How to hire an imagery analyst

How to hire an imagery analyst, step by step

Here's a step-by-step imagery analyst hiring guide:

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the imagery analyst you need to hire. Certain imagery analyst roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   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 an imagery analyst 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 an imagery analyst that fits the bill.

   Here's a comparison of imagery analyst salaries for various roles:

   Type of Imagery Analyst	Description	Hourly rate
   Imagery Analyst	Police officers protect lives and property. Detectives and criminal investigators, who are sometimes called agents or special agents, gather facts and collect evidence of possible crimes.	$20-41
   Full-Motion Video Analyst	A full-motion video analyst has the capability to create a detailed video, intelligence products, or still image. Full-video analysts provide imagery, accounting and telecommunications support, and military geography to various intelligence community customers... Show more	$21-41
   Competitive Intelligence Analyst	A competitive intelligence analyst specializes in recommending solutions to optimize a company's sales performance and business plans. They conduct extensive research and analysis to identify market trends, new business opportunities, client needs, and competitor strategies... Show more	$24-46

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Geospatial Data
   • Geospatial Intelligence
   • Imagery Exploitation
   • IEC
   • PowerPoint
   • ArcGIS
   • Military Installations
   • Remote Sensing
   • Intelligence Community
   • NES
   • GEOINT
   • Military Equipment
   • Intelligence Reports
   • Visualization

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Lead 3D visualization training, encouraging 10 soldiers in the application of new techniques on analysis.
   • Manage and coordinate all tactical purchasing activities for assign commodities from existing and new suppliers.
   • Prepare intelligence reports, products, & briefings for presentation to IC & DOD decision-makers.
   • Assist in the production of cartographic products utilizing GIS and ArcGIS in support of tactical operations.
   • Used NTM imagery to create and export vector layers into ArcGIS to complete and disseminate fire image maps.
   • Produce detailed PowerPoint, analyze intelligence reports, and participate in briefs to support day-to-day intelligence operations.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your imagery analyst job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. An imagery analyst can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, imagery analysts' average salary in indiana is 44% less than in district of columbia.
   • Seniority. Entry-level imagery analysts 51% less than senior-level imagery analysts.
   • Certifications. An imagery analyst with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in an imagery analyst's salary.

   Average imagery analyst salary

   $60,703yearly

   $29.18 hourly rate

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   Entry-level imagery analyst salary

   $42,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 21, 2026

4. Writing an imagery analyst job description

   An imagery 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. Below, you can find an example of an imagery analyst job description:

   Imagery analyst job description example

   Applicants will support the USSTRATCOM J2 by providing Advisory and Assistance Services to assist USSTRATCOM/J2 and specifically the Strategic Joint Intelligence Operations Center (JIOC) by providing Subject Matter Expert (SME) support that will improve the Command's understanding of potential adversaries' strategic relocatable targets.
   Applicants will advise, assist, and accomplish imagery analysis and all-source reporting to
   produce imagery analytic reports/products supporting all-source tracking/assessments of strategic relocatable targets in support of Strategic Indications & Warning, Command OPLAN objectives, and Priority Intelligence Requirements.
   
   Candidate must be able to perform the following tasks:
   
   • Access and exploit softcopy National Technical Means (NTM) imagery as requested by the Government.
   • Access, author, and edit imagery analysis findings through the IC's GEOINT processing and dissemination system.
   • Coordinate with the designated Government representative to plan, prioritize, and forecast analytic projects.
   • Imagery analysis and all-source analysis production shall meet IC tradecraft standards per IC Directive 203, Analytic Standards, IC Directive 206, Sourcing Requirements for Disseminated Analytic Products, NGA tradecraft standards, and the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) Analytic Quality Framework.
   • Document analytic project status throughout the lifecycle of each project using the JIOC Production Tracker.
   • Review analytic findings produced by JIOC, IC, or other mission partners, as requested by the Government, and provide substantive comments, as appropriate.
   • Advise and assist the Government in developing and implementing a quality control and feedback mechanism for imagery analysis and production mission.
   • Serve as a SME for Command exercises, Integrated Mission Area Training (IMAT) events, and support internal and external war games as requested by the Government.
   
   Education and Experience Required:
   
   Demonstrate at least 8-years' experience working with imagery analysis tools such as Cedallion, or its predecessor NES, and have an ability to exploit and report findings through the IC's imagery analysis processing and dissemination system.
   
   Job Posted by ApplicantPro

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5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right imagery analyst 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 imagery analyst job on Zippia to find and recruit imagery analyst candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting imagery 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.

   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 imagery analyst

   Once you have selected a candidate for the imagery analyst position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize 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.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new imagery analyst. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are 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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