Remote Sensing Technicians
Life, Physical, and Social Science
Most of the work is gathering geospatial data from aerial photography, satellites, light- or radio-wave sensors, or thermal systems, then checking that the images and readings are accurate enough to use. Raw files are adjusted, merged into mosaics, and combined with other map data so scientists, surveyors, cartographers, or engineers can read the scene. Some of that processing happens on the ground; some happens during a flight, after helping set sensor setups or flight plans. The same person may sit in on mapping-project planning. It suits people who like working with images and spatial data, applying practical math, and turning raw sensor output into something others can interpret.
Typical education: Bachelor’s Degree (4-year)
Annual Median Wage in Field (2025)
$62'280
Median Wage Market Position
$62'280
What you might do
- Gather geospatial data from satellites and aircraft
- Verify that remote sensing images are accurate
- Combine remotely sensed data with other maps
- Enhance raw images so they are easier to read
- Build photo mosaics of large mapped areas
- Work with scientists to set project needs
Skills that matter
- Checking remote-sensing files for accuracy
- Reading project notes and mapping requirements
- Explaining image options to surveyors and scientists
- Using math to align and merge mosaics
- Listening to scientists describe project needs
- Choosing sensor setups that fit the mapping goal
AI & the future of this role
Image classification, change detection, and bulk geospatial processing are areas where AI already performs strongly and may absorb large shares of desk analysis. Flight planning and ground-truth judgment still require human oversight, yet the core data pipeline looks highly exposed.
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Includes O*NET® 30.3 Database information by USDOL/ETA under CC BY 4.0; modified by LostInCareer. Wage/outlook from BLS. Attribution details