The GIS IT sector looks like it’s going to be a great career opportunity right now and well into the future. Sure you might be passionate about the field and really enjoy the time you spend in it. But there is no question that choosing a career that’s trending upward is a solid idea.
Look At The GIS Industry Statistics
According to the Daratech GIS research firm the GIS industry as a whole grew at an amazing rate of 10.3% to a total of US4.4 billion in 2010 alone1.
This is fantastic news for future job security as they also indicated that the GIS industry is actually expected to grow to US10.6 billion by the end of 2015.
While so many other areas are shedding jobs the GIS IT sector is growing at a very nice rate of pace. Yes the global recession slowed its growth. But, a sure sign of great things to come is an industry that expands even as most others downsize.
Where Is The Larget GIS Demand?
The GIS/Geospatial Market Report published in 2011 shows that the largest demand within the GIS market is GIS data which has grown at an annual compounded rate of just over 15.5% for the last 8 consecutive years1. One of the main driving factors in this phenomenal growth is its global sales to government agencies which has come in at 7.2% and so represents nearly half of its total growth1.
Government agencies are expected to continue this upward trend as GIS IT and its data become more a part of their everyday needs. Currently GIS does not reach into all the areas of government that will eventually see it’s huge benefits and adopt it. This alone is expected to fuel growth. Then combine that with the expansion of use within the areas that are currently on board with it and you’ve got nice long term growth that will give you a rock steady future.
Why GIS Is A Growing Career Opportunity
As you may know the Bureau of Labor Statistics provides data forecasting into the job markets predicting which areas will go up or down. In their Occupational Outlook Handbook of 2010/2011 the BLS deemed that those with GIS skills especially in the areas of providing data have ” favorable job prospects” and that employment in these areas is expected to grow “faster than the average for all occupations”2.
GIS IT and its data will continue to expand into other markets fueled by smart phones, tablets, and the proliferation of mapping in media. They will also see rapid bursts of excitement and expansion when they literally explode onto the scene and into the public eye after disasters such as you witnessed directly after Fukushima. GIS was the spotlight technology used in media reporting which gave the industry and technology amazing exposure.
Another development that will have a huge impact on the GIS IT industry and your work life that is associated with it is the crowd sourcing of geographic data such as the “Open Street Map project” and Google’s “Map Maker”. Watch for crowd sourcing to upward trend in the GIS world significantly over the coming decade.
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References
http://www.strategyr.com/Geographic_Information_Systems_GIS_Industry_Market_Report.asp
http://web.archive.org/web/20120119013209/http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos040.htm
http://www.gislounge.com/nokias-crowdsourcing-gis-effort
