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Job outlook for remote sensing scientists in the United States
Are remote sensing scientist jobs in demand?
Remote sensing scientist job and salary trends over time
Remote sensing scientist jobs over time
Remote sensing scientist job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 964 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 933 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 860 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 851 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 849 | 0.00% |
Average remote sensing scientist salary over time
Remote sensing scientist salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $85,891 | $41.29 | --2.5% |
| 2024 | $88,054 | $42.33 | +2.5% |
| 2023 | $85,907 | $41.30 | +3.1% |
| 2022 | $83,312 | $40.05 | +8.2% |
| 2021 | $76,967 | $37.00 | --1.1% |
Remote sensing scientist jobs by state
Most common states for remote sensing scientists
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 821 | 14% |
| 2 | Delaware | 961,939 | 131 | 14% |
| 3 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 1,017 | 12% |
| 4 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 107 | 12% |
| 5 | Vermont | 623,657 | 66 | 11% |
| 6 | New Jersey | 9,005,644 | 907 | 10% |
| 7 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 132 | 10% |
| 8 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 78 | 10% |
| 9 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 92 | 9% |
| 10 | Alaska | 739,795 | 63 | 9% |
| 11 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 50 | 9% |
| 12 | North Carolina | 10,273,419 | 826 | 8% |
| 13 | New Mexico | 2,088,070 | 163 | 8% |
| 14 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 89 | 8% |
| 15 | Pennsylvania | 12,805,537 | 916 | 7% |
| 16 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 366 | 7% |
| 17 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 285 | 7% |
| 18 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 262 | 7% |
| 19 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 218 | 7% |
| 20 | Maine | 1,335,907 | 93 | 7% |
Most common cities for remote sensing scientists
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | McLean | 4 | 8% | $90,956 |
| 2 | Downers Grove | 1 | 2% | $79,801 |
| 3 | Boston | 2 | 0% | $91,796 |
| 4 | San Diego | 2 | 0% | $98,992 |
| 5 | San Francisco | 1 | 0% | $108,146 |
Remote Sensing Scientist job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of remote sensing scientist experts
Santa Fe College
Southern Illinois University Carbondale
Washington State University
University of Kentucky
University of Pittsburgh
University of Nebraska - Omaha
University of Maine
Camellia Okpodu
What general advice would you give to a Remote Sensing Scientist?
Camellia Okpodu: Adatation and fundamental knowledge of botanical terms will always be pivotal to the discipline; however new technologies and applications will move the bountiful the discipline. Bioinformatics, genomics; Machine learning, Remote Sensing and VR (both for instruction and field application) will be necessay skills. Also, Botanists will collaborate with experts from diverse fields (ecology, computer science, engineering) thus making effective communication and teamwork critical.skills of the future
Luz Garcini PhD, MPH
Assistant ProfessorWhat will help Remote Sensing Scientists increase their earning potential?
Luz Garcini PhD, MPH: Build a unique niche and new skills (another language), disseminate your work via high impact networks/avenues, get mentoring in negotiation.
What will help Remote Sensing Scientists increase their earning potential?
Kristopher Koudelka Ph.D.: Always keep learning. These fields change fast! The leading edge is always unveiling new information that can be applied to the area you are working on, and there will be new techniques developed that allow you to answer questions in more efficient ways. You must learn to regularly update yourself through conversations, reading, conferences, and trainings. This change is fun and exciting, embrace it. It will keep your job feeling new.
What general advice would you give to a Remote Sensing Scientist?
Jeff Heslep: Find a starting job that gives you a wide range of work to perform. The more experience you can gain during the first few years will help you to hone your skills, decide what areas interest you the most, and give you the opportunity to choose. Learn as much as you can about the various equipment, analytical techniques, processes, and how to troubleshoot minor problems. Take the initiative and ask to learn how to use instruments you aren't familiar with. It is unlikely someone will deny you the opportunity to broaden your knowledge. Take every chance you have to network and get to know the people within your local biotechnology industry. Networking plays a major role in employment opportunities. Work on your written and verbal communication skills. Communicating well will help you stand out. Being able to effectively convey complex scientific concepts in such a way that anyone can understand it can be a powerful skill.
What general advice would you give to a Remote Sensing Scientist?
Jacob Nordman: Salary potential in my field of neuroscience almost always involves publications, awards, and technical acumen. Therefore, as I mentioned, it is important to start early looking for opportunities that can strengthen these areas. Another important aspect of getting high-profile, and thus high-paying, positions, is being able to tell a story with your research and career. Employers want to see that you have thought deeply and strategically about your career and where it’s going. This will allow them to believe you are a safe bet and worthy of their investment.
What will help Remote Sensing Scientists increase their earning potential?
Lindsey du Toit: Take every opportunity you can to learn, network, and build an effective team of people that bring a greater breadth and depth of skills and expertise to the work on which you will be focusing. Cultivate a life-long sense of intellectual curiosity and learning. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Treat ignorance as an opportunity to learn. Questions demonstrate you want to understand the situation/problem effectively and that you are paying attention. Always demonstrate integrity in your work. It is one of the most valuable traits you can bring to your career. Be kind and supportive of your colleagues.
Dr. David Harmon
Professor of Animal & Food SciencesUniversity of Kentucky
Animal Sciences
What Remote Sensing Scientist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. David Harmon: Opportunities abound. The job opportunities outnumber current graduates. Decide what you want to be good at and then be good at it.
What will help Remote Sensing Scientists increase their earning potential?
Arjumand Ghazi Ph. D: Having an advanced degree such as a PhD and even a few years postdoc is a good way to start at a higher level. It often allows one to make up for the reduced earnings during the training periods while increasing long-term earnings.
Andrew Riquier Ph.D.
InstructorUniversity of Nebraska - Omaha
Neurobiology And Neurosciences
What general advice would you give to a Remote Sensing Scientist?
Andrew Riquier Ph.D.: Apply for the positions you want, even if you feel underqualified. I know plenty of people who have applied for jobs they didn't quite meet the requirements for, and got hired for other reasons. In my experience, many recent graduates choose to take time to strengthen their resumes by retaking classes, working jobs they don't particularly want to get experience, etc. There is some value in that, particularly if you have been unsuccessful attaining the position you want, or if you want to see if you even enjoy that type of work. But if you are confident in what you want to do, go for it; in the worst-case scenario, you are in the same position you would be if you hadn't applied, but now you have experience applying and have potentially gained a contact in the field.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Remote Sensing Scientists in the next 3-5 years?
Scott Johnson: Computer programming to process large data sets, big data analytics, machine learning, remote sensing data, and incorporating them into more complex systems models are all gaining significant traction. Jobs that involve traditional field skills and mapping are becoming fewer. In contrast, jobs requiring someone to manage large amounts of remotely acquired ground, airborne, or satellite data in high spatial and temporal resolution with moderate amounts of ground truth data are becoming more prevalent. Field data are still incredibly important, but the goal is to upscale our observations across broader areas faster, more efficiently, and more accurately-the ability to use sensors properly to collect data. Learning a foreign language may open doors for some students who want to travel.