Geospatial Employment Outlook: Hiring Plans, Growth Forecasts, and In-Demand GIS Roles

A recent survey examining hiring activity among organizations employing geospatial professionals provides insight into workforce trends across the United States. The findings were presented by Richard Serby, president of GeoSearch, during GIS in the Rockies in September. The survey included 80 U.S.-based employers and collected responses between September 18 and 21, 2012.

Profile of Participating Organizations

The majority of respondents represented commercial enterprises. Approximately 60% of participating organizations were small to mid-sized private companies. Public sector representation included 20% from city and county agencies and 9% from state-level agencies. Colleges and universities accounted for 7%, with the remaining participants categorized as “other.”

In terms of workforce scale, most surveyed employers operated relatively lean geospatial teams. About 90% reported having fewer than 100 geospatial employees. A smaller segment, 4.5%, indicated staff counts between 101 and 200 geospatial professionals. Only a limited number of respondents employed more than 200 individuals in geospatial roles.

While this composition provides useful insight, it does not mirror the overall distribution of geospatial employment nationwide, where public sector positions make up a substantial share of the workforce.

Hiring Intentions for 2012 and 2013

The survey results suggest cautious optimism among U.S. geospatial employers. Nearly one-third (31%) indicated active hiring plans spanning both 2012 and 2013. An additional 22% anticipated recruiting during 2013 specifically. Meanwhile, 24% remained undecided about expanding their geospatial teams in 2013, and 23% reported no hiring plans for that year.

When compared with hiring activity during the preceding two years, responses revealed relative stability. Forty percent of organizations described their hiring levels as consistent with recent history. Thirty-two percent reported increased hiring compared to prior years, while 24% indicated reduced recruitment activity.

Job Growth Projections

Employers were also asked to forecast geospatial job growth for 2013. The largest portion—40%—expected growth to continue at roughly the same pace as in previous years. Nearly one-third (32%) anticipated an increase in job growth. Only 22% projected a decline in employment expansion.

Taken together, these figures suggest that close to two-thirds of respondents foresaw stable or improving conditions for geospatial employment entering 2013.

Most Sought-After Geospatial Roles

Technical positions dominated hiring priorities. Over half of surveyed employers (55%) planned to recruit GIS Technicians with zero to four years of experience. Close behind, 44% intended to hire GIS Specialists with five or more years of experience. Demand for GIS Software and Web Developers was also strong, with 41% of respondents indicating recruitment in that category.

Additional roles identified included Sales, Marketing, or Account Executives (21%), Business Development Managers (18%), and several specialized technical positions such as LiDAR Technicians (15%), Photogrammetrists (14%), and Remote Sensing Technicians (12%). Project and Program Managers were cited by 12% of employers.

The concentration of hiring in technician, specialist, and software development categories underscores the continued importance of technical expertise within the geospatial industry.

Interpreting the Results

Although the dataset encompasses only 80 companies and skews toward smaller commercial employers, several conclusions emerge. More than half of respondents expected to recruit either across both 2012 and 2013 or during 2013 alone. Approximately three-quarters described hiring conditions as steady or improved relative to the previous two years. Likewise, nearly two-thirds anticipated employment growth to remain level or increase.

Richard Serby noted that the geospatial job market had been steadily strengthening over the preceding two years. He also observed that national presidential election cycles often temporarily slow hiring decisions. According to his outlook at the time, recruitment activity was likely to accelerate following the November elections, with December and the first quarter of 2013 projected to show renewed momentum—an encouraging signal for job seekers in the geospatial field.

Overall, the survey portrays a U.S. geospatial employment landscape characterized by resilience, technical demand, and moderate optimism heading into 2013.