Remote Sensing Technicians
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.
$62,280 a year (for the broader BLS group this job sits in).
of the working time. Estimate.
- 66%
- 3%
- 31%
Measured, from Anthropic's usage data (2025). Counts help on part of a task.
On the chosen pace and reliability. Estimate.
Share of the working time within reach, now to 2030
What each choice means: , , , , . Every pace starts from .
At this date and pace, models finish tasks up to 4.4 h long four times in five.
How far this has come
With GPT-4, measured in March 2023, 0% of this job's working time was within reach at . With Claude 3.7 Sonnet, measured in February 2025, 0%. With Claude Mythos Preview (early), measured in April 2026, 10%. Today's estimate: 19%.
A backcast: today's task data with the best model METR had measured by each date. It shows how fast the models have moved, not what anyone forecast at the time.
The tasks
Sorted by . 21 tasks from .
| Task | Kind | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Collect geospatial data, using technologies such as aerial photography, light and radio wave detection systems, digital satellites, or thermal energy systems.Done daily by most who do it. | 12% | 5 h1.7 h to 2.1 work days | Stays with people | |
| Integrate remotely sensed data with other geospatial data.Done daily by most who do it. | 12% | 5 h2.5 h to 1.3 work days | 22%Half by Jan 2027 | |
| Develop or maintain geospatial information databases.Done more than monthly by most who do it. | 12% | 5 h1.7 h to 1.3 work days | 19%Half by Mar 2027 | |
| Manipulate raw data to enhance interpretation, either on the ground or during remote sensing flights.Done hourly or more by most who do it. | 10% | 3.3 h50 min to 6.7 h | Stays with people | |
| Verify integrity and accuracy of data contained in remote sensing image analysis systems.Done daily by most who do it. | 9% | 3.3 h50 min to 6.7 h | 32%Half by Jan 2027 | |
| Merge scanned images or build photo mosaics of large areas, using image processing software.Done more than monthly by most who do it. | 8% | 4.2 h1.7 h to 1 work day | 30%Half by Dec 2026 | |
| Correct raw data for errors due to factors such as skew or atmospheric variation.Done yearly or less by most who do it. | 5% | 3.3 h1.3 h to 6.7 h | 41%Half by Nov 2026 | |
| Collect remote sensing data for forest or carbon tracking activities involved in assessing the impact of environmental change. | 5% | 6.7 h2.5 h to 2.1 work days | Stays with people | |
| Participate in the planning or development of mapping projects.Done more than yearly by most who do it. | 4% | 5 h1.7 h to 1.3 work days | 19%Half by Mar 2027 | |
| Adjust remotely sensed images for optimum presentation by using software to select image displays, define image set categories, or choose processing routines.Done daily by most who do it. | 4% | 1.7 h25 min to 5 h | 51%Half by now | |
| Develop specialized computer software routines to customize and integrate image analysis.Done more than yearly by most who do it. AI observed on this task. | 3% | 1.3 work days4.2 h to 2.5 work days | 3%Half by Aug 2027 | |
| Provide remote sensing data for use in addressing environmental issues, such as surface water modeling or dust cloud detection. | 3% | 4.2 h1.7 h to 1.3 work days | 27%Half by Jan 2027 |
Within reach, per task: the share of the task's time whose instances are short enough for a model to finish at the chosen date, pace and reliability. Half by: the date half of that time comes within reach.
Jobs that share skills with this one
From O*NET's related occupations. Within reach now and by the end of 2028, long-run pace, four in five.
- Remote Sensing Scientists and Technologists6% now, 66% by 2028
- Electro-Mechanical and Mechatronics Technologists and Technicians10% now, 25% by 2028
- Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film12% now, 32% by 2028
- Geological Technicians, Except Hydrologic Technicians13% now, 41% by 2028
- Geodetic Surveyors34% now, 70% by 2028
- Surveying and Mapping Technicians39% now, 69% by 2028
Where this job works
The industry groups that employ the most of it (BLS, May 2025). Counts are for the broader BLS group this job sits in.
Where the most of these jobs are
The metro areas with the most people in it (BLS, May 2025). Counts are for the broader BLS group this job sits in.