«GIS analyst» covers everything from an entry-level data-entry-adjacent role updating municipal parcel maps to a senior geospatial data scientist building predictive models for a logistics company — which is exactly why salary figures for this title span such a wide range. Here’s what the actual 2026 data shows, in the US and internationally, and what specifically separates the bottom of that range from the top.
United States: The Range Depends Heavily on Which Source You Check
Multiple salary-data platforms report meaningfully different averages for the same title, which is itself useful information — it tells you how much this role varies by region, industry, and how each platform’s respondent pool skews:
- Indeed reports an average of roughly $62,400 per year.
- Glassdoor reports roughly $70,700.
- ZipRecruiter reports a national average closer to $75,000, with a typical range between $58,000 and $84,500 (25th–75th percentile) and top earners reaching $101,500 at the 90th percentile.
- Salary.com breaks the role into explicit levels: a GIS Analyst I averages around $67,200, progressing to GIS Analyst II at roughly $77,000, GIS Analyst III near $90,500, and up to GIS Analyst IV/V in the $116,000–$133,000 range for senior technical or leadership positions.
The pattern across every source: the title alone tells you almost nothing without a seniority level attached. A realistic entry-level range in the US is roughly $55,000–$75,000, a mid-career analyst with several years of experience lands in the $75,000–$95,000 range, and senior/specialist roles clear $100,000+.
Where in the US You’re Located Matters More Than You’d Expect
State-level data shows a consistent geographic pattern: the District of Columbia, California, and Massachusetts post the highest average GIS Analyst pay, driven by concentration of federal agencies, tech-adjacent employers, and cost-of-living-adjusted compensation respectively. States with lower costs of living and less concentrated tech/federal employment — much of the Midwest and parts of the South — post meaningfully lower averages, though the gap narrows somewhat once you adjust for local cost of living.
Industry Matters as Much as Geography
Glassdoor’s industry breakdown shows a clear pattern worth planning a career around: telecommunications, energy/mining/utilities, aerospace/defense, transportation/logistics, and real estate post the highest median total pay for this title — all industries where geospatial data has direct operational value (network planning, asset management, route optimization) rather than being a purely cartographic support function. If you’re optimizing for compensation specifically, targeting one of these industries matters more than optimizing job title alone.
International Comparison
GIS analyst compensation varies dramatically by country, and not always in the direction cost-of-living differences alone would predict:
| Country | Reported average (local currency) | Approx. USD | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $62,000–$75,000 | $62,000–$75,000 | Wide range by source, state, and seniority |
| Canada | CAD $72,600–$90,900 | ~$53,000–$67,000 | Higher-reporting sources skew toward senior/specialist roles |
| United Kingdom | £36,300 | ~$46,000 | Lower than US/Canada in absolute terms |
| Germany | €47,000–€65,700 | ~$50,000–$70,000 | Meaningful variance between data sources — verify against local job postings |
| Australia | AU$73,000–$150,000 | ~$48,000–$99,000 | Recruitment-agency figures skew toward senior/specialist and contract roles; general survey averages are notably lower |
| India | ₹362,000 (median) | ~$4,300 | Purchasing power differs enormously from nominal USD comparison; senior roles reach ₹900,000+ (~$10,800) |
A few things worth flagging in this table rather than taking the numbers at face value: the Australian figures show unusually wide variance between sources — a general salary-survey average sits far below a specialist recruitment agency’s reported range, which typically reflects senior, contract, or security-cleared government roles rather than the median analyst position. India’s nominal figures look dramatically lower than Western markets, but local purchasing power and cost of living differ enough that a direct USD conversion understates the real standard of living the salary supports.
What Actually Moves an Analyst from the Bottom to the Top of This Range
Across every country in this comparison, the same pattern recurs — matching what we’ve covered in our articles on geomatics career paths in the US and Spain: the base GIS analyst title sets a floor, and a specific added skill set sets the ceiling.
- Programming and automation (Python, SQL, PostGIS). An analyst who can automate a repetitive spatial-data workflow, rather than performing it manually in a desktop GIS client, is functionally doing a more valuable job than the title alone implies, and compensation data across sources reflects that gap consistently.
- Remote sensing and imagery analysis. Analysts working with satellite and aerial imagery — particularly in environmental monitoring, agriculture, or defense-adjacent work — post higher averages than analysts doing purely vector-data cartographic work.
- Industry choice. As the Glassdoor industry breakdown shows directly, the same job title pays meaningfully more in telecommunications, energy, or logistics than in sectors where GIS is a purely supporting function.
- Pairing GIS with an existing technical credential. This is the same pattern our geomatics career-outcomes coverage found repeatedly: a GIS skill set combined with civil engineering, surveying licensure, or a data-science background consistently out-earns either skill set alone.
- Seniority progression is real and substantial. The jump from a GIS Analyst I to a GIS Analyst IV/V role in the US data represents close to a doubling of base compensation — this isn’t a title change alone, it reflects genuinely different levels of technical independence and project ownership.
Final Verdict
There’s no single honest answer to «what does a GIS analyst make» — the real answer is a range shaped by seniority level, country, industry, and specifically which technical skills sit on top of the base GIS title. In the US, expect roughly $55,000–$75,000 entering the field, climbing toward $100,000+ with genuine seniority, programming skills, or a specialization in a high-paying industry vertical. Internationally, expect the US and Canada to sit at the higher end of nominal compensation, the UK somewhat lower, and figures from lower-cost-of-living countries like India to look dramatically different in nominal terms without necessarily reflecting a proportionally different standard of living.
If you’re planning a career around this data rather than just checking a current number, the actionable takeaway is consistent across every market in this comparison: build programming and remote-sensing skills specifically, and target an industry where geospatial data drives operational decisions rather than supporting cartographic output — that combination, not the job title alone, is what separates the bottom and top of this range.
Curious how this compares to the surveying and geomatics engineering career path specifically? Our guide to geomatics and surveying careers in the US breaks down the licensure-track alternative in detail.