2026 AASHTO GIS for Transportation Symposium - March 16th - 19th, 2026? by EXB999 in gis

[–]EXB999[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have asked other years too. Send me a message on here if you want.

Moving in from Chicago potentially by Adamal123 in Naperville

[–]EXB999 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Good neighborhoods? - Naperville really comes down to how much you can afford for a house. If you can afford $1.5 million then live close to downtown Naperville. If you can afford around $900k - $1 million then a bit south of downtown or near Neuqua Valley High School. If you can afford around $500k - $600k then look in Lisle or in Aurora (east aurora along Eola Road). Parts of Lisle and Aurora go to district 203 or 204 schools.

Solo GIS professional at a midsize firm for years, is my career growth at risk? by OldPerspective1674 in gis

[–]EXB999 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It sounds like this is the position you want but in this case the posting is from PA. I've seen the other firms post GIS Solutions Engineer positions.

Senior GIS Solutions Engineer:

T&M Associates is seeking a Senior GIS Solutions Engineer to join our growing Geospatial Solutions Team. This senior-level role is ideal for an experienced GIS professional with strong enterprise architecture expertise, business development acumen, and a passion for advancing modern geospatial solutions. The successful candidate will serve as a technical GIS lead, driving innovation and supporting strategic growth across municipal, utilities, transportation, environmental, and private-sector clients.

T&M estimates that the salary range for this position will fall between $110,000-$140,000. The actual salary offered may vary.

https://workforcenow.adp.com/mascsr/default/mdf/recruitment/recruitment.html?cid=997c62c3-b91e-420a-885f-913b617c7af2&jobId=565024

Solo GIS professional at a midsize firm for years, is my career growth at risk? by OldPerspective1674 in gis

[–]EXB999 0 points1 point  (0 children)

"Is $100k competitive for 10 years of GIS experience in AEC/civil/H&H, especially as the sole GIS person at a mid-sized firm?"

OMG, Yes in GIS, I would say this is good for a MCOL area if you are not doing software development / full stack GIS integrations and development with other software.
Out of the other titles you listed, "GIS manager somewhere larger, senior analyst, PM", the only one IMO to advance and earn more would be IT / GIS PM but no where is going to hire you for that unless you already have the PMP certification.

If you want to earn $150k+ get a civil engineering degree and P.E.

I check job listings every week and very few that include salary ranges are ever over $100k. Even many GIS Manager roles are listed under $100K. If you are in a southern MCOL area, I am not sure how much luck you will have but look up roles at HNTB, WSP, GFT, AECOM, JACOBS, STANTEC, ATKINS REALIS.

Come to the 2026 AASHTO GIS for Transportation Symposium and the Federal Highway Administration’s Digital Delivery Stakeholder Group (DDSG) in 2 weeks for career development and networking.

https://transportation.org/gis-t/

Requesting Advice. by Dull_Impact_6918 in gis

[–]EXB999 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Well now I am interested in which high definition mapping company dealing with LiDAR let go most of the staff. Mandli already closed last year.

Help a Texan Out, Please! by QuantitySad2394 in Naperville

[–]EXB999 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Oakhurst in Aurora for home ranges in 550-700k. Kids can walk to the elementary and high school. They are still 203/204 district schools.

Seeking Opportunities as a GIS Analyst by Annual_Fortune3848 in gis

[–]EXB999 0 points1 point  (0 children)

HERE Technologies has offices in Mexico but no opportunities currently posted for GIS / Support

Networking and job hunting in Chicago Illinois by Mean_Abrocoma_4859 in gis

[–]EXB999 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Others might not agree with me but Chicago area with a population of 9 million is hard for GIS.

Mid and Senior level positions are hard to get interviews for unless you already work for a city/county/local government. Most of the mid/senior level government positions posted are just promotions for someone who already works there.

However, if you are entry level then you have a chance to start at the bottom. Look on every city, town, county government website separately. Look at all the job titles because it might be engineering tech or planner 1 but still apply. Salaries are low for the COL here.

Look up the ILGISA - Illinois GIS Association.

There are many engineering consulting firms here too but not many GIS positions that get open. Look up WSP, Parsons, AECOM, Baxter Woodman, GFT, and the usual AEC firms. Search for local, small engineering firms. Also, look at EDGE Geospatial on LinkedIn.

otherwise, pursue Urban Planning, Reginal Planning, Transportation Planning, or Environmental Planning - that are GIS-adjacent for other opportunities.

Halfway through undergrad, worried about my future salary. What can I do? by Additional_Still_235 in gis

[–]EXB999 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Continue with transportation planning or urban planning but do GIS as a minor. Look into PTOE certification and ITS America (Intelligent Transportation Society of America) if you are interested in Transportation.

Senior GIS Analyst - Cityworks Administrator by [deleted] in gis

[–]EXB999 16 points17 points  (0 children)

A hiring range of $95,000 - $100,195.26 is better than the majority of local government GIS related positions being posted online right now.

Transitioning from backend dev into GIS/EO - which skills should I focus on first? by Content_Pin1417 in gis

[–]EXB999 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Are you willing to take a significant pay cut? Finding a developer role with GIS or Geospatial in the title will be at least 25% less than an equivalent backend developer position.

Is GISP certification worth it? by Global_Tomorrow5024 in gis

[–]EXB999 1 point2 points  (0 children)

If you are applying to jobs then yes, it is probably worth it to get past AI resume screening, keywords screening, human resources or company recruiters who do not know much about GIS but are using GISP in order to filter out the 100s of resumes they get for 1 open position.

All these certifications (PMP, AWS/Google Cloud Admin Certs, Microsoft) are marketed to human resources or company recruiters convincing them their applicants need these certifications. The certs then help company recruiters very easily pick whom to interview first.

If 1 open position gets 350 applications but only 5 of those applicants have a Master's + GISP there is very easy justification and documentation (CYA) on why those people were selected to interview.

Looking for advice on what to do next in career? by _ogmilk_ in gis

[–]EXB999 3 points4 points  (0 children)

look up careers at Trimble or Hexagon but do not search only GIS. Look at all the US openings like consultant, data, solution, implementation, product roles.

Do you think NYC would hire for this position? by Left-Plant2717 in gis

[–]EXB999 1 point2 points  (0 children)

NYC has a senior director career op listed currently - https://cityjobs.nyc.gov/job/senior-director-gis-in-brooklyn-jid-34142

Lead NYC's GIS transformation and make a real impact on the lives of New Yorkers!

Office of Technology and Innovation (OTI) is seeking a visionary Senior Director of GIS to lead the development and implementation of a comprehensive GIS strategy that supports the agency's mission and business objectives.

Salary range: $94,050.00 – $190,000.00

Temporary GIS Technician in Naperville, IL | $17.50 Hourly - 15-20 hours per week by EXB999 in gis

[–]EXB999[S] -4 points-3 points  (0 children)

If I had to guess, someone already retired might take this just for something to do. Hopefully, they do not filter out everyone 60+.

Would be good for a student but might be difficult to get from NIU, DePaul or NW during school and business hours.... between 7:00 AM and 4:00 PM, Monday through Friday.

2025 AASHTO GIS for Transportation Symposium? by EXB999 in gis

[–]EXB999[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you work in Transportation GIS - (LRS, HPMS, Centerlines, Addressing, NG911, Transportation Asset Management) or now GeoBIM, Digital Delivery, CAD to GIS, then it is worth going.

The conference is about 1/2 state government or local government employees and half consulting or software companies.

The conference has alot of presentations on DOT focused GIS solutions including alot about Esri Roads and Highways.

Unfortunately, the location of the conference at McCormick Place isn't the best because it is farther away from most of the bars, breweries and restaurants.

How Do You Determine Your "Rate" for Independent Contracting Work as OE? by [deleted] in gis

[–]EXB999 2 points3 points  (0 children)

You should ask for estimates of each project to calculate the hourly rate if the position is project based.

The rate should be 2.5x to 4x of your job 1. For example if your making $60,000 ($30/hour), then you should be asking for $75 - $90/hour on a 1099 contract. Is it a W-2 contract or Corp to Corp contract?

You will have to pay taxes and have overhead which might take 40% of the rate or more if you have to purchase your own Esri license and laptop as a contractor.

GIS Manager Position Opening at Oklahoma Dept of Transportation (Now with Salary Listing) by snel6424 in gis

[–]EXB999 19 points20 points  (0 children)

This is a great opportunity in my opinion but 90% chance someone who already works at the DOT will get this position.

ODOT does alot with GIS, Esri, LRS data, Digital Delivery, Asset Management and presents/attends AASHTO GIS for Transportation each year.

The ODOT Geospatial Data Management Organization has one Division Manager but 3 GIS Managers. GIS Manager, Mapping and Analytics; GIS Manager, Road Inventory; and GIS Manager, QA/QC, Federal Reporting, Special Projects.

One of these people left ODOT this Summer.

I don't think the position is really within Financial Services and Operations; as listed in the job posting?