Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing are two of the three "core" occupational fields within the overall Geospatial Technology industry.

Photogrammetry is the science and technology of obtaining reliable measurements, maps, digital elevation models, and other geographic information from aerial and space photography. Photogrammetrists are responsible for all phases of such mapping projects and provide spatially accurate base maps that form a foundation for many other specialized applications of geographic information systems.

Remote Sensing is the science and technology of obtaining information about Earth objects and environment from a distance. Remote Sensing Specialists measure the variations in electromagnetic waves as they interact with objects. These wavelengths typically involve not just visible light, but also near-infrared, mid-infrared, thermal and microwave energy.

Today, many maps and three-dimensional environmental models rely on photographs or other data taken from airplanes, satellites and other ground-based sensing systems.

Together, Photogrammetrists and Remote Sensing Specialists oversee the collection and interpretation of photographic and other data, including that gathered from technological tools, such as the Global Positioning System (GPS) and other aerial, satellite, and ground-based remote sensing imagery.

Photogrammetrists and Remote Sensing Specialists can be found working in various local, state, and federal government agencies, as well as in a wide-range of related scientific and technical fields, such as agriculture and soils; archeology; biology; cartography; ecology; environmental sciences; forestry and range; geodesy; geography; geology; hydrology and water resources; land appraisal and real estate; medicine; transportation; urban planning and development, and more.

Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ASPRS).

Key Links

The following Web sites offer a sampling of the broad range of job and career possibilities within the Geospatial Technology industry, including those for Photogrammetrists and Remote Sensing Specialists:

• Geospatial Information and Technology Association (GITA) - Career Center
• Great Lakes Commission (GLC) - ASPRS Job Center
• Management Association for Private Photogrammetric Surveyors (MAPPS) -
  Employment Opportunities in Member Firms
• University Consortium for Geographic Information Science (UCGIS)
• Urban and Regional Information Systems Association (URISA)