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Lidar Operator Jobs in Colorado (NOW HIRING)

IPL (Indiana)

Engineer, Performance

Louisville, CO

Support the transition from projects under construction to operating assets. * Troubleshoot systems ... Utilize technology such as drones, LiDAR, thermal imaging, and 3D modeling to reduce field labor ...

Anduril Industries

Senior Systems Engineer

Boulder, CO · On-site

$143K - $191K/yr

Anduril's family of systems is powered by Lattice OS, an AI-powered operating system that turns ... Lidar, or high-precision pointing systems. * Development-to-Production Experience: Direct ...

Anduril Industries

Senior Systems Engineer

Boulder, CO · On-site

$143K - $191K/yr

Anduril's family of systems is powered by Lattice OS, an AI-powered operating system that turns ... Lidar, or high-precision pointing systems. * Development-to-Production Experience: Direct ...

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Lidar Operator information

See Colorado salary details

$11

$24

$38

How much do lidar operator jobs pay per hour?

As of Aug 10, 2026, the average hourly pay for lidar operator in Colorado is $24.23, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $18.94 and $22.98 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

How to become a Lidar Operator?

To become a Lidar Operator, individuals typically need a high school diploma or equivalent, along with technical training or certification in lidar technology, surveying, or GIS. Experience with data collection, processing software, and operating lidar equipment is important, and some roles may require knowledge of GPS and mapping tools. On-the-job training is common, and safety procedures must be followed in field environments.

What skills and qualifications are needed to be a lidar operator?

To thrive as a Lidar Operator, you need strong spatial awareness, attention to detail, and experience with surveying or geospatial data collection, typically supported by relevant training or certifications in Lidar technology or geomatics. Proficiency with Lidar hardware, GPS systems, 3D mapping software, and data processing tools such as TerraScan or Global Mapper is essential. Being dependable, having good communication skills, and working well both independently and within field teams will help you excel in project-based environments. These abilities are vital for ensuring accurate data collection, safe field operations, and effective collaboration on complex mapping or surveying projects.

What does a lidar operator do?

A typical day for a Lidar Operator often includes preparing equipment, conducting field surveys—sometimes in challenging weather or terrain—and capturing high-precision 3D data. After fieldwork, you may spend time processing and analyzing the collected data on a computer, ensuring its accuracy and completeness. Collaboration with survey managers, GIS teams, and project coordinators is common to integrate Lidar data into larger mapping or engineering efforts. The work strikes a balance between hands-on field activities and technical data analysis, offering variety and opportunities for skill development.

What is a lidar operator?

A Lidar Operator is responsible for using Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) technology to collect high-resolution spatial data for mapping and surveying purposes. They operate specialized equipment mounted on vehicles, drones, or aircraft to scan terrain, structures, and vegetation. Their duties include setting up and calibrating sensors, ensuring data accuracy, processing raw LiDAR data, and troubleshooting technical issues. Lidar Operators work in industries like geospatial mapping, construction, forestry, and infrastructure development. Strong technical skills, attention to detail, and familiarity with GIS software are essential for this role.

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Lidar Operator jobs near you
Infographic showing various Lidar Operator job openings in Colorado as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 47% Full Time, 51% Part Time, 1% Contract, and 1% Nights. Highlights an 99% Physical, and 1% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $50,399 per year, or $24.2 per hour.

Senior GNC Engineer - Navigation & Estimation

Approach Venture LLC

Denver, CO • On-site

$120K - $160K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, PTO

Posted 19 days ago

Job description

Senior GNC Engineer - Develop Autonomous Navigation & Sensor Fusion for Next-Generation Spacecraft
Denver, Colorado | On-site
Opportunity Summary
Join a venture-backed aerospace company developing advanced spacecraft platforms designed to enable the next generation of autonomous in-space operations. As the company progresses from prototype development toward flight-qualified systems, this role will lead the design and implementation of the navigation algorithms that allow spacecraft to accurately determine their position, orientation, and motion while operating in dynamic orbital environments. As a Senior GNC Engineer, you will own the development of flight-critical navigation and state estimation software supporting autonomous rendezvous, proximity operations, docking, and long-term orbital navigation. Working alongside controls, perception, avionics, embedded software, and systems engineering teams, you'll transform complex sensor data into reliable vehicle state information while helping define the navigation architecture for future spacecraft. This is a highly technical role with significant ownership, offering the opportunity to influence both flight software and overall vehicle performance from concept through on-orbit operations.
About Us
We are an early-stage aerospace company building advanced spacecraft technologies for future commercial and government space missions. Our multidisciplinary engineering team develops tightly integrated hardware, software, and autonomous systems that solve complex challenges in spacecraft mobility, guidance, and in-space operations. Engineers work across disciplines, take ownership of critical systems, and play a direct role in moving products from early design through flight.
Job Duties
  • Lead the development of spacecraft navigation and state estimation algorithms for autonomous flight operations.
  • Design, implement, tune, and validate Extended Kalman Filters, Unscented Kalman Filters, and other probabilistic estimation techniques.
  • Develop relative navigation algorithms supporting rendezvous, docking, proximity operations, and formation flight.
  • Design onboard sensor fusion architectures integrating multiple navigation sensors into robust state estimates.
  • Develop measurement models and estimation techniques for optical, inertial, and ranging sensors.
  • Define navigation system accuracy requirements and allocate error budgets across sensing and estimation systems.
  • Develop orbit determination, orbital propagation, and absolute navigation algorithms supporting spacecraft operations.
  • Analyze navigation performance using simulation, hardware testing, and flight data.
  • Support hardware-in-the-loop and software-in-the-loop testing campaigns.
  • Develop analysis tools, visualization utilities, and validation software using C++ and Python.
  • Investigate navigation anomalies and improve estimator robustness throughout system development and flight operations.
  • Collaborate closely with controls, perception, avionics, embedded software, and systems engineering teams to integrate navigation capabilities into the overall flight system.
  • Participate in design reviews, technical trade studies, and system architecture decisions.

Qualifications
  • Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Physics, Applied Mathematics, Computer Science, or a related technical discipline.
  • 5+ years of professional experience developing guidance, navigation, or state estimation systems.
  • Strong software development experience using modern C++ and Python.
  • Experience designing and implementing Kalman Filters or similar sequential estimation techniques.
  • Experience developing sensor fusion algorithms for autonomous systems.
  • Strong understanding of orbital mechanics, rigid-body dynamics, coordinate transformations, and feedback control systems.
  • Experience developing algorithms that have been validated through simulation, hardware testing, or operational deployment.
  • Familiarity with software development best practices, version control, and collaborative engineering workflows.

Preferred Experience
  • Master's or PhD in Aerospace Engineering, Robotics, Computer Science, Physics, Applied Mathematics, or a related discipline.
  • Experience with spacecraft rendezvous, proximity operations, docking, or formation flying.
  • Computer vision, optical navigation, or image-based state estimation.
  • Orbit determination and high-fidelity orbital propagation.
  • Sensor modeling, calibration, and measurement processing.
  • IMUs, cameras, LiDAR, radar, magnetometers, star trackers, or other navigation sensors.
  • Statistical analysis, covariance analysis, estimator tuning, and navigation performance validation.
  • Embedded flight software development.
  • Autonomous robotics, UAVs, spacecraft, or other mission-critical autonomous systems.
  • Experience supporting flight operations or post-launch system performance analysis.

Why Join Us
  • Own the navigation architecture for a next-generation spacecraft platform.
  • Develop flight-critical autonomy from concept through operational deployment.
  • Work alongside a highly collaborative multidisciplinary engineering team.
  • Significant technical ownership with direct influence on product direction.
  • Competitive salary and meaningful early-stage equity opportunity.
  • Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage.
  • Life and disability insurance.
  • Paid parental leave.
  • Three weeks of paid vacation plus company holidays.

Compensation Details
$120,000 - $160,000

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