How to hire a gis manager

How to hire a gis manager, step by step

Here's a step-by-step gis manager hiring guide:

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

What does a gis manager do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your gis manager job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a gis manager for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a gis manager to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a gis manager that fits the bill.

   This list shows salaries for various types of gis managers.

   Type of GIS Manager	Description	Hourly rate
   GIS Manager	Construction managers plan, coordinate, budget, and supervise construction projects from start to finish.	$23-57
   Construction Superintendent	A construction superintendent's role is to oversee all construction plans and operations, ensuring quality completion within a specified timeframe. Some of their responsibilities are to inspect all sites, coordinate with contractors and engineers, manage the budget and expenditure, purchase necessary materials and equipment, and make schedules... Show more	$29-59
   Director Of Construction	A Director Of Construction is responsible for supervision of all construction-related projects. They review project progress, address issues, and adjust schedules and budgets.	$46-96

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Python
   • Autocad
   • Project Management
   • Infrastructure
   • Desktop
   • Esri
   • Technical Support
   • Arcgis Server
   • Data Management
   • Spatial Data
   • Software Applications
   • Spatial Analysis
   • Data Analysis
   • Business Development

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage client data and perform database extraction regularly to make timely data updates.
   • Advance knowledge of GIS concepts and ESRI suite of software applications, including ArcGIS.
   • Develop GPS and web-enable data collection systems (application, procedures and training) for a comprehensive biological database.
   • Integrate GIS, GPS, & traditional survey data to produce high end mapping products for effective planning purposes.
   • Create and maintain ArcSDE geodatabases and ArcGIS web applications.
   • Develop and maintain geodatabases in ArcSDE and update metadata per FGDC standards.

   More gis manager duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the gis manager job description is a good way to get more applicants. A gis manager salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for a gis manager in South Carolina may be lower than in Connecticut, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level gis manager. Additionally, a gis manager with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average gis manager salary

   $75,857yearly

   $36.47 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level gis manager salary

   $48,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 5, 2025

   Average gis manager salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Michigan	$95,722	$46
   2	California	$90,788	$44
   3	Pennsylvania	$86,488	$42
   4	Texas	$81,935	$39
   5	Ohio	$78,288	$38
   6	Georgia	$77,491	$37
   7	Nevada	$75,013	$36
   8	Arizona	$74,887	$36
   9	Virginia	$74,427	$36
   10	Missouri	$73,096	$35
   11	Colorado	$70,774	$34
   12	North Carolina	$65,426	$31
   13	South Carolina	$63,987	$31
   14	Alabama	$63,656	$31
   15	Utah	$61,763	$30
   16	Kansas	$61,581	$30

   Average gis manager salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	American Water	$114,522	$55.06	3
   2	Whirlpool	$104,368	$50.18
   3	Duquesne Light Company	$95,732	$46.02
   4	HUDSON COMPANIES	$93,692	$45.04
   5	Universal Health Services	$89,139	$42.86	1
   6	Randstad North America, Inc.	$87,717	$42.17	3
   7	The Medicus Firm	$80,441	$38.67
   8	Summit Health Oregon	$80,001	$38.46
   9	Avnet	$79,090	$38.02
   10	Trinity Technology Group	$69,213	$33.28
   11	UCHealth	$68,911	$33.13
   12	City of Reno	$65,459	$31.47
   13	Careerstaff Unlimited - A Genesis Healthcare Company	$62,629	$30.11
   14	City of Atlanta	$59,358	$28.54	2
   15	City of Topeka	$59,199	$28.46
   16	Clemson University	$57,815	$27.80
   17	University of Virginia	$54,972	$26.43
   18	The Nature Conservancy	$53,229	$25.59
   19	University of South Carolina	$48,845	$23.48	1

4. Writing a gis manager job description

   A gis manager 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 gis manager job description:

   Gis manager job description example

   CPH is a multi-disciplined Engineering and Architectural design firm that ranks in the nation's Top 500 Design Firms by ENR Magazine
   CPH has an opening in its Orlando, Florida office for the following position:
   
   GIS Manager with a minimum of 10 years of experience.
   
   Hiring Bonus of $1,000 for selected candidate!
   
   The GIS Manager is responsible for project management, business development, administrate the GIS server and other tools and applications, oversee maintenance, technical, and computer support of spatial data systems hardware and software and production support as needed by the Environmental Department and company wide. Detailed knowledge of ESRI's family of ArcGIS products, is a must. Knowledge of ArcGIS, AutoCad, general COGO and geometry, MS Access, MS Excel, design and implementation of geodatabase, projections and coordinate systems. Skills needed include: good oral and written communications, proficiency in computer systems and applications, analytical/thinking skills, ability to correlate maps, spatial visualization ability, project management, good interpersonal skills, and good judgment skills. Bachelor's degree in Geography, Planning, Environmental, Engineering, Computer Science, Surveying and Mapping, Geomatics, Geographic Information Systems, or related field.
   
   The applicant must have:
   Certification and/or Bachelor degree in specialty field
   Minimum of 7 years' experience in Geographic Information System design, mapping and analysis (beyond schooling) or demonstrated equivalent combination of education, skills, knowledge, abilities and experience. Proficiency in ESRI ArcGIS v10 Desktop, probable GPS Units as well as a working knowledge of AutoDesk and AutoCAD version 12.
   Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
   Ability to work in a team environment as well as independently.
   Demonstrate proactive problem solving skills.
   Ability to maintain organization in a changing environment.
   Create, analyze, report, convert or transfer data using GIS software.
   Ability to provide GIS support to multiple environmental and engineering projects
   Exhibits initiative, responsibility and flexibility.
   Responsible for cross-discipline support associated with environmental and regulatory work.
   Management of GIS personnel
   
   Job Responsibilities:
   Research, development, programming, and management of GIS tools, applications, and interfaces of spatially referenced datasets in support of Environmental Department and clients.
   Business Development
   Manage, provide, maintain, and enhance access to hundreds of gigabytes of spatial data as part of the company's overall services.
   Provide continuity/standards of all existing layers/themes of GIS data to integrate with other company data and GIS systems.
   Provide GIS data mining to provide answers to CPH and clients' questions for ad hoc requests.
   Provide consultation, management, and assistance for all GIS/spatial data related operations company-wide.
   
   Required Skills for GIS Analyst Job:
   ESRI - ARCGIS (ARC Map)
   AUTOCAD version 12
   Portable GPS Units
   MS Office Products
   
   Compensation & Benefits:
   
   Dependent upon experience.
   CPH offers Medical, Dental and Vision with a quality insurance company.
   Company Paid Life Insurance and Long Term Disability.
   401K, Paid Personal Time Off, and Paid Holidays
   
   CPH is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action/Drug Free Work Environment Employer.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right gis manager for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

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

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit gis managers, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to 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 gis manager

   Once you've decided on a perfect gis manager candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   To prepare for the new gis manager 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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How much does it cost to hire a gis manager?