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The differences between intelligence research specialists and imagery analysts can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both an intelligence research specialist and an imagery analyst. Additionally, an intelligence research specialist has an average salary of $102,643, which is higher than the $60,703 average annual salary of an imagery analyst.
The top three skills for an intelligence research specialist include artificial intelligence, intelligence community and national security. The most important skills for an imagery analyst are geospatial data, geospatial intelligence, and imagery exploitation.
| Intelligence Research Specialist | Imagery Analyst | |
| Yearly salary | $102,643 | $60,703 |
| Hourly rate | $49.35 | $29.18 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 58,851 | 4,449 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 56% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Intelligence research specialists are professionals who work in government agencies and large companies to monitor and assess the transfer of inappropriate communication. These specialists must produce high-quality field intelligence reports and distribute information to the appropriate law enforcement, regulatory, and intelligence community. They must disseminate warnings and threat analysis to the organization's executive and senior management on actionable intelligence contingencies. Intelligence research specialists must also maintain a database for research and exploitation as well as perform maintenance on their hardware and software applications.
An imagery analyst is responsible for interpreting information by analyzing photographs and images to provide solutions for industrial and community issues. Imagery analysts must have excellent technical skills and the knowledge of computer navigation to utilize various software tools and applications to generate clear results and analysis. They help environmental organizations to identify potential concerns needing immediate resolution by analyzing satellites and other technological equipment. An imagery analyst must have excellent organizational and critical-thinking skills to access images and provide comprehensive evidence and research to support claims.
Intelligence research specialists and imagery analysts have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Intelligence Research Specialist | Imagery Analyst | |
| Average salary | $102,643 | $60,703 |
| Salary range | Between $68,000 And $153,000 | Between $42,000 And $86,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | - |
| Highest paying state | California | - |
| Best paying company | Meta | - |
| Best paying industry | Government | - |
There are a few differences between an intelligence research specialist and an imagery analyst in terms of educational background:
| Intelligence Research Specialist | Imagery Analyst | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 56% |
| Most common major | Criminal Justice | Intelligence Operations |
| Most common college | The Citadel | University of Southern California |
Here are the differences between intelligence research specialists' and imagery analysts' demographics:
| Intelligence Research Specialist | Imagery Analyst | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 64.2% Female, 35.8% | Male, 73.4% Female, 26.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 12.9% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 16.2% Asian, 2.9% White, 62.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 12.7% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 15.3% Asian, 2.9% White, 63.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |