The Evolving Identity of the GIS Programmer

I work in the geospatial field, and although my official designation reads “Multi-Disciplined Engineer,” that title says more about payroll structure than about what I actually do. In professional circles and when scanning job listings, I identify as a GIS programmer. Yet over the years, it has become clear that this label no longer captures the complexity of what employers expect.

When organizations advertise for a GIS programmer, they often envision one of two very different professional profiles. Some seek geographers or GIS specialists who have developed programming expertise. Others want software developers or IT professionals who can build solutions within GIS platforms. These are not competing archetypes; both are essential. However, treating them as interchangeable under a single job title increasingly obscures important distinctions.

A Geographer Who Codes

My academic training is rooted in geography, and I have spent more than a decade working with GIS technologies. During university, I secured an internship with a consulting firm that exposed me to the full scope of professional GIS work, including scripting and automation. In that era, development meant learning AML in ArcInfo Workstation and Avenue for ArcView 3.x.

Those experiences revealed how transformative programming could be in a spatial environment. Automating repetitive processes, customizing analytical tools, and tailoring workflows dramatically expanded what GIS professionals could accomplish. At the time, most individuals working in GIS development came from geographic or spatial analysis backgrounds. IT specialists rarely engaged with GIS software or the domain-specific languages tied to it.

The landscape has since shifted. Modern GIS platforms rely on widely adopted programming languages, and web-based geospatial applications have become mainstream. As development stacks expanded, mastering every relevant language while also maintaining deep knowledge of geographic information science became increasingly unrealistic.

Expanding Skill Requirements

Contemporary job postings often request expertise in ASP.NET, C++, ColdFusion, Java, JavaScript, JSP, PHP, Python, SQL, SOAP, Visual Basic, and XML—alongside a “strong” foundation in GIS. Professionals who genuinely command that entire spectrum are uncommon and, understandably, command high compensation.

Those with geographic training typically possess a solid grasp of spatial data models, coordinate systems, projection theory, and analytical methods. They may not, however, have comprehensive formal education in computer science. Conversely, IT professionals bring architectural thinking, software engineering discipline, and broad programming proficiency, yet may lack fluency in spatial analysis principles or cartographic design.

Neither path is inherently superior. Individuals from one background can certainly learn aspects of the other. Still, achieving mastery across both domains is demanding. The breadth of knowledge required has grown to the point where specialization becomes not only practical but necessary.

A Discipline Between Two Worlds

GIS programming occupies the intersection of geography and computer science—much like interdisciplinary academic fields that emerge between established domains. For a geographer who codes, the intellectual starting point is spatial reasoning: determining which geographic methods or analytical models are required, then implementing them programmatically. For an IT professional working in GIS, the starting point is technical architecture: designing scalable systems and then integrating the appropriate spatial logic.

In both cases, the goal is identical—deliver effective geospatial solutions. The pathway differs. That distinction matters when organizations define roles and recruit talent. Employers often hope to find a candidate capable of handling every aspect, but in practice, each professional brings strengths shaped by their training and experience. Recognizing where emphasis is needed—deep spatial expertise or deep engineering capacity—can improve hiring outcomes and project success.

Rethinking Classification

Perhaps it is time to acknowledge these parallel tracks more explicitly. Whether they are labeled differently or simply described more precisely, distinguishing between geospatial specialists who program and software engineers who develop in GIS environments would help align expectations on both sides.

As for naming conventions, I have experimented with terms such as “GeoProgrammer” and “ITGISer,” though neither quite resonates. Titles may evolve. What matters more is clarity about the blend of geography and technology that defines this profession—and the recognition that it now encompasses more than a single archetype.