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Lidar technician education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a lidar technician. Lidar technicians usually study geography, environmental science, or geology. 78% of lidar technicians hold a bachelor's degree, and 9% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 61 real lidar technician resumes to see exactly what lidar technician education sections show.

The most common colleges for lidar technicians are the Kansas State University and the Kansas State University.

There are also many online lidar technician courses to help get the education required to be a lidar technician.

What education do you need to become a lidar technician?

What degree do you need to be a lidar technician?

The most common degree for lidar technicians is bachelor's degree, with 78% of lidar technicians earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 9% and associate degree degree at 7%.
  • Bachelor's, 78%
  • Associate, 9%
  • Master's, 7%
  • High School Diploma, 4%
  • Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become a lidar technician?

You should major in geography to become a lidar technician. 35% of lidar technicians major in geography. Other common majors for a lidar technician include environmental science and geology.

Most common colleges for lidar technicians

Lidar technicians often get their degrees at Kansas State University, University of Wisconsin - Whitewater, and University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point. Here are the most common colleges for lidar technicians in the US based on their resumes.
Lidar technician common collegePercentages
Kansas State University14.29%
University of Wisconsin - Whitewater10.71%
University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point7.14%
Humboldt State University7.14%
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University7.14%

Best majors for lidar technicians

RankMajorPercentages
1Geography34.8%
2Environmental Science10.9%
3Geology8.7%
4Drafting And Design6.5%
5Mathematics4.3%

Best colleges for lidar technicians

The best colleges for lidar technicians are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and Duke University.

A lidar technician with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for lidar technicians. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become lidar technicians.

1. University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$14,184

Enrollment

30,845

2. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

4. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

5. Dartmouth College

Hanover, NH • Private

In-state tuition

$55,453

Enrollment

4,312

6. North Carolina State University

Raleigh, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$9,101

Enrollment

23,708

7. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Enrollment

30,905

8. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

9. University of California - Davis

Davis, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$14,402

Enrollment

30,698

10. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

20 best online courses for lidar technicians

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Top 10 most affordable universities for lidar technicians

The most affordable schools for lidar technicians are University of Florida, california state university - long beach, and brigham young university.

If the best universities for lidar technicians are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for lidar technicians.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

3. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

4. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

5. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

6. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

7. Lehman College of the City University of New York

Bronx, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,210

Cost of attendance

14,359

8. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

9. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

10. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for lidar technicians

The hardest universities for lidar technicians to get into are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and Duke University.

Some great schools for lidar technicians are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for lidar technicians based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

2. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

3. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

9%

SAT average

1,516

4. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

5. University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, CA • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,448

6. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

7. Dartmouth College

Hanover, NH • Private

Admissions rate

9%

SAT average

1,488

8. University of Chicago

Chicago, IL • Private

Admissions rate

7%

SAT average

1,520

9. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

10. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for lidar technicians

The easiest schools for lidar technicians to get into are Wayland Baptist University, william paterson university of new jersey, and california university of pennsylvania.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a lidar technician without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for lidar technicians.

1. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

2. William Paterson University of New Jersey

Wayne, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

994

3. California University of Pennsylvania

California, PA • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,007

4. Sonoma State University

Rohnert Park, CA • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

1,072

5. San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,054

6. Sam Houston State University

Huntsville, TX • Private

Admissions rate

79%

SAT average

1,075

7. Saint Cloud State University

Saint Cloud, MN • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

1,086

8. Central Washington University

Ellensburg, WA • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,062

9. Portland State University

Portland, OR • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

1,111

10. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

Average lidar technician salary by education level

Lidar technicians with a Associate degree earn more than those without, at $63,581 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, lidar technicians earn a median annual income of $63,080 compared to $61,977 for lidar technicians with an High School Diploma degree.
Lidar technician education levelLidar technician salary
High School Diploma or Less$61,977
Bachelor's Degree$63,080
Some College/ Associate Degree$63,581

Lidar technician education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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