Remote Sensing Technicians Career, Salary and Skills
Remote Sensing Technicians have a BLS-reported national median annual wage of $62,280 based on the 2025 OEWS dataset, with reported national employment of 73,910. Wage data is published for 233 locations.
Occupation description
Apply remote sensing technologies to assist scientists in areas such as natural resources, urban planning, or homeland security. May prepare flight plans or sensor configurations for flight trips.
O*NET code
19-4099.03
Job zone
4
Typical education
Bachelor's Degree
Experience
Over 4 years, up to and including 6 years
National salary and employment
Median annual
$62,280
Hourly median
$29.94
Employment
73,910
Data year
2025
National salary distribution
Top skills
| Skill | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Critical Thinking | 3.75 | 3.88 |
| Mathematics | 3.50 | 3.88 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.50 | 4.12 |
| Speaking | 3.50 | 3.62 |
| Active Listening | 3.38 | 3.75 |
| Monitoring | 3.38 | 3.62 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.38 | 3.62 |
| Systems Analysis | 3.38 | 3.12 |
| Writing | 3.25 | 3.75 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.25 | 3.38 |
Typical tasks
- Verify integrity and accuracy of data contained in remote sensing image analysis systems.
- Integrate remotely sensed data with other geospatial data.
- Consult with remote sensing scientists, surveyors, cartographers, or engineers to determine project needs.
- Adjust remotely sensed images for optimum presentation by using software to select image displays, define image set categories, or choose processing routines.
- Manipulate raw data to enhance interpretation, either on the ground or during remote sensing flights.
- Merge scanned images or build photo mosaics of large areas, using image processing software.
- Participate in the planning or development of mapping projects.
- Collect geospatial data, using technologies such as aerial photography, light and radio wave detection systems, digital satellites, or thermal energy systems.
Technology
- Adobe Creative Cloud software
- Adobe Photoshop
- Aeronautical charts
- Agisoft Metashape
- Airdata
- AJAX
- Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud EC2
- Amazon Web Services AWS software
- Ansible software
- Applied Imagery Quick Terrain Modeler
- ArduPilot Mission Planner
- Atlassian Confluence
- Atlassian JIRA
- Autodesk AutoCAD
Remote Sensing Technicians salary by location
Areas with the highest reported employment for this occupation.
- Remote Sensing Technicians Salary in CAMedian $78,350 · Employment 10,090
- Remote Sensing Technicians Salary in TXMedian $48,960 · Employment 9,170
- Remote Sensing Technicians Salary in NYMedian $63,810 · Employment 7,390
- Remote Sensing Technicians Salary in New York, NYMedian $64,730 · Employment 6,470
- Remote Sensing Technicians Salary in MDMedian $68,390 · Employment 3,510
- Remote Sensing Technicians Salary in VAMedian $67,240 · Employment 2,710
- Remote Sensing Technicians Salary in PAMedian $57,680 · Employment 2,630
- Remote Sensing Technicians Salary in Houston, TXMedian $48,680 · Employment 2,520
- Remote Sensing Technicians Salary in NCMedian $49,200 · Employment 2,310
- Remote Sensing Technicians Salary in GAMedian $69,320 · Employment 2,230
- Remote Sensing Technicians Salary in TNMedian $62,050 · Employment 2,150
- Remote Sensing Technicians Salary in NJMedian $55,980 · Employment 2,140
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Career and skills data: O*NET 31.0 (onetcenter.org). Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, 2025 (bls.gov/oes). Figures are published survey estimates, not real-time market data.