If you're good at mapping things out, you might want to consider becoming a geographic information systems (GIS) analyst. GIS analysts evaluate spatial data using mapping software and design digital data. They integrate skills in data analysis, programming and cartography to identify and analyze geographic trends. The data that they provide is used for urban planning, environmental impact analysis, navigation, and much more.
Some key tasks you can expect to perform as a GIS analyst include identifying spatial relationships, performing geospatial data building, modeling, or analysis, reviewing existing or incoming data for currency and accuracy, and entering data into GIS databases.
If you want to become a GIS analyst, you'll need to have a knowledge of cartography, database management, spatial analysis, and remote sensing. In addition, you'll need a Bachelor's degree in either computer science, geography, geoscience, surveying, engineering, or a related field. Many entry-level positions do not require prior experience to apply, but some might require related work experience or a GIS analyst internship.
How to Become a GIS Analyst
There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a gis analyst. For example, did you know that they make an average of $32.41 an hour? That's $67,416 a year!
Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 9% and produce 56,000 job opportunities across the U.S.
What Does a GIS Analyst Do
There are certain skills that many gis analysts have in order to accomplish their responsibilities. By taking a look through resumes, we were able to narrow down the most common skills for a person in this position. We discovered that a lot of resumes listed communication skills, creativity and analytical skills.
How To Become a GIS Analyst
If you're interested in becoming a gis analyst, one of the first things to consider is how much education you need. We've determined that 73.5% of gis analysts have a bachelor's degree. In terms of higher education levels, we found that 15.4% of gis analysts have master's degrees. Even though most gis analysts have a college degree, it's possible to become one with only a high school degree or GED.
Choosing the right major is always an important step when researching how to become a gis analyst. When we researched the most common majors for a gis analyst, we found that they most commonly earn bachelor's degree degrees or master's degree degrees. Other degrees that we often see on gis analyst resumes include associate degree degrees or diploma degrees.
You may find that experience in other jobs will help you become a gis analyst. In fact, many gis analyst jobs require experience in a role such as gis technician. Meanwhile, many gis analysts also have previous career experience in roles such as gis internship or gis specialist.
GIS Analyst Career Paths
In addition to switching up your job search, it might prove helpful to look at a career path for your specific job. Now, what's a career path you ask? Well, it's practically a map that shows how you might advance from one job title to another. Our career paths are especially detailed with salary changes. So, for example, if you started out with the role of project manager you might progress to a role such as program manager eventually. Later on in your career, you could end up with the title senior project manager.
Average Salary for a GIS Analyst
What Am I Worth?
Top Colleges for GIS Analysts
1. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
2. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
3. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
4. North Carolina State University
Raleigh, NC • Private
5. University of California - Davis
Davis, CA • Private
6. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
7. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
8. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
9. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
10. Dartmouth College
Hanover, NH • Private
Top Skills For a GIS Analyst
The skills section on your resume can be almost as important as the experience section, so you want it to be an accurate portrayal of what you can do. Luckily, we've found all of the skills you'll need so even if you don't have these skills yet, you know what you need to work on. Out of all the resumes we looked through, 9.7% of gis analysts listed spatial data on their resume, but soft skills such as communication skills and creativity are important as well.
Choose From 10+ Customizable GIS Analyst Resume templates
Zippia allows you to choose from different easy-to-use GIS Analyst templates, and provides you with expert advice. Using the templates, you can rest assured that the structure and format of your GIS Analyst resume is top notch. Choose a template with the colors, fonts & text sizes that are appropriate for your industry.
GIS Analyst Demographics
GIS Analyst Gender Distribution
After extensive research and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
- Among gis analysts, 27.3% of them are women, while 72.7% are men.
- The most common race/ethnicity among gis analysts is White, which makes up 62.7% of all gis analysts.
- The most common foreign language among gis analysts is Spanish at 45.7%.
Online Courses For GIS Analyst That You May Like
Become Proficient In Spatial Data Analysis Using R & QGIS By Working On A Real Project - Get A Job In Spatial Data!...
Learn how to process and visualize geospatial data and perform spatial analysis using Python...
Get started learning about the fascinating and useful world of geographic information systems (GIS)! In this first course of the specialization GIS, Mapping, and Spatial Analysis, you'll learn about what a GIS is, how to get started with the software yourself, how things we find in the real world can be represented on a map, how we record locations using coordinates, and how we can make a two-dimensional map from a three-dimensional Earth. In the course project, you will create your own GIS data...
Best States For a GIS Analyst
Some places are better than others when it comes to starting a career as a gis analyst. The best states for people in this position are Delaware, Washington, Oregon, and Michigan. Gis analysts make the most in Delaware with an average salary of $82,379. Whereas in Washington and Oregon, they would average $80,189 and $77,577, respectively. While gis analysts would only make an average of $77,498 in Michigan, you would still make more there than in the rest of the country. We determined these as the best states based on job availability and pay. By finding the median salary, cost of living, and using the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Location Quotient, we narrowed down our list of states to these four.
1. Delaware
$82,379
Avg. Salary
2. New York
$77,060
Avg. Salary
3. Oregon
$77,577
Avg. Salary
How Do GIS Analyst Rate Their Jobs?
Top GIS Analyst Employers
Most Common Employers For GIS Analyst
| Rank | Company | Average Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chesapeake Energy | $117,676 | $56.58 | 23 |
| 2 | $110,437 | $53.09 | 13 | |
| 3 | Chevron | $107,729 | $51.79 | 11 |
| 4 | Whirlpool | $87,991 | $42.30 | 36 |
| 5 | Northrop Grumman | $79,670 | $38.30 | 26 |
| 6 | Tetra Tech | $76,898 | $36.97 | 17 |
| 7 | Leidos | $75,599 | $36.35 | 34 |
| 8 | Critigen | $72,098 | $34.66 | 15 |
| 9 | SAIC | $70,273 | $33.79 | 45 |
| 10 | Atkins | $68,122 | $32.75 | 31 |
GIS Analyst Videos
