Geospatial Imaging Professional Outlook
Want a truly 21st century career that combines interests in the Earth, space, and high technology? How about an emerging field in which new “offshoot” opportunities are occurring all the time?
The geospatial industry acquires, integrates, manages, analyzes, maps, distributes, and uses geographic, temporal, and spatial information and knowledge. The industry includes basic and applied research, technology development, education, and applications to address the planning, decision-making, and operational needs of people and organizations of all types.
Within the geospatial technology field, photogrammetrists and remote sensing specialists use pictures and other information from satellites, planes, and ground sensors to plot and gather data about the location of things on Earth. Geographic information systems analysts then review and turn this data into maps and decision-making tools.
And where do geospatial technology professionals, technologists, and technicians work? In addition to local, state, and federal government agencies, these skilled individuals are employed in the private and nonprofit sectors in a wide range of related scientific and technical fields, such as agriculture and soils, archeology, biology, cartography, ecology, environmental sciences, forestry and range, geodesy, geography, geology, hydrology and water resources, land appraisal and real estate, medicine, transportation, and urban planning and development.
Potential career paths include civil and environmental engineering, geomatics engineering, image analysis, hydrology and water resources, environmental protection, cartography and mapping, urban and regional planning, public safety and law, national security, utilities, transportation engineering, forestry, and agriculture.
GIS professionals can enjoy exciting careers at federal agencies including the U.S. Geological Survey, Bureau of Land Management, Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.