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Remote sensing technician education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a remote sensing technician. Remote sensing technicians usually study geography, environmental science, or geology. 67% of remote sensing technicians hold a bachelor's degree, and 18% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 126 real remote sensing technician resumes to see exactly what remote sensing technician education sections show.

The most common colleges for remote sensing technicians are the University of Oregon and the University of Oregon.

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

What education do you need to become a remote sensing technician?

What degree do you need to be a remote sensing technician?

The most common degree for remote sensing technicians is bachelor's degree, with 67% of remote sensing technicians earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 18% and associate degree degree at 5%.
  • Bachelor's, 67%
  • Associate, 18%
  • Master's, 5%
  • Diploma, 3%
  • Other Degrees, 7%

What should I major in to become a remote sensing technician?

You should major in geography to become a remote sensing technician. 17% of remote sensing technicians major in geography. Other common majors for a remote sensing technician include environmental science and geology.

Most common colleges for remote sensing technicians

Remote sensing technicians often get their degrees at University of Oregon, Portland State University, and University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point. Here are the most common colleges for remote sensing technicians in the US based on their resumes.
Remote sensing technician common collegePercentages
University of Oregon12.50%
Portland State University12.50%
University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point9.38%
Colorado State University9.38%
Park University6.25%

Best majors for remote sensing technicians

RankMajorPercentages
1Geography17.1%
2Environmental Science12.9%
3Geology8.6%
4Electrical Engineering5.7%
5Business5.7%

Best colleges for remote sensing technicians

The best colleges for remote sensing technicians are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and University of California, Berkeley.

A remote sensing 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 remote sensing 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 remote sensing technicians.

1. University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$14,184

Enrollment

30,845

2. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

3. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Enrollment

30,905

4. North Carolina State University

Raleigh, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$9,101

Enrollment

23,708

5. University of California - Davis

Davis, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$14,402

Enrollment

30,698

6. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

7. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

8. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

9. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

10. Dartmouth College

Hanover, NH • Private

In-state tuition

$55,453

Enrollment

4,312

20 best online courses for remote sensing technicians

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1. Remote Sensing Image Acquisition, Analysis and Applications

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6. Geospatial Analyses & Remote Sensing: from Beginner to Pro

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Learn Remote Sensing, QGIS & GIS , main concepts, machine learning, QGIS classification, change detection, Earth Engine...

7. Machine Learning in GIS and Remote Sensing: 5 Courses in 1

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Understand & apply machine learning and deep learning for geospatial tasks (GIS and Remote Sensing) in QGIS and Arc GIS...

8. The Google Earth Engine Mega Course: Remote Sensing & GIS

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14. IT/Desktop Computer Support- Troubleshooting for Technicians

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20. R Level 1 - Data Analytics with R

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Top 10 most affordable universities for remote sensing technicians

The most affordable schools for remote sensing technicians are Hunter College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and brigham young university.

If the best universities for remote sensing 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 remote sensing technicians.

1. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

2. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

3. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

4. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

5. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

6. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

7. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

8. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

9. USF St. Petersburg

St. Petersburg, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,821

Cost of attendance

19,849

10. Lehman College of the City University of New York

Bronx, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,210

Cost of attendance

14,359

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for remote sensing technicians

The hardest universities for remote sensing technicians to get into are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and University of California, Berkeley.

Some great schools for remote sensing 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 remote sensing 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. University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, CA • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,448

4. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

9%

SAT average

1,516

5. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

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. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

10. Colgate University

Hamilton, NY • Private

Admissions rate

25%

SAT average

1,443

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for remote sensing technicians

The easiest schools for remote sensing technicians to get into are William Paterson University of New Jersey, mount saint mary's university, and sonoma state university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a remote sensing 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 remote sensing technicians.

1. William Paterson University of New Jersey

Wayne, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

994

2. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

3. Sonoma State University

Rohnert Park, CA • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

1,072

4. San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,054

5. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

6. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

7. Thomas More University

Crestview Hills, KY • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

1,099

8. Central Washington University

Ellensburg, WA • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,062

9. Saint Cloud State University

Saint Cloud, MN • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

1,086

10. California University of Pennsylvania

California, PA • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,007

Average remote sensing technician salary by education level

According to our data, remote sensing technicians with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $91,367 annually. Remote sensing technicians with a Associate degree earn an average annual salary of $76,457.
Remote sensing technician education levelRemote sensing technician salary
Master's Degree$91,367
High School Diploma or Less$66,147
Bachelor's Degree$71,057
Some College/ Associate Degree$76,457

Remote sensing 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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