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Geographic Information Systems Technologists and Technicians

Occupation · SOC 15-1299.02

Assist scientists or related professionals in building, maintaining, modifying, or using geographic information systems (GIS) databases. May also perform some custom application development or provide user support.

Also called: GIS Specialist (Geographic Information Systems Specialist) · GIS Technician (Geographic Information Systems Technician) · Geographic Information System Analyst (GIS Analyst) · Geographic Information Systems Analyst (GIS Analyst) · Geographic Information Systems Administrator (GIS Administrator) · Geographic Information Systems Coordinator (GIS Coordinator) · Resource Analyst · CADD GIS Technician (Computer-Aided Design and Drafting Geographic Information Systems Technician) · Cartographic Technician · Conversion Specialist · Field GIS Technician (Field Geographic Information Systems Technician) · GIS Consultant (Geographic Information Systems Consultant)

Job family: Computer and Mathematical Occupations

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A source-stamped Markdown brief of this occupation — paste it into an agent, or fetch /roles/role-15-1299-02/context.md directly.

AI work map

A fast read on where AI already shows up in this occupation, where it stays a copilot, where humans remain in the loop, and what the labor market is doing. Built from observed Claude.ai conversations mapped to O*NET tasks and from published research — measures of usage and exposure, not advice or predictions that the job is going away.

97th-percentile task overlap — yet about 31,300 openings a year (+8.2% projected, BLS) . What exposure means →

AI & job outlook

What today's research says about this occupation's exposure to AI, how AI is actually being used in it, and where employment is headed. These are positions within published studies — measures of exposure and usage, not predictions that this job will disappear.

Exposure to current AI

Each study uses its own scale, so the raw scores are not comparable across rows — the percentile (this job's rank among all U.S. occupations with data) is the comparable figure, and sizes the bars.

Measure Rank vs all occupations Percentile Score
LLM task exposure, γ (OpenAI / Eloundou) High 95th 1.0
AI assistant applicability (Microsoft) High 88th 0.3

OpenAI's exposure study scores tasks three ways: with a language model alone (α 0.2), with simple added tooling (β 0.6), and including AI-powered software (γ 1.0). Higher means more of the job's tasks could be done at least twice as fast — not that they will be automated away.

How AI is actually used in this job

Among measured AI assistant conversations mapped to this occupation (Anthropic Economic Index, 2026-01-15), these task types came up most. These are shares of observed AI conversations — not shares of the job, of worker time, or of what could be automated.

Create, analyze, report, convert, or transfer data, using specialized applications program software. 13.1%
Perform geospatial data building, modeling, or analysis, using advanced spatial analysis, data manipulation, or cartography software. 4.2%
Select cartographic elements needed for effective presentation of information. 1.3%
Provide technical expertise in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology to clients or users. 1.1%
Provide technical support to users or clients regarding the maintenance, development, or operation of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) databases, equipment, or applications. 0.8%
Perform computer programming, data analysis, or software development for Geographic Information Systems (GIS) applications, including the maintenance of existing systems or research and development for future enhancements. 0.7%

Job outlook

Independent U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics employment projection for 2024–2034 — a labor-market forecast, not an AI-impact forecast.

Outlook Growing fast · +8.2% by 2034
Projected annual openings 31,300
Employment 2024 → 2034 472,000 → 510,500

“Annual openings” counts new jobs plus replacements for workers who leave the occupation, so it can be large even when growth is modest.

Tasks

All 29 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation, ordered by importance. Each links to its own page with AI-exposure and observed-use detail.

Work activities

Knowledge, skills & abilities

O*NET importance rating, from 1 (not important) to 5 (extremely important).

Knowledge

Geography 4.7
Computers and Electronics 4.5
English Language 4.0
Mathematics 3.9
Design 3.4
Customer and Personal Service 3.1
Engineering and Technology 3.1
Education and Training 3.0
Administration and Management 2.9

Essential skills

Reading Comprehension 3.9
Critical Thinking 3.6
Active Listening 3.5
Speaking 3.5
Writing 3.1
Mathematics 3.0
Active Learning 3.0
Monitoring 3.0

Abilities

Oral Comprehension 3.8
Written Comprehension 3.8
Deductive Reasoning 3.8
Inductive Reasoning 3.6
Information Ordering 3.6
Near Vision 3.6
Oral Expression 3.5
Problem Sensitivity 3.5
Visualization 3.4
Speech Recognition 3.4
Speech Clarity 3.4
Written Expression 3.3
Category Flexibility 3.3
Selective Attention 3.3
Mathematical Reasoning 3.1
Number Facility 3.0
Flexibility of Closure 3.0

Transferable skills

Complex Problem Solving 3.3
Judgment and Decision Making 3.3
Social Perceptiveness 3.0
Coordination 3.0
Programming 2.9
Time Management 2.9

Skills in demand

Skills employers ask for in job postings for this occupation (Lightcast), with whether each is a common or specialized skill.

Showing the top 40 of 64.

Tools & technology

Example Category
Amazon Web Services AWS software Data base user interface and query software Hot technology In demand
Autodesk AutoCAD Computer aided design CAD software Hot technology In demand
ESRI ArcGIS software Geographic information system Hot technology In demand
JavaScript Web platform development software Hot technology In demand
Microsoft Access Data base user interface and query software Hot technology In demand
Microsoft Azure software Development environment software Hot technology In demand
Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet software Hot technology In demand
Microsoft Office software Office suite software Hot technology In demand
Microsoft Outlook Electronic mail software Hot technology In demand
Microsoft PowerPoint Presentation software Hot technology In demand
Python Object or component oriented development software Hot technology In demand
Structured query language SQL Data base user interface and query software Hot technology In demand
Adobe Acrobat Document management software Hot technology
Adobe After Effects Video creation and editing software Hot technology
Adobe Creative Cloud software Graphics or photo imaging software Hot technology
Adobe Illustrator Graphics or photo imaging software Hot technology
Adobe Photoshop Graphics or photo imaging software Hot technology
Apple iOS Operating system software Hot technology
Atlassian JIRA Content workflow software Hot technology
Bentley MicroStation Computer aided design CAD software Hot technology
Bootstrap Web platform development software Hot technology
C Development environment software Hot technology
C# Object or component oriented development software Hot technology
C++ Object or component oriented development software Hot technology
Cascading style sheets CSS Web platform development software Hot technology
Docker Application server software Hot technology
Extensible markup language XML Enterprise application integration software Hot technology
Git File versioning software Hot technology
GitHub Application server software Hot technology
Go Development environment software Hot technology
Google Angular Web platform development software Hot technology
Google Workspace software Office suite software Hot technology
Hypertext markup language HTML Web platform development software Hot technology
JavaScript Object Notation JSON Web platform development software Hot technology
Jenkins CI Enterprise application integration software Hot technology
jQuery Object or component oriented development software Hot technology
Kubernetes Application server software Hot technology
Linux Operating system software Hot technology
Microsoft .NET Framework Development environment software Hot technology
Microsoft ASP.NET Web platform development software Hot technology

Showing the top 40 of 127.

Work context

How characteristic each condition is of the job, on O*NET's 1–5 context scale (higher = more present in day-to-day work). Each condition links to how it varies across all occupations.

E-Mail 4.9
Indoors, Environmentally Controlled 4.8
Spend Time Sitting 4.7
Importance of Being Exact or Accurate 4.7
Telephone Conversations 4.5
Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams 4.4
Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team 4.3
Freedom to Make Decisions 4.0
Importance of Repeating Same Tasks 4.0
Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals 3.9
Spend Time Making Repetitive Motions 3.7
Contact With Others 3.7
Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls 3.6
Coordinate or Lead Others in Accomplishing Work Activities 3.6
Time Pressure 3.5
Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results 3.5
Deal With External Customers or the Public in General 3.1
Frequency of Decision Making 3.1
Level of Competition 3.1
Work Outcomes and Results of Other Workers 3.0
Written Letters and Memos 2.9
Degree of Automation 2.9
Physical Proximity 2.8
Consequence of Error 2.5
Public Speaking 2.5
Exposed to Sounds, Noise Levels that are Distracting or Uncomfortable 2.3
In an Enclosed Vehicle or Operate Enclosed Equipment 2.2
Outdoors, Exposed to All Weather Conditions 2.0
Conflict Situations 2.0
Dealing With Unpleasant, Angry, or Discourteous People 1.9
Indoors, Not Environmentally Controlled 1.9
Health and Safety of Other Workers 1.8
Spend Time Standing 1.7
Exposed to Very Hot or Cold Temperatures 1.6
Exposed to Extremely Bright or Inadequate Lighting Conditions 1.6
Pace Determined by Speed of Equipment 1.6
Exposed to Contaminants 1.5
Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets 1.5
Spend Time Walking or Running 1.5
Exposed to Minor Burns, Cuts, Bites, or Stings 1.4

How to get in

Job zone
Zone 3 — Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
Education
Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Typical entry-level education
Bachelor's degree · BLS, the typical path — not a requirement
Related experience
Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.
Preparation level
SVP (6.0 to < 7.0) — total schooling plus on-the-job experience.

What to study: Biological and Biomedical Sciences , Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services , Health Professions and Related Programs , Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting and Related Protective Services , Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies , Physical Sciences . Fields of study crosswalked to this occupation (NCES CIP–SOC), not a requirement.

Interests & work styles

The interests and personal qualities O*NET associates with people who do this work.

Interest areas

Information Technology 6.2
Mathematics/Statistics 4.5
Engineering 3.5
Physical Science 2.5
Mechanics/Electronics 2.5
Office Work 2.5
Nature/Outdoors 2.0

Career interests (Holland / RIASEC)

Conventional 5.9
Investigative 5.2
Realistic 4.3
Artistic 2.3
Social 1.9
Enterprising 1.9

Work styles

Dependability 3.0
Attention to Detail 2.7
Intellectual Curiosity 2.1

Wages & employment

U.S. · annual wages (BLS OEWS)

$53k10th$76k25th$109kMedian$148k75th$177k90th
Annual wages by percentile — U.S. (BLS OEWS). The light band spans the 10th–90th percentile; the darker band is the middle half (25th–75th); the line is the median.
472k2024511k2034 (proj.)+8.2% · Growing fast
Projected U.S. employment, 2024–2034 (BLS Employment Projections). A labor-market forecast for the occupation, not an AI-impact forecast.
10th percentile $52,650
25th percentile $76,360
Median (50th) $108,970
75th percentile $147,530
90th percentile $176,800
People employed 439,380

Wages and employment are reported by BLS for the broader occupation group this specialty belongs to (SOC 15-1299), not for the specialty alone.

Industries that employ this occupation

Where these workers are employed, by number of jobs (national, BLS OEWS). Pay shown is the occupation's national median, not industry-specific.

Industry Workers National median pay
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services · Sector 130,160 $106,200
Information · Sector 43,000 $126,550
Finance and Insurance · Sector 28,690 $126,080
Management of Companies and Enterprises · Sector 25,660 $127,600
Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services · Sector 24,880 $96,000
Manufacturing · Sector 21,020 $102,950
Educational Services · Sector 18,100 $79,900
Temporary Help Services · National industry 13,460 $95,780
Wholesale Trade · Sector 13,130 $100,550
Health Care and Social Assistance · Sector 11,030 $83,320
Engineering Services · National industry 9,590 $108,370
Transportation and Warehousing · Sector 7,000 $65,350

Where this work is most concentrated

Industries where this occupation is far more common than in the economy as a whole. The location quotient is how many times more concentrated it is here (a value of 5 means five times its economy-wide share).

Industry Concentration Workers
Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities · National industry 7.16× 1,240
Information · Sector 5.19× 43,000
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services · Sector 4.24× 130,160
Management of Companies and Enterprises · Sector 3.21× 25,660
Direct Health and Medical Insurance Carriers · National industry 3.02× 3,860
Engineering Services · National industry 2.91× 9,590
Temporary Help Services · National industry 1.78× 13,460
Finance and Insurance · Sector 1.62× 28,690

Part of the Digital Technology and Public Service & Safety career clusters.

Exposure quadrant: AI task-overlap percentile vs Median pay Geographic Information Systems Technologists and Technicians sits at the 97th percentile of AI task-overlap and the 89th percentile of median pay, placed here against 12 adjacent occupations on the same two axes. Lower overlap · higher pay Higher overlap · higher pay Higher overlap · lower pay Lower overlap · lower pay Geographic Information Systems Technologists and Technicians Geodetic Surveyors Surveying and Mapping Technicians Remote Sensing Technicians Hydrologic Technicians Cartographers and Photogrammetrists Geographers Database Architects AI task-overlap percentile → ↑ Median pay
AI task-overlap percentile (horizontal) vs. median-pay percentile (vertical), across all scored occupations. This occupation is highlighted; related occupations are plotted alongside it. Overlap measures shared tasks with AI, not automation.

Side-by-side comparisons place two occupations’ pay, preparation, skills, and AI exposure on the same page — same data, same scale, no forecast.

What you can do with this

Options the data surfaces for Geographic Information Systems Technologists and Technicians — not advice or a forecast. Each is a real cross-link you can follow into the evidence.

Skills that travel

Capabilities this work builds that are used across many other occupations.

Adjacent roles

Occupations O*NET rates as related — the nearby moves on the map.

Paths in

How people typically prepare for this work.

Zoom out

See where this work sits in the bigger picture.

Write a report on thisheadline · factoids · citation

Geographic Information Systems Technologists and Technicians show 97th-percentile AI task overlap — and about 31,300 annual U.S. openings

  • Geographic Information Systems Technologists and Technicians rank in the 97th percentile (High band) for AI task overlap across U.S. occupations — a measure of how much of the work today's AI can attempt, not how much is automated.Eloundou et al. (GPTs are GPTs) + Felten AIOE
  • The occupation is projected to see about 31,300 U.S. job openings per year (2024–34), counting growth and replacement — a labor-demand projection made independently of AI.BLS Employment Projections 2024–34
  • BLS projects employment to be growing fast (+8.2%) from 2024 to 2034.BLS Employment Projections 2024–34
  • Median annual pay is $108,970, across about 439,380 U.S. workers.BLS OEWS (May 2024)
Copy the whole kit
Geographic Information Systems Technologists and Technicians show 97th-percentile AI task overlap — and about 31,300 annual U.S. openings

• Geographic Information Systems Technologists and Technicians rank in the 97th percentile (High band) for AI task overlap across U.S. occupations — a measure of how much of the work today's AI can attempt, not how much is automated. (Eloundou et al. (GPTs are GPTs) + Felten AIOE)
• The occupation is projected to see about 31,300 U.S. job openings per year (2024–34), counting growth and replacement — a labor-demand projection made independently of AI. (BLS Employment Projections 2024–34)
• BLS projects employment to be growing fast (+8.2%) from 2024 to 2034. (BLS Employment Projections 2024–34)
• Median annual pay is $108,970, across about 439,380 U.S. workers. (BLS OEWS (May 2024))

Source: Singulariki — "Geographic Information Systems Technologists and Technicians". https://singulariki.com/roles/role-15-1299-02
Note: AI task overlap measures what today's AI can attempt, not automation, job loss, or a forecast.

AssetsShare imageMethodology & sourcesPress & newsroomThe newsroom

Every line is built only from figures this page already shows and cites. AI task overlap means what today's AI can attempt — not automation, job loss, or a forecast.

Sources for this page

Every figure above traces to a named public dataset and the exact release below — not hand-written opinion. See the full methodology for what each measure does and does not mean.

Data compiled June 2, 2026. Figures are estimates, not advice.

Cite this page
Plain

Singulariki. "Geographic Information Systems Technologists and Technicians." Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Built from O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27); Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130. Accessed June 7, 2026. https://singulariki.com/roles/role-15-1299-02

APA

Singulariki. (2026). Geographic Information Systems Technologists and Technicians. Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Retrieved June 7, 2026, from https://singulariki.com/roles/role-15-1299-02

BibTeX 
@misc{singulariki-role-15-1299-02,
  title  = {Geographic Information Systems Technologists and Technicians},
  author = {{Singulariki}},
  year   = {2026},
  note   = {O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27); Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130. Accessed June 7, 2026},
  url    = {https://singulariki.com/roles/role-15-1299-02}
}

Citations name the underlying public dataset releases — they reflect what this page is built from, not just the URL.

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