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Job outlook for geospatial scientists in the United States
Are geospatial scientist jobs in demand?
Geospatial scientist job and salary trends over time
Geospatial scientist jobs over time
Geospatial scientist job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 12 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 14 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 14 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 19 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 17 | 0.00% |
Average geospatial scientist salary over time
Geospatial scientist salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $111,782 | $53.74 | +3.4% |
| 2025 | $108,099 | $51.97 | +2.3% |
| 2024 | $105,652 | $50.79 | +3.4% |
| 2023 | $102,215 | $49.14 | +2.4% |
| 2022 | $99,823 | $47.99 | +1.1% |
Geospatial scientist jobs by state
Most common states for geospatial scientists
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 206 | 30% |
| 2 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 866 | 14% |
| 3 | Delaware | 961,939 | 131 | 14% |
| 4 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 1,105 | 13% |
| 5 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 901 | 13% |
| 6 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 101 | 12% |
| 7 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 816 | 11% |
| 8 | Vermont | 623,657 | 68 | 11% |
| 9 | New Jersey | 9,005,644 | 912 | 10% |
| 10 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 131 | 10% |
| 11 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 76 | 10% |
| 12 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 52 | 9% |
| 13 | North Carolina | 10,273,419 | 827 | 8% |
| 14 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 89 | 8% |
| 15 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 88 | 8% |
| 16 | Alaska | 739,795 | 59 | 8% |
| 17 | Pennsylvania | 12,805,537 | 903 | 7% |
| 18 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 261 | 7% |
| 19 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 202 | 7% |
| 20 | New Mexico | 2,088,070 | 155 | 7% |
Most common cities for geospatial scientists
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Springfield | 3 | 10% | $110,604 |
Geospatial Scientist job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of geospatial scientist experts
University of Wisconsin - Platteville
Doverspike Consulting/HR LItehouse
University of Maine
Afzal Upal
Professor & Department ChairUniversity of Wisconsin - Platteville
Computer Science & Software Engineering Department
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Geospatial Scientist job market given the pandemic?
Afzal Upal: I believe that this will accelerate the trend towards automation of various aspects of life. This will lead to automation technologies' rapid growth, particularly Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (incredibly deep learning). I do not believe that work from home (WFH) will continue at the high levels at which it is currently happening in the middle of the current pandemic. Although post-pandemic, WFH will continue at a higher level than it was happening in February 2020. Differences in employee productivity, however small, will force most employers to ask many employees to return to their offices. The trend toward automation yet will continue and will lead to an even more massive expansion of jobs in computer science.
How do you envision technology impacting Geospatial Scientists in the next 5 years?
Dennis Doverspike Ph.D.: Technology will have a considerable impact. Self-driving vehicles and the replacement of call-center employees with artificial agents will eliminate a large number of high paying, low skill jobs. COVID and Technology will continue to combine to shape how we work, whether we have to commute to work, how we do that, and how we educate ourselves and our children. This will then impact where we live, our cities, the way we fund governments, and the percentage of people in the workforce.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Geospatial Scientists to find work opportunities?
Dennis Doverspike Ph.D.: Not sure if this question meant geographic locations or industries. I will assume it means geographic areas. Both government and the health care industries will continue to grow, along with a decline in traditional manufacturing, so this will increase jobs around Washington, DC, state capitals, and large regional medical centers. It is harder to predict the impact of COVID and remote work on our cities, especially those located in high housing cost areas and on the coasts. Nevertheless, the movement to remote work and small education continues to expand, making it more and more accurate that choosing where to live will depend upon personal preferences. Thus, location will become less of a factor in work decisions and be driven more by family and leisure choices. One exception might be the aging of the baby boomers. If we see more and more Villages created, then those communities for older individuals will need service staff living in the area to provide personalized medical care, along with a range of recreational and entertainment options.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Geospatial Scientists in the next 3-5 years?
Scott Johnson: Computer programming to process large data sets, big data analytics, machine learning, remote sensing data, and incorporating them into more complex systems models are all gaining significant traction. Jobs that involve traditional field skills and mapping are becoming fewer. In contrast, jobs requiring someone to manage large amounts of remotely acquired ground, airborne, or satellite data in high spatial and temporal resolution with moderate amounts of ground truth data are becoming more prevalent. Field data are still incredibly important, but the goal is to upscale our observations across broader areas faster, more efficiently, and more accurately-the ability to use sensors properly to collect data. Learning a foreign language may open doors for some students who want to travel.