How To Become a Geographic Information Systems Technician

Stan T.Career, RequirementsLeave a Comment

How Long Does It Take, What Degree Do You Need, and More

GIS Technicians

GIS Technicians assist scientists, technologists, 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.

Salary
$96740
Becoming One
Hard
Education
Bachelor's degree
Job Satisfaction
Job Growth

Personality
Interest Match



What degree do you need

Recommended degree level

Bachelor’s Degree

We did a survey to ask other Geographic Information Systems Technicians what degree they had when they became a Geographic Information Systems Technician. Here are the results.
Bachelor’s Degree
67.74%


Master’s Degree
26.75%


High School Diploma
3.01%


One of the most common questions that we always get is what major or degree do I need to become GIS Technicians or what courses do I need to take.

We also asked GIS Technicians what did they major in college or university and here are the top 5 most popular majors that came up.

Computer and Information Sciences
Data Processing and Data Processing Technology
Information Science
Computer Science
Information Technology Project Management

An associate’s degree or bachelor’s degree in a relevant field, such as geomatics, is typically needed for Geographic Information Systems Technicians positions.



How hard is it

Difficulty
Hard

You will need a considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge or experience to be a Geographic Information Systems Technician. For example, an accountant must complete 4 years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.

Careers in this difficulty category will usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training. These careers usually involve coordinating, supervising, managing, or training others. Similar careers include sales managers, database administrators, chemists, and art directors.


Related work experience required
4 to 6 years

4 to 6 years
44.3%


2 to 4 years
32.83%


1 to 2 years
17.56%


Job training
6 months to 1 year

6 months to 1 year
44.3%


1 to 3 months
18.36%


1 to 2 years
16.11%



License and certifications

Do you need any license or certification
Recommended but not required

The growing need to make sure that data are useful to other professionals has caused certification to become more common. The American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ASPRS) offers certification for Geographic Information Systems Technicians. The National Society of Professional Surveyors offers the Certified Survey Technician credential.


Skills required

We asked other GIS Technicians if they could only have 5 skills, what would they be. Here is what they said.

1. Critical Thinking what does this mean
2. Reading Comprehension what does this mean
3. Speaking what does this mean
4. Complex Problem Solving what does this mean
5. Active Learning what does this mean

= Hot in-demand that most employers are looking for


Knowledge required

Just like any other job, you will need certain know-hows to excel at your job. GIS Technicians are generally very knowledgeable in these 5 key areas.

1. Computers and Electronics what does this mean
2. Geography what does this mean
3. English Language what does this mean
4. Mathematics what does this mean
5. Design what does this mean


Learn more about GIS Technicians

Summary
Job Description
Salary
Requirements (You are here)
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Related to Geographic Information Systems Technicians Requirements

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