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Remote Sensing Scientist or Technologist

Overview and Key Facts

Woman working
Education
Education
Bachelor's degree
Median Pay
Median Pay
$117,960
Job Growth
Job Growth
0.60%
(Below US Average)
Jobs in 2034
Jobs in 2034
32,100

What Do They Do?

A remote sensing scientist or technologist could…

 
Plane over desert
Analyze data from airplane-mounted sensors to determine the boundaries of a drought zone.
Heat island
Find urban heat islands, places in cities with higher temperatures, using remote temperature sensors.
Buoy
Use drifting buoys equipped with GPS sensors to map ocean currents all over the world.
Snow cover map
Evaluate climate changes by creating annual maps of thawing land using satellite data.
 
Plane over desert Heat island Buoy Snow cover map

Overview Listen to this section

Have you ever climbed up high in a tree and then looked at your surroundings? You can learn a lot about your neighborhood by looking down on it. You can see who has a garden, who has a pool, who needs to water their plants, and how your neighbors live. Remote sensing scientists or technologists do a similar thing, except on a larger scale. These professionals apply the principles and methods of remote sensing (using sensors) to analyze data and solve regional, national, and global problems in areas such as natural resource management, urban planning, and climate and weather prediction. Because remote sensing scientists or technologists use a variety of tools, including radio detection and ranging (radar) and light detection and ranging (lidar), to collect data and then store the data in databases, they must be familiar with several different kinds of technologies.
In this video from NASA, you can learn about how remote-sensing technologies are used to track the global capacity for food production. This video is the first in a six-part series about the applications of remote-sensing techniques.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RJ6AqWAOEg

Do You Have the Skills and Characteristics of a Remote Sensing Scientist or Technologist?


  1. Reading Comprehension: ?
  2. Critical Thinking: ?
  3. Writing: ?
  4. Active Listening: ?
  5. Speaking: ?
More skills...

Core Tasks

Think about if you'd like the typical tasks a Remote Sensing Scientist or Technologist might do:
  • 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.
  • Design or implement strategies for collection, analysis, or display of geographic data.
  • Develop or build databases for remote sensing or related geospatial project information.
  • Collect supporting data, such as climatic or field survey data, to corroborate remote sensing data analyses.
  • Monitor quality of remote sensing data collection operations to determine if procedural or equipment changes are necessary.
  • Train technicians in the use of remote sensing technology.
  • Set up or maintain remote sensing data collection systems.
  • Direct all activity associated with implementation, operation, or enhancement of remote sensing hardware or software.
  • Attend meetings or seminars or read current literature to maintain knowledge of developments in the field of remote sensing.
  • Conduct research into the application or enhancement of remote sensing technology.
  • Recommend new remote sensing hardware or software acquisitions.
  • Use remote sensing data for forest or carbon tracking activities to assess the impact of environmental change.
  • Develop automated routines to correct for the presence of image distorting artifacts, such as ground vegetation.
  • Develop new analytical techniques or sensor systems.
  • Participate in fieldwork.
  • Apply remote sensing data or techniques, such as surface water modeling or dust cloud detection, to address environmental issues.
  • Direct installation or testing of new remote sensing hardware or software.

Salary & Job Openings

Median Salary (Yearly Pay)

Tap or scroll over map to see median salaries for each state
No data available for some states (white on the map)

Future Jobs

Blast-Off:

How Will Remote Sensing Scientist or Technologist Jobs Grow by 2034?
Projected % Growth
Rapid growth
(10% or higher)
Much faster than average
(7% - 10%)
Faster than average
(5% - 7%)
About as fast as average
(3% - 5%)
Slower than average
(0% - 3%)
Decreasing
Average of all U.S. jobs (5.3%)
Remote Sensing Scientist or Technologist jobs (0.60%)
Source: https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables/occupational-projections-and-characteristics.htm

Steps to Get There: Becoming a Remote Sensing Scientist or Technologist

High School Subjects to Study

Aim to study the yellow-shaded subjects.
Math
Algebra 1
Geometry
Algebra 2
Pre-Calculus
Calculus
Statistics
Science
Biology
Chemistry
Physics
Environmental Science
Physiology
Bio-Medical / Biotech
IT &
Engineering
Computer Science
Applied Technology
Drafting & CAD Training
Core
English
Foreign Language
Business
Psychology / Sociology

Career Pathway Listen to this section

In addition to university course work, remote sensing scientists or technologists must attend seminars, conferences, and meetings in order to stay abreast of technological advances in the field.

Education- Typical Degree Needed After High School Listen to this section

Degree
Post
high school credential
AA
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctoral or Professional Degree

Typical degree for an entry-level position: Bachelor's degree ? Types of Degrees and Credentials

The minimum degree required to gain a position as a remote sensing scientist and technologist is a bachelor's degree in geography, cartography, civil engineering, or related field. Many remote sensing scientists and technologists often have a graduate degree. Candidates must have a PhD in order to teach at the university level. Many remote sensing specialists have degrees in the natural sciences, including forestry, biology, and geology. They often take courses in remote sensing or mapping while earning these degrees.

Because remote sensing scientists and technologists work with analyzing and modeling large amounts of data, it is useful for them to take classes in statistics, geometry, and matrix algebra.

Companies That Hire Remote Sensing Scientist or Technologists

Try it Out with an Activity or Project

STEM Activities

STEM activities are fun hands-on explorations that usually take from 10 minutes to one hour and use readily available household or classroom materials while introducing you to STEM concepts common in this career.

Science Project Ideas

Project Ideas are in-depth STEM explorations that have a strong focus on controlling variables, taking accurate measurements, and analyzing data suitable for investigating the scientific method or the engineering design process.

On the Job

Role Models

Dr. Alberto Moreira is a remote sensing scientist who believes that the Earth is dynamic and fragile and that we all have the responsibility of keeping it healthy. In this interview, he discusses in detail the work that he is doing imaging the globe with radar.
Human beings make the Earth much more dynamic. This is a challenge because Earth’s processes are rather complicated and they interact with each other in ways we do not understand. 
Dr. Alberto Moreira
Cameron Tongier of the US Fish and Wildlife Service Fire Management Branch spoke about the long arc of data analysis that leads up to daily situation reports for wildfire managers.
We can start to see drying trends, so we can set up the Smokey Bear signs that say 'low/medium/high' fire danger. 
Cameron Tongier, Geo-spatial Coordinator

Nature of the Work

The Earth, our home, is an amazing system. It has a temperature, mountains, blowing wind, and flowing water. Capturing information about these and other global features can help scientists get a present-day picture about the Earth and help make decisions about our future. But how do scientists gather information? They use sensors, devices that detect and measure physical quantities and then convert them into signals that can be read by an instrument or observer. Remote sensing scientists or technologists oversee the collection of this information and interpret the data. They work with databases to store these large amounts of data and then share the data in reports or in maps.

When a government, business, or other client needs a map, remote sensing scientists or technologists analyze the type of information that the map should include and then decide what type of sensors to use to get that information. The amount of detail required determines what equipment is needed, such as the size of the camera and the type of vehicle that will carry it. In addition to seeing how things look, remote sensing scientists or technologists might need to measure temperature, moisture in the air, and other phenomena. For example, in order to determine the abundance of plant life, remote sensing scientists or technologists use sensors to measure and extract data about chlorophyll levels.

When data comes from satellites, remote sensing scientists and technologists run the information through a series of computer programs to create images and maps. They might use different colors to show where interesting features are, such as different types of forests and crops. They can study the different wavelengths of light shown in satellite images and use that information to assess the condition of the forests. With satellites, large areas of land are visible at once and remote sensing scientists or technologists can create land-cover maps that show thousands of square miles. They provide a broad overview of the Earth's landscapes.

In addition to making maps, remote sensing scientists or technologists perform research. Every day they collect data about the Earth and its atmosphere using sensors on ocean buoys, weather satellites, and seismic registers. They employ various tools like radio detection and ranging (radar) and light detection and ranging (lidar) placed in satellites, airplanes, and balloons to gather data. With this data and mathematical models, remote sensing scientists or technologists attempt to accurately predict weather, hydrology, and climate.

Work Environment

Remote sensing scientists or technologists usually work in clean, well-lit, and well-ventilated offices. They rely on computers and their work often involves long hours in front of a computer screen using a keyboard and a mouse. Remote sensing scientists or technologists generally work 40 hours a week. Longer hours and workweeks are not uncommon.

Remote sensing scientists or technologists work in a variety of industries including the private sector, the military, and the federal government.

More Information

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