How to hire a geospatial image analyst

How to hire a geospatial image analyst, step by step

Here's a step-by-step geospatial image analyst hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a geospatial image analyst job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new geospatial image analyst
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The geospatial image analyst hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A geospatial image analyst's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, geospatial image analysts from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list shows salaries for various types of geospatial image analysts.

   Type of Geospatial Image Analyst	Description	Hourly rate
   Geospatial Image Analyst	Cartographers and photogrammetrists collect, measure, and interpret geographic information in order to create and update maps and charts for regional planning, education, emergency response, and other purposes.	$24-46
   Remote Sensing Scientist	A remote sensing scientist specializes in developing and upgrading sensing technology, which is usually used in surveillance and security cameras. The remote sensing scientist improves motion detection, night vision, infrared sensing, camera technology, and surveillance... Show more	$25-65
   Remote Sensing Engineer	A remote sensing engineer applies remote sensing principles and methods to analyze data and solve problems in areas such as natural resource management and urban planning. They may develop new sensor systems, analytical techniques, or new applications for existing systems... Show more	$29-67

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • MRI
   • Photoshop
   • Visualization
   • Data Analysis
   • Image Analysis
   • Python
   • Linux
   • MATLAB
   • Data Processing
   • SQL
   • Remote Sensing
   • Proprietary Software
   • GIS
   • NGA

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage project team meetings using SharePoint calendars.
   • Perform tile QA, QC on numerous tiles for other compilers.
   • Construct logs and Powerpoint slides for presentation to clients.
   • Maintain high speed scanners, PC's and relate software.
   • Assist in administering brain MRI scans and smooth pursuit eye tracking tasks.
   • Educate and coordinate personnel on use of GIS products deliver at project end.

   More geospatial image analyst duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your geospatial image analyst job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A geospatial image analyst salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a geospatial image analyst in Oregon may be lower than in California, and an entry-level geospatial image analyst usually earns less than a senior-level geospatial image analyst. Additionally, a geospatial image analyst with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average geospatial image analyst salary

   $70,266yearly

   $33.78 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level geospatial image analyst salary

   $50,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 15, 2025

   Average geospatial image analyst salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$104,148	$50
   2	Washington	$83,453	$40
   3	Virginia	$82,124	$39
   4	Massachusetts	$79,924	$38
   5	Nevada	$77,828	$37
   6	Maryland	$77,641	$37
   7	District of Columbia	$77,081	$37
   8	Texas	$73,827	$35
   9	Ohio	$73,508	$35
   10	South Carolina	$69,680	$34
   11	Tennessee	$69,248	$33
   12	Colorado	$67,321	$32
   13	Minnesota	$62,667	$30

   Average geospatial image analyst salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	PeaceHealth	$79,497	$38.22
   2	Mayo Clinic	$79,451	$38.20
   3	Shellpoint Mortgage Servicing	$78,925	$37.94
   4	HeartFlow	$77,578	$37.30	1
   5	QinetiQ North America	$77,561	$37.29
   6	Medpace	$76,121	$36.60	2
   7	CGGVeritas Land	$76,060	$36.57
   8	Applied Insight	$76,059	$36.57
   9	*n/a*	$75,999	$36.54	1
   10	KBR	$75,498	$36.30	18
   11	Randstad North America, Inc.	$74,973	$36.04
   12	Cleveland Clinic	$71,448	$34.35	4
   13	BAE Systems	$70,115	$33.71	4
   14	Integrity Management Services, Inc.	$69,901	$33.61
   15	DigitalGlobe	$67,893	$32.64
   16	Johns Hopkins University	$65,250	$31.37
   17	The Jordan Center	$63,043	$30.31

4. Writing a geospatial image analyst job description

   A geospatial image analyst job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a geospatial image analyst job description:

   Geospatial image analyst job description example

   Title:
   
   Electro-Optical Image Analyst - TS/SCI
   
   KBR is seeking talented candidates who possess a mixture of imagery analyst and imagery science skills to join our Electro-Optical team in support of intelligence community systems. The ideal candidate must have experience performing imaging system analysis in support of system acquisition, design, construction, or operations as well as experience processing, interpreting, or exploiting electro-optical imagery.
   
   Responsibilities:
   
   * Lead project technical teams, develop analysis plans, and present methods and results
   
   * Explain imaging phenomena to government and corporate management
   
   * Assess the performance of an imaging system in terms of the interaction of the various system components, and design user experiments for the purpose of understanding system design impacts or identifying optimal parameter settings
   * Review/evaluate simulated images of candidate architectures, systems, or sensors for product quality
   
   * Rate simulated images against an absolute and/or relative rating scale jointly with both image scientists, image analysts, and an evaluation statistician
   
   Required Qualifications:
   
   * B.S. degree in Imaging Science, Engineering, Physics, or another related field
   
   * 1-to-3-year experience working in the image science field performing analyses supporting development or operations
   
   * Ability to understand complex Electro-Optical payloads
   
   * Experience with remote sensing, to include an understanding of sensor payloads and their Concept of Operations (CONOPs)
   
   * Knowledge of the intelligence community (IC) at the national level
   
   * Familiarization with the National Imagery Interpretability Rating Scale (NIIRS)
   
   Desired Qualifications:
   
   * 3+ years relevant experience
   
   * Proficiency with MATLAB and/or Python
   
   * Knowledge of national GEOINT architecture, tasking, collection, processing, exploitation, and dissemination (TCPED)
   
   * Knowledge of the following systems and software programs: SOCET GXP, REMOTEVIEW, ENVI, IEC, or Cedallion
   
   * Completion of a military or national-level imagery analysis training program
   
   Clearance: Must have an active TS/SCI to be considered for this position
   
   In compliance with the U.S. federal government's vaccine mandate, only candidates who are fully vaccinated for COVID-19 or have a reasonable accommodation or approved medical exception will be considered for this position.
   
   KBR is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, veteran status, genetic information, union status and/or beliefs, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find geospatial image analysts for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any geospatial image analysts they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level geospatial image analysts with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your geospatial image analyst job on Zippia to find and recruit geospatial image analyst candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting geospatial image analysts requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new geospatial image analyst

   Once you've selected the best geospatial image analyst candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new geospatial image analyst first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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