Life, Physical, and Social Science · Holland code IRC

Remote Sensing Scientists and Technologists

Apply remote sensing principles and methods to analyze data and solve problems in areas such as natural resource management, urban planning, or homeland security. May develop new sensor systems, analytical techniques, or new applications for existing systems.

Also called: Geospatial Intelligence Analyst, Image Scientist, Remote Sensing Analyst, Remote Sensing Scientist, Research Scientist, Scientist, Sensor Specialist.

O*NET 19-2099.01

At a glance

US median annual pay: $122,570; Middle half earn $86,620 to $161,890. BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Most common education: Bachelor's Degree; 60% of workers surveyed by O*NET report this level.
Preparation needed: Job Zone 4 of 5; Considerable preparation. Zone 1 is little or none; zone 5 is graduate-level.

What the work involves

The tasks workers in this occupation rate as most important, from the O*NET survey.

Manage or analyze data obtained from remote sensing systems to obtain meaningful results.
Analyze data acquired from aircraft, satellites, or ground-based platforms, using statistical analysis software, image analysis software, or Geographic Information Systems (GIS).
Integrate other geospatial data sources into projects.
Organize and maintain geospatial data and associated documentation.
Compile and format image data to increase its usefulness.
Prepare or deliver reports or presentations of geospatial project information.
Discuss project goals, equipment requirements, or methodologies with colleagues or team members.
Process aerial or satellite imagery to create products such as land cover maps.

Skills and knowledge it leans on

Skills

Reading Comprehension4.0 / 5
Critical Thinking4.0 / 5
Active Listening3.9 / 5
Writing3.9 / 5
Speaking3.9 / 5
Science3.9 / 5

Knowledge areas

Geography4.8 / 5
Computers and Electronics4.2 / 5
Mathematics4.2 / 5
Engineering and Technology3.9 / 5
English Language3.7 / 5
Physics3.5 / 5

Importance ratings on O*NET’s 1 to 5 scale. Higher means the occupation depends on it more.

Who tends to enjoy it

How strongly this occupation draws on each of the six Holland interest types, which is the same profile the career interests test compares you against.

Realistic64
Investigative85
Artistic16
Social5
Enterprising7
Conventional63

The same work abroad

Other countries classify jobs differently, so these are the closest matches through the international ISCO-08 standard, not exact equivalents.

European occupation titles (ESCO)

astronomer · DE Astronom/Astronomin · FR astronome
cosmologist · DE Kosmologe/Kosmologin · FR cosmologiste
meteorologist · DE Meteorologe/Meteorologin · FR météorologiste
climatologist · DE Klimatologe/Klimatologin · FR climatologue
seismologist · DE Seismologe/Seismologin · FR sismologue
oceanographer · DE Ozeanograf/Ozeanografin · FR océanographe

Closest UK occupation groups (SOC 2020)

Physical scientists (2114)31,600 employed
Chartered surveyors (2454)67,300 employed
Laboratory technicians (3111)51,100 employed

Employment is the UK Annual Population Survey for April 2025 to March 2026, all workers in the group, which can be broader than this one occupation.

Pay across Europe, for the whole group

Median annual earnings of all employees in “Professionals”. This is the broad ISCO group this occupation falls in, not the occupation itself, so treat it as context for the wage level, not as a salary for this job.

Median annual earnings, Professionals, by country
Country	Median pay
Belgium	€61,714
Germany	€59,529
Ireland	€56,877
Austria	€55,374
Netherlands	€53,595
Sweden	€43,567
France	€41,515
Spain	€35,735
Italy	€33,649
Portugal	€26,072
Poland	€14,380

Eurostat Structure of Earnings Survey, businesses with ten or more employees outside public administration, in euro and not adjusted for the cost of living. Reference years differ between sources: the US, Japan and Europe figures on this page come from different survey years, so compare them as rough levels, not to the euro or yen.

Exposure to AI

This occupation sits in the higher third of the 774 occupations scored, with an exposure score of +1.14. The scores are standardized across those occupations, so 0 is the average and a score of 1 is about one standard deviation above it.

Our note on reading it: the dataset links AI applications to the abilities that occupations require, so the score reflects overlap between the two. It is a comparison between occupations, not a forecast about jobs. It does not say whether exposure means tasks are replaced or workers get more done with the tools, and it says little about one employer or one role.

Source: Felten, E., Raj, M., & Seamans, R. (2021). Occupational, industry, and geographic exposure to artificial intelligence: A novel dataset and its potential uses. Strategic Management Journal, 42(12), 2195-2217. Matched to this page by 6-digit SOC code (19-2099).

Is it a fit for you?

Interest is one input, alongside ability, pay and what is hiring near you. The career interests test takes about thirteen minutes and ranks occupations by how closely their profile matches yours.

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