Remote Sensing Scientist
Science
Apply remote sensing principles and methods to analyze data and solve problems in areas such as natural resource management, urban planning, or homeland security. May develop new sensor systems, analytical techniques, or new applications for existing systems.
Picture the job
Where you'd usually workA data and analysis desk
- Mostly indoors
- Sitting for most of the day
- Rarely dealing with the public
- Regular working hours
An illustration of a typical workplace, not a photo. The work-style notes come from US O*NET data, so read them as a guide.
In Malaysia
The main remote-sensing employer in Malaysia is the Malaysian Space Agency (MYSA), which grew out of the national remote sensing centre and supplies satellite imagery to agencies and researchers. Other work is in JUPEM mapping, plantation and forestry monitoring, and GIS consultancies; titles are usually 'GIS/Remote Sensing Analyst' or 'Research Officer'.
- How people get into it here
- SPM → Foundation/Matriculation (science) → Bachelor's in Geoinformatics/Geomatic Engineering, Remote Sensing, Forestry, Geography or Physics (e.g. UTM geoinformation) → GIS/remote sensing analyst or research officer; Master's common for research posts
- Government post
- Pegawai Penyelidik at Agensi Angkasa Malaysia (MYSA) – advertised as Gred Q41 (now Q9 under SSPA); figure is the SSPA grade 9 salary-scale minimum · starts at RM2,250 a month
Sources:mysa.gov.mybanyakjawatan.mykerjaya.codocs.jpa.gov.my
Pay in Malaysia
We don't have a sourced Malaysian salary range for this job yet, and we'd rather show nothing than a number we can't stand behind.
Where to check:
- JobStreet and Hiredly job ads for this title
- DOSM Salaries & Wages Survey
- SSPA scheme tables, if you're aiming for a government post
How far is this from you?
Roughly how much preparation this job usually takes. In Malaysia your UPU route and the programme's syarat still decide entry, so treat this as a guide, not a gate.
1
Entry straight after SPM
2
SPM + sijil / short TVET course
3
Diploma / TVET (sijil–diploma)
Typical entry
Degree (ijazah sarjana muda)
5
Postgrad (sarjana / PhD) or professional route
How to get here
Post-SPM pathways with programmes in this career's fields. Tap one to see real programmes and entry requirements.
Matriculation
One or two years, heavily subsidised with allowance. Competitive, quota-based entry.
Asasi / Foundation
One-year runway into a specific university: public via UPU or private direct entry.
Check what you may qualify for
Enter your SPM grades and see which routes and programmes you may qualify for. An estimate to plan with, not an offer.
Quick answers
How do you become a Remote Sensing Scientist in Malaysia?
SPM → Foundation/Matriculation (science) → Bachelor's in Geoinformatics/Geomatic Engineering, Remote Sensing, Forestry, Geography or Physics (e.g. UTM geoinformation) → GIS/remote sensing analyst or research officer; Master's common for research posts.
What should I study to become a Remote Sensing Scientist?
Related fields of study: Science and Data Science. SPM subjects that help most: Geography, Computer Science / ICT, Electrical & Electronic Eng. Studies and Additional Mathematics.
How much does a Remote Sensing Scientist earn in Malaysia?
We don't yet have a Malaysian source we can cite for Remote Sensing Scientist pay, so we show no figure.
What you'd do all day
The tasks that matter most in this job, most important first.
Also known as
What this job is called on JobStreet, LinkedIn and in job ads. Search these too.
Subjects that matter here
The SPM subjects worth your effort for this career, with the reason for each.
What you'd need to know
The subject areas this job leans on most, and the SPM subjects that build them.
- Geography97%
Geography
- Computers and Electronics84%
Computer Science / ICTElectrical & Electronic Eng. Studies
- Mathematics84%
Additional MathematicsMathematics
- Engineering and Technology78%
PhysicsAdditional MathematicsDesign & Technology (RBT)
- English Language74%
English
- Physics70%
Physics
Tools you'd use
Software and equipment that show up in this job, worth learning early.
What the work feels like
Day-to-day working conditions, so you can tell whether the job suits how you like to work.
- Face-to-face discussionsOften
- Contact with other peopleContact most of the time
- Dealing with customers or the publicA little
- Handling conflict situationsRarely
- Indoors, air-conditionedEvery day
- Outdoors, in all weatherRarely
- Noisy environmentAlmost never
- Time spent sittingAlmost all the time
Where this job is heading
Newer tasks O*NET has flagged for this occupation, a hint at how the role is changing.
- Develop protocols and procedures for planning and executing drone-based remote sensing missions to ensure they comply with standards and requirements.
AI and demand for this job
A few real, dated data points, not a single score. AI making some tasks faster usually means a job changes, not that it disappears.
Share of everyday tasks today's AI can already help with (2023)
This estimate is from 2023, already out of date, since AI moves fast. Treat it as a rough, aging starting point, not the current picture.
Of Malaysian Claude conversations, about this kind of work
Measures how much people use Claude for this work, not how many Malaysians do this job, and more AI use can mean people relying on it, not that it's replacing them.
What beginner adverts asked for
We read 54 internship and fresh-graduate adverts in related fields (August 2026). A small sample from one job site, not every vacancy.
26 of 54 were internships
Allowance or pay, when stated
RM1,150 – RM3,500
23 of 54 adverts printed an amount: usually between RM1,150 and RM3,500 a month. Many print none.
Minimum CGPA asked
3.00 to 3.50
Stated in 6 adverts. Others did not state one.
Languages named
Bahasa Malaysia, Mandarin
An empty line means the adverts did not say, not that employers have no requirement. Check each employer's own advert before you plan around it.
Related careers
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About this information
This describes what the job involves. Pay, demand and entry routes differ in Malaysia, so check the Pathways and Programmes pages for local requirements.
O*NET occupation: Remote Sensing Scientists and Technologists
Job responsibilities, knowledge areas and work context from O*NET 30.3, US Department of Labor, used under CC BY 4.0. onetcenter.org