile):** $67,000 to $195,190, with the middle half between $86,620 and $161,890
- **Total US employment:** 22,300
- **Typical entry education:** Bachelor's
- **Preparation required:** Medium preparation — O\*NET rates this "Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed"
- **Projected growth:** +2.1% over 2025–2035 (BLS EP, 2025–2035)
- **Annual job openings:** 1,400 openings a year
- **AI-resilience score:** 19/100 — a NueCareer heuristic over O\*NET work activities and context, not a BLS or O\*NET figure

## Pay

National wage distribution, BLS OEWS, May 2025, across 22,300 US jobs.

| Percentile | Annual wage |
| --- | --- |
| 10th | $67,000 |
| 25th | $86,620 |
| 50th (median) | $122,570 |
| 75th | $161,890 |
| 90th | $195,190 |
| Mean (average) | $129,230 |

### Pay by state

The 15 highest-paying states, by median annual wage. The cost-of-living-adjusted column divides the state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, so the columns answer different questions: the first is what the job pays there, the second is what that pay buys there.

| State | Median annual wage | Cost-of-living adjusted | Employment |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| DC | $156,730 | $142,610 | 790 |
| MN | $147,890 | $149,958 | 540 |
| ND | $147,650 | $165,975 | 70 |
| MD | $141,290 | $134,614 | 1,810 |
| SC | $141,130 | $150,540 | 70 |
| MA | $138,380 | $130,847 | 350 |
| GA | $137,680 | $142,980 | 1,020 |
| AL | $135,350 | $152,382 | 140 |
| PA | $134,780 | $138,134 | 460 |
| CO | $134,440 | $130,458 | 710 |
| WA | $133,980 | $125,200 | 450 |
| FL | $131,690 | $127,343 | 340 |
| CA | $130,610 | $117,964 | 2,320 |
| TN | $129,570 | $141,036 | 120 |
| AZ | $125,270 | $124,428 | 170 |

25 more states with published wage data are omitted here. The full table for all 40 states is at https://nuecareer.com/careers/remote-sensing-scientist-and-technologist/salary-by-state, or as JSON at https://nuecareer.com/api/v1/careers/remote-sensing-scientist-and-technologist.

## Outlook

BLS projects employment to move from 26,600 in the 2025–2035 base year to 27,100 by the end of the cycle — a gain of 600 jobs, or +2.1%. Slower than average: 2.1% against 3.5% projected for all occupations over the same cycle. About 1,400 openings a year are expected on average, counting openings from growth as well as from workers leaving the occupation permanently. Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035.

## How to get in

- **Typical entry education:** Bachelor's degree (BLS Employment Projections).
- **Preparation level:** Medium preparation — O\*NET's preparation band for this occupation is "Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed".
- **Related work experience typically required:** None.
- **Typical on-the-job training:** None.

### Education people in this job actually hold

O\*NET surveys incumbents, so this distribution describes who is in the job today and can differ from the BLS entry requirement above.

| Education level | Share of workers |
| --- | --- |
| Bachelor's Degree | 60.0% |
| Master's Degree | 20.0% |
| Post-Baccalaureate Certificate | 16.0% |
| Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree | 4.0% |

## What the work involves

- Manage or analyze data obtained from remote sensing systems to obtain meaningful results.
- Analyze data acquired from aircraft, satellites, or ground-based platforms, using statistical analysis software, image analysis software, or Geographic Information Systems (GIS).
- Integrate other geospatial data sources into projects.
- Organize and maintain geospatial data and associated documentation.
- Compile and format image data to increase its usefulness.
- Prepare or deliver reports or presentations of geospatial project information.
- Discuss project goals, equipment requirements, or methodologies with colleagues or team members.
- Develop or build databases for remote sensing or related geospatial project information.

## Skills and knowledge

### Essential skills

- Reading Comprehension — importance 4.0 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Critical Thinking — importance 4.0 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Active Listening — importance 3.9 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Writing — importance 3.9 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Speaking — importance 3.9 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Science — importance 3.9 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Mathematics — importance 3.8 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Active Learning — importance 3.4 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale

### Transferable skills

These are the skills that carry into other occupations, and they drive the related-occupation and career-change rankings on this site.

- Complex Problem Solving — importance 3.8 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Judgment and Decision Making — importance 3.8 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Systems Analysis — importance 3.6 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Systems Evaluation — importance 3.6 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Operations Analysis — importance 3.3 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Coordination — importance 3.0 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Instructing — importance 3.0 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Social Perceptiveness — importance 2.9 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale

### Knowledge areas

- Geography — importance 4.8 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Computers and Electronics — importance 4.2 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Mathematics — importance 4.2 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Engineering and Technology — importance 3.9 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- English Language — importance 3.7 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Physics — importance 3.5 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale

### Abilities

- Deductive Reasoning — importance 4.3 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Inductive Reasoning — importance 4.3 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Oral Comprehension — importance 4.0 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Written Comprehension — importance 4.0 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Oral Expression — importance 4.0 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Written Expression — importance 4.0 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale

## Who it suits

O\*NET rates every occupation on the six Holland (RIASEC) interest areas, on a 1–7 scale. This occupation's strongest areas are Investigative (I), Realistic (R), Conventional (C).

| Interest area | Score (1–7) |
| --- | --- |
| I — Investigative | 6.09 |
| R — Realistic | 4.86 |
| C — Conventional | 4.81 |
| A — Artistic | 1.93 |
| E — Enterprising | 1.44 |
| S — Social | 1.27 |

### Personality fit

These scores are **derived by NueCareer**, not published by any government agency: they are cosine similarities between a personality type's trait profile and this occupation's O\*NET interest and work-style ratings, expressed 0–100. Treat them as a starting point for exploration, not as evidence that a type belongs in a job.

| Type | Fit score (0–100) |
| --- | --- |
| ISTJ | 87.6 |
| INTJ | 85.8 |
| ISTP | 83.7 |
| INTP | 68.8 |
| ISFJ | 61.6 |

Best-fitting types: ISTJ, INTJ, ISTP. The bank also flags this occupation as introvert-friendly, meaning O\*NET work-context ratings put it low on public contact and performing for the public.

## Related occupations

O\*NET's primary related occupations, in its own ranked order.

- [Remote Sensing Technician](https://nuecareer.com/careers/remote-sensing-technician) — median $62,280
- [Electro-Mechanical and Mechatronics Technologist and Technician](https://nuecareer.com/careers/electro-mechanical-and-mechatronics-technologist-and-technician) — median $73,900
- [Geographic Information Systems Technologist and Technician](https://nuecareer.com/careers/geographic-information-systems-technologist-and-technician) — median $116,580
- [Geological Technician, Except Hydrologic Technicians](https://nuecareer.com/careers/geological-technician) — median $53,350
- [Geodetic Surveyor](https://nuecareer.com/careers/geodetic-surveyor) — median $75,440
- [Surveying and Mapping Technician](https://nuecareer.com/careers/surveying-and-mapping-technician) — median $54,240
- [Calibration Technologist and Technician](https://nuecareer.com/careers/calibration-technologist-and-technician) — median $67,820
- [Aerospace Engineer](https://nuecareer.com/careers/aerospace-engineer) — median $134,960
- [Cartographer and Photogrammetrist](https://nuecareer.com/careers/cartographer-and-photogrammetrist) — median $81,390
- [Atmospheric and Space Scientist](https://nuecareer.com/careers/atmospheric-and-space-scientist) — median $99,070

## Sources

- **O\*NET** — O\*NET 31.0 Database, August 2026. https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html
- **BLS OEWS** — BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. https://www.bls.gov/oes/
- **BLS EP** — BLS Employment Projections, Table 1.2, 2025–2035. https://www.bls.gov/emp/
- **BEA RPP** — BEA Regional Price Parities by State, 2024. https://www.bea.gov/data/prices-inflation/regional-price-parities-state-and-metro-area

---

This bank includes information from the 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 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). O\*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. NueCareer has transformed the data by joining it to BLS wage and projection data and deriving facet, personality-fit and AI-resilience scores. BLS and BEA data are public domain (17 U.S.C. §105).

O\*NET content is used under [CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). How these figures are sourced and derived: https://nuecareer.com/careers/methodology

JSON representation of this page: https://nuecareer.com/api/v1/careers/remote-sensing-scientist-and-technologist