How to hire a gis specialist

How to hire a gis specialist, step by step

Here's a step-by-step gis specialist 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 specialist job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new gis specialist
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a gis specialist do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The gis specialist 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 gis specialist's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, gis specialists 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.

   Here's a comparison of gis specialist salaries for various roles:

   Type of GIS Specialist	Description	Hourly rate
   GIS Specialist	A GIS Specialist plans, develops, and implements systems and databases for storing and accessing geospatial data. They create maps and graphs using GIS software and related equipment.	$20-47
   Geographic Information Systems Geographer	A Geographic Information Systems Geographer collects, analyzes, and interprets geospatial data. They produce specialist mapping products.	$15-49
   Gis Internship	A GIS (Geographic Information Systems) intern is responsible for assisting the data analyst team on project management operations, data processing procedures, and advocacy program planning. GIS interns shadow all the processes of the organization, performing administrative and clerical duties under the supervision of a direct manager... Show more	$19-45

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • GPS
   • Python
   • Data Collection
   • Database Management
   • Geospatial Data
   • CAD
   • Data Analysis
   • Esri Arcgis
   • Infrastructure
   • Visualization
   • Arcgis Online
   • Analyze Data
   • Web Application
   • Arcgis Desktop

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Implement and manage ESRI ArcSDE, ArcIMS servers and web services in the GIS development lab.
   • Work extensively with SQL to achieve tight integration with the associated maps which include building tables, maintenance and accuracy checks.
   • Manage client data and perform database extraction regularly to make timely data updates.
   • Create python scripts, models and script tools for automation of spatial analysis and data management tasks.
   • Develop and implement the conversion of project data to ArcSDE.
   • Utilize Dojo to create and style interactive buttons within GIS application.

   More gis specialist duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the gis specialist job description is a good way to get more applicants. A gis specialist 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 specialist in Mississippi may be lower than in New Jersey, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level gis specialist. Additionally, a gis specialist with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average gis specialist salary

   $65,463yearly

   $31.47 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level gis specialist salary

   $43,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 16, 2025

   Average gis specialist salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New Jersey	$86,457	$42
   2	New York	$85,235	$41
   3	Pennsylvania	$83,928	$40
   4	Virginia	$81,956	$39
   5	Massachusetts	$75,209	$36
   6	California	$74,888	$36
   7	Maine	$73,220	$35
   8	Connecticut	$72,769	$35
   9	Florida	$68,471	$33
   10	Nebraska	$68,361	$33
   11	Oregon	$67,857	$33
   12	Michigan	$66,959	$32
   13	Minnesota	$66,257	$32
   14	Wisconsin	$66,240	$32
   15	Ohio	$65,648	$32
   16	Vermont	$64,996	$31
   17	Washington	$63,968	$31
   18	Texas	$63,032	$30
   19	Georgia	$62,586	$30
   20	Missouri	$62,233	$30

   Average gis specialist salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	The Wonderful Company	$112,972	$54.31
   2	Parsons	$111,124	$53.42
   3	Southern California Edison	$110,725	$53.23
   4	Colliers International	$97,323	$46.79
   5	WEC Energy Group	$90,401	$43.46
   6	Esri	$86,559	$41.61
   7	Universal Health Services	$84,086	$40.43	3
   8	Cambridge Systematics	$82,534	$39.68
   9	Unitil	$80,924	$38.91
   10	The Shopping Center Group	$79,586	$38.26
   11	CDM Smith	$79,387	$38.17
   12	Pace Inc	$77,715	$37.36
   13	Farm Credit Services of America	$76,718	$36.88
   14	MWH Americas Inc	$76,709	$36.88
   15	J. Morrissey & Company	$76,460	$36.76
   16	Colliers Engineering & Design	$73,687	$35.43
   17	Regions Bank	$73,622	$35.40
   18	International Paper	$72,956	$35.08
   19	Bank of America	$72,538	$34.87
   20	CBRE Group	$72,325	$34.77

4. Writing a gis specialist job description

   A job description for a gis specialist role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a gis specialist job description:

   Gis specialist job description example

   Make your next move an expert one.
   At Colliers it's not our success that sets us apart, it's how we achieve it. Our people are passionate, take ownership and always do what's right for our clients, people and communities.
   
   Why Colliers?
   Our enterprising environment needs your expertise to facilitate Colliers' continued growth as an industry leader. Our nimble, decentralized culture can provide you with a wealth of opportunities to learn about our business and quickly gain experience to accelerate your career.
   
   Who you are Do you love to see the impact that high quality geographic and demographic materials can make for marketing and analyzing purposes in business pursuits? Are you passionate about discussing technical and general aspects of maps, data and analysis? Do you have experience extracting information such as demographics from various sources, and accurately presenting the findings in maps and report format?
   We are looking for a seasoned GIS Specialist to be responsible for identifying, cataloging and maintaining useful data sets, creating data visualization materials, performing geospatial analyses, and supporting brokers and clients with various Commercial Real Estate needs.
   What you bring• 1+ years experience working with GIS mapping or similar• Bachelor's degree preferably in Geography, Geographic Information Systems or related degree /certification • Advanced proficiency in the ESRI suite (ArcMap, ArcGIS Pro, Online)• Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite• Exceptional customer service, organizational and prioritization skills.
   Bonus skills and experience• Commercial real estate experience• Proficiency with Map Info• Proficiency with Adobe InDesign / Photoshop for mapping
   What success looks like• You bring the ability to read, analyze and interpret professional and technical documents, manuals, operating and maintenance instructions, professional journals, and government regulations. • You will consult with internal and external clients to define project requirements, investigating various approaches to deliver high quality information to stakeholders.• You will extract demographic and other information from various data sources, and accurately represent it in maps and reports.• You will assist with analysis, research, design, testing, and implementation of all mapping tools, templates, standards, and software. Assist with maintaining a knowledge base of standards and templates.• You will develop advanced, specialized maps utilizing geographic information and best practices.• You are an excellent communicator who can effectively present information and respond to queries for information in both written and oral format.• You can work with mathematical and statistical concepts and apply operations such as fractions, percentages, ratios, and proportions to practical situations.• You are a self-starter who can take the lead on complex projects, work under pressure, deal with multiple deadlines, handle stressful situations and work with minimal supervision.
   
   #LI-AS1
   
   Make your next move an expert one and join us as we lead the industry into the future.
   
   Please be aware that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Colliers professionals in the United States are required to be fully vaccinated or engage in ongoing testing at regular intervals determined by Colliers in order to attend any Colliers workplace. As a condition of commencing any role, you will be required to self-report your vaccination status or testing results, as applicable, and provide verifying documentation. If you have any questions, please discuss with your Talent Acquisition Advisor.
   Direct applicants only please, no agencies.
   Colliers provides equal employment opportunity to all persons. No employee or applicant for employment will be discriminated against because of race, creed, origin, marital status, sexual orientation, age, otherwise qualified disabled or veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find gis specialists for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your gis specialist job on Zippia to find and attract quality gis specialist candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as dice, engineering.com, stack overflow, it job pro.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting gis specialists 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.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   Sometimes, it's not enough to interview gis specialist candidates, so you can ask them to do a test project. If you are not a technical person and don't know what a test project should be, you can use these websites:

   • TestDome
   • CodeSignal
   • Testlify
   • BarRaiser
   • Coderbyte

   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 specialist

   Once you've selected the best gis specialist 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 important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

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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