Job Titles in Geospatial Are a Mess. Here’s How We Sorted Them.
Job hunting in this industry is a taxonomy nightmare.
Search for "GIS" on a major job board and you’ll get a slurry of results ranging from a Senior Python Developer role to a construction foreman who happens to hold an iPad once a week. The industry is terrible at naming things. "Geospatial Analyst" can mean a PhD researcher at one firm and a data-entry intern at the next.
It’s confusing for grads and insulting to veterans.
That’s why I built GEO CAREERS. We don't just dump a keyword scraper onto a page. We categorize roles based on what you actually do all day—not just what the HR department decided to put on the requisition form.
We’ve broken the industry down into 10 real-world categories. Here is the translation from "Corporate Speak" into reality.
1. GIS & Geospatial Analysis
This is the core of the industry. If your day involves wrestling with ArcGIS Pro, QGIS, or FME to answer specific spatial questions ("Where are the flood zones?", "Why are our delivery routes failing?"), you belong here.
You are the map maker and the data wrangler. You take raw, messy data, clean it, analyze it, and present it to stakeholders who likely think your job is just "Google Maps but with colors." It’s largely office-based (or remote) and involves a lot of "pixel peeping" and database management.
Who fits here: Geography grads, Urban Planners, and people who love organization.
View roles in GIS & Geospatial Analysis →
2. Surveying & Geomatics
Let’s be clear: GIS is not Surveying. Surveying involves legal boundaries, liability, and often, licensure (PLS). This category is for the people who establish the ground truth that the rest of us rely on.
You are measuring the physical world with high precision. This ranges from the Crew Chief hacking through briars to find an iron rod, to the PLS signing off on a subdivision plat. Think muddy boots, early mornings, and high stakes. If a GIS Analyst is off by 5 feet, it's a "margin of error." If a Surveyor is off by 5 feet, it's a lawsuit.
Who fits here: People who hate sitting at a desk, math whizzes who like trigonometry, and detail-oriented professionals seeking licensure.
View roles in Surveying & Geomatics →
3. LiDAR, Photogrammetry & Remote Sensing
This is for the reality capture crowd. While a GIS analyst consumes data, these folks create it.
You are processing massive datasets derived from aerial imagery, satellites, or drone flights. You’re dealing with point clouds, classifying raster data, or stitching orthomosaics. It requires heavy processing power; you likely have a machine that sounds like a jet engine when it renders.
Who fits here: Tech-savvy photographers, drone pilots, and people who understand the physics of light and sensors.
View roles in LiDAR, Photogrammetry & Remote Sensing →
4. Geospatial Software & Data Engineering
Here is where we draw the line between using the software and building the software. If you spend more time in VS Code or a terminal than in a map view, this is you.
You are building the pipelines, the web apps (Leaflet/OpenLayers/Mapbox), or the backend infrastructure (PostGIS) that serves the data. You aren't making a map for a report; you are making the tool that allows 1,000 other people to make that map. It is code-heavy work relying on Python, JavaScript, and SQL.
Who fits here: CS grads who like maps, or GIS analysts who learned Python and never looked back.
View roles in Geospatial Software & Data Engineering →
5. Cloud, Systems & DevSecOps
This is the plumbing. It’s not sexy, but without it, the whole enterprise crashes.
You manage the servers (likely AWS or Azure) and the Enterprise deployments (ArcGIS Enterprise/Portal or GeoServer). You ensure the databases are up, the security patches are applied, and the system can handle the load. It is IT-centric and high-responsibility. When the server goes down, your phone rings.
Who fits here: SysAdmins, Linux gurus, and IT professionals who specialize in spatial databases.
View roles in Cloud, Systems & DevSecOps →
6. GEOINT / Imagery & Intelligence
The "Spook" category. These jobs are almost exclusively in the Defense/Intelligence sector (NGA, CIA, DoD contractors) and usually require a TS/SCI clearance.
You are using geospatial tech to solve national security problems. You might be analyzing satellite imagery to track troop movements or assessing infrastructure stability in denied areas. This is SCIF life (no cell phones at your desk). It is serious, structured, and often highly paid due to the clearance requirement.
Who fits here: Veterans, poli-sci majors with technical skills, and people who want their work to have immediate, real-world stakes.
View roles in GEOINT / Imagery & Intelligence →
7. Civil & Transportation Engineering / Planning
These roles sit adjacent to GIS, but the stakes are physical. You might use MicroStation or AutoCAD Civil 3D more than ArcGIS.
It’s not just about where things are, it’s about where things go. You’re drafting grading plans, aligning road corridors, and calculating stormwater runoff. You take the survey data and engineer the physical world on top of it. The work is engineering-focused with lots of regulatory compliance and rigorous design standards.
Who fits here: Civil Engineers (PEs), EITs, and Transportation Planners.
View roles in Civil & Transportation Engineering / Planning →
8. Environmental, Water & Natural/Cultural Resources
This is for the scientists. The map isn't the end product; the map is a tool to protect a wetland, permit a wind farm, or catalog an archaeological site.
You are doing field assessments (wetland delineation, species surveys) and then translating that into spatial data for reports. It’s a mix of field and office work. You need to know your science (biology, hydrology, archaeology) first, and GIS second.
Who fits here: Biologists, Archaeologists, and Environmental Scientists.
View roles in Environmental, Water & Natural/Cultural Resources →
9. Construction Inspection, CMT & Materials
This is where the digital plan meets the concrete reality.
You ensure that the brilliant design from Category 7 doesn’t collapse when they actually pour it. You’re testing soil compaction, sampling wet concrete, and verifying stakeouts on active sites. Expect hard hats, high-vis vests, and arguing with contractors. It’s practical, loud, and you can’t do it from a Zoom call.
Who fits here: Inspectors, geotechnical techs, and anyone who prefers the smell of diesel to the hum of a server room.
View roles in Construction Inspection, CMT & Materials →
10. Product, Project & Customer Solutions
Finally, the translators.
You are the blast shield between the developers and the clients. You might be a Project Manager fighting scope creep, or a Sales Engineer explaining to a CEO why they can't just "put it on the blockchain." The vibe is meetings, roadmaps, and Jira purgatory. You need to speak fluent "Developer" and fluent "Executive"—two languages that hate each other.
Who fits here: MBAs, communicators, and burned-out technical folks who want to stop coding but still want to be the smartest person in the room.
View roles in Product, Project & Customer Solutions →
We built this taxonomy because the generic job boards just don't get it. They think a Surveyor and a Java Developer are the same thing just because they both used the word "coordinates" in their resume.
If one of these categories sounds like the job you actually want, go check the live listings on geo-careers.com. We've already done the filtering for you.