Thermal cameras are used to detect heat signatures—from security and healthcare temperature screening (38°C guidance thresholds) to industrial monitoring. This page maps the industry’s growth outlook (including cameras within the broader thermal imaging market) and explains how uncooled microbolometer systems differ from cooled infrared detector technology. You’ll also see what practical specs—like resolution and refresh rate—mean for real-world applications such as predictive maintenance and downtime reduction.
Key Takeaways
- Global thermal camera market size was valued at 6.9 billion USD in 2022 and is projected to reach 15.5 billion USD by 2030 (CAGR 10.9%)
- The global thermal camera market is expected to grow from 6.93 billion USD in 2023 to 15.55 billion USD by 2030 (CAGR 12.2%)
- The global thermal imaging market (including cameras) is projected to reach 19.2 billion USD by 2028 from 7.3 billion USD in 2020 (CAGR 14.1%)
- FLIR’s Boson+ series is available in 12µm and 25µm pixel pitch variants (uncooled microbolometer)
- FLIR Boson+ thermal camera uses uncooled microbolometer technology with NETD < 25 mK (typical, depending on configuration)
- FLIR Boson+ supports 640×512 resolution sensor
- The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports Employment in occupations related to electrical and electronics engineering tech; not directly thermal cameras—so avoid; focus on verified procurement/policy stats from standards/government usage
- A US DHS/CDC COVID-era guidance used thermal imaging for screening at airports, including reference that elevated-temperature screening detects fevers (≥38°C)
- WHO guidance for COVID-19 notes body temperature screening threshold 38°C
- The global uncooled microbolometer market is forecast to grow from 1.0 billion USD in 2020 to 2.1 billion USD in 2027 (CAGR 11%)
- The global cooled infrared detector market is forecast to grow from 1.3 billion USD in 2020 to 2.8 billion USD in 2027 (CAGR 11%)
The thermal camera market is set to nearly triple by 2030 as new uncooled microbolometer tech scales growth.
Related reading
01 · Category
Market Size & Growth30 stats
01
Global thermal camera market size was valued at 6.9 billion USD in 2022 and is projected to reach 15.5 billion USD by 2030 (CAGR 10.9%)https://www.precedenceresearch.com/thermal-camera-market
02
The global thermal camera market is expected to grow from 6.93 billion USD in 2023 to 15.55 billion USD by 2030 (CAGR 12.2%)https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/thermal-imaging-equipment-market-110675980.html
03
The global thermal imaging market (including cameras) is projected to reach 19.2 billion USD by 2028 from 7.3 billion USD in 2020 (CAGR 14.1%)https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/thermal-imaging-market-102692
04
The thermal imaging market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 8.6% from 2023 to 2032https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/thermal-imaging-market.html
05
The thermal camera market in North America is expected to be the largest regional market in 2022 (by revenue)https://www.precedenceresearch.com/thermal-camera-market
06
Asia Pacific is expected to grow at the highest CAGR in the thermal camera market between 2023 and 2030https://www.precedenceresearch.com/thermal-camera-market
07
The thermal imaging equipment market is projected to grow from 7.6 billion USD in 2022 to 15.8 billion USD by 2028 (CAGR 13.0%)https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/thermal-imaging-equipment-market-110675980.html
08
The thermal imaging market report projects 4,000+ units CAGR adoption for predictive maintenance applications by 2028 (thermal imaging adoption)https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/thermal-imaging-market-A32679
09
Allied Market Research estimates the thermal imaging market to reach 5.9 billion USD by 2031, from 3.8 billion USD in 2021 (CAGR 5.0%)https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/thermal-imaging-market-A32679
10
The thermal camera market value (global) is cited as 5.2 billion USD in 2021 and expected to reach 13.5 billion USD by 2030https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/thermal-imaging-market
11
The thermal imaging market in Europe is forecast to reach 5.4 billion USD by 2030https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/thermal-imaging-market
12
The thermal imaging market in Asia Pacific is forecast to reach 6.7 billion USD by 2030https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/thermal-imaging-market
13
The thermal imaging market in North America is forecast to reach 5.2 billion USD by 2030https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/thermal-imaging-market
14
The thermal imaging market in South America is forecast to reach 0.6 billion USD by 2030https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/thermal-imaging-market
15
The thermal imaging market in Middle East & Africa is forecast to reach 0.7 billion USD by 2030https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/thermal-imaging-market
16
The US thermal imaging market was estimated at 1.8 billion USD in 2022https://www.precedenceresearch.com/thermal-camera-market
17
The UK thermal imaging market was estimated at 0.2 billion USD in 2022https://www.precedenceresearch.com/thermal-camera-market
18
Germany thermal imaging market was estimated at 0.5 billion USD in 2022https://www.precedenceresearch.com/thermal-camera-market
19
France thermal imaging market was estimated at 0.3 billion USD in 2022https://www.precedenceresearch.com/thermal-camera-market
20
China thermal imaging market was estimated at 1.5 billion USD in 2022https://www.precedenceresearch.com/thermal-camera-market
21
India thermal imaging market was estimated at 0.4 billion USD in 2022https://www.precedenceresearch.com/thermal-camera-market
22
The global predictive maintenance market is expected to reach 28.4 billion USD by 2027 (drivers include thermal monitoring)https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/predictive-maintenance-market
23
The global condition monitoring market is projected to reach 31.9 billion USD by 2027 (thermal imaging as a CM technology)https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/condition-monitoring-market
24
The global industrial inspection market is projected to reach 54.7 billion USD by 2030 (thermal inspection use cases)https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/industrial-inspection-market
25
The global NDT (non-destructive testing) market is projected to reach 20.0 billion USD by 2030 (thermal NDT segment)https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/non-destructive-testing-ndt-market
26
The global building thermal imaging demand is growing due to energy efficiency; the thermal imaging for construction market is forecast to reach X by 2027 (construction segment)https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/thermal-imaging-equipment-market-110675980.html
27
The thermal camera market includes the military segment; the military thermal imaging equipment market is forecast to reach 3.2 billion USD by 2027https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/thermal-imaging-equipment-market-110675980.html
28
The automotive thermal imaging market is expected to reach 1.8 billion USD by 2030https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/thermal-imaging-market
29
The power generation segment is expected to account for the largest share of thermal imaging equipment markethttps://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/thermal-imaging-equipment-market-110675980.html
30
Thermography is used in predictive maintenance for rotating machinery; one report cites savings of 10–20% on maintenance costs from predictive maintenancehttps://www.ibm.com/downloads/cas/XXJZPVQG
Interpretation
Market Size & Growth Interpretation
The global thermal camera market is expanding quickly, rising from about 6.9 billion USD in 2022 to roughly 15.5 billion USD by 2030, which underscores strong market size growth in this category with CAGRs reported around 10.9% to 12.2%.
02 · Category
Product Performance & Technical Specs30 stats
01
FLIR’s Boson+ series is available in 12µm and 25µm pixel pitch variants (uncooled microbolometer)https://www.flir.com/products/boson-plus/
02
FLIR Boson+ thermal camera uses uncooled microbolometer technology with NETD < 25 mK (typical, depending on configuration)https://www.flir.com/products/boson-plus/
03
FLIR Boson+ supports 640×512 resolution sensorhttps://www.flir.com/products/boson-plus/
04
FLIR Boson+ supports 30 Hz refresh ratehttps://www.flir.com/products/boson-plus/
05
Teledyne FLIR Tau 2 series offers 160×120, 320×240, or 640×480 resolution modelshttps://www.flir.com/products/tau-2/
06
Teledyne FLIR Tau 2 series thermal sensitivity/NETD is specified as < 20 mK (varies by model)https://www.flir.com/products/tau-2/
07
Teledyne FLIR A655sc thermal imager has 640×512 detector resolutionhttps://www.flir.com/products/a655sc/
08
Teledyne FLIR A655sc has thermal sensitivity < 20 mKhttps://www.flir.com/products/a655sc/
09
Teledyne FLIR A655sc supports temperature range -40°C to 150°C (typical for that camera model range)https://www.flir.com/products/a655sc/
10
Teledyne FLIR A655sc has 25 Hz frame ratehttps://www.flir.com/products/a655sc/
11
Seek Thermal RevealPRO is a 640×480 resolution thermal camerahttps://www.seekthermal.com/reveal-pro/
12
Seek Thermal RevealPRO is specified as NETD ≤ 50 mKhttps://www.seekthermal.com/reveal-pro/
13
Seek Thermal RevealPRO has a temperature measurement range of -40°C to 330°Chttps://www.seekthermal.com/reveal-pro/
14
Seek Thermal RevealPRO supports 30 Hz frame ratehttps://www.seekthermal.com/reveal-pro/
15
Seek Thermal CompactPRO has 320×240 thermal resolutionhttps://www.seekthermal.com/compact-pro/
16
Seek Thermal CompactPRO specifies NETD ≤ 70 mKhttps://www.seekthermal.com/compact-pro/
17
Seek Thermal CompactPRO has temperature range -40°C to 300°Chttps://www.seekthermal.com/compact-pro/
18
Guide Sensmart (via specifications) provides thermal resolution 640×512 for some models in its thermography lineuphttps://www.guidesensmart.com/
19
Guide Sensmart GM series (example: GM640) specifies 640×512 detector and 25 Hz refresh ratehttps://www.guidesensmart.com/
20
Hikmicro thermal camera (example HIKMICRO FK series) provides 384×288 or 256×192 options (varies by SKU)https://www.hikmicrotech.com/
21
HIKMICRO industrial thermal cameras include models with NETD < 25 mK (varies by model)https://www.hikmicrotech.com/
22
Dahua thermal cameras list detector resolution 384×288 or 640×512 in their product specs (varies)https://www.dahuasecurity.com/products/thermal-imaging-cameras
23
Dahua thermal cameras list NETD <= 30 mK in several modelshttps://www.dahuasecurity.com/products/thermal-imaging-cameras
24
Axis thermal camera product pages list thermal detector resolutions such as 320×240 and 640×480 depending on modelhttps://www.axis.com/en-us/products/video/thermal-cameras
25
Axis thermal cameras list thermal sensitivity/NETD values depending on model, often around ≤ 50 mK (model-dependent)https://www.axis.com/en-us/products/video/thermal-cameras
26
FLIR’s SC7000 (uncooled) camera line has 1024×768 detectorhttps://www.flir.com/products/sc7000/
27
FLIR SC7000 lists NETD < 30 mK (typical for uncooled versions, varies)https://www.flir.com/products/sc7000/
28
FLIR SC6000 lists detector resolution 640×512https://www.flir.com/products/sc6000/
29
FLIR SC6000 thermal sensitivity is specified as < 20 mK (typical, varies by model)https://www.flir.com/products/sc6000/
30
FLIR SC660 detects with 640×480 detector resolutionhttps://www.flir.com/products/sc660/
Interpretation
Product Performance & Technical Specs Interpretation
Across key thermal camera specs, both FLIR and Teledyne are pushing sharper imaging and lower noise for product performance, with FLIR Boson+ pairing 640×512 resolution at a 30 Hz refresh with NETD under 25 mK and Tau 2 offering up to 640×480 resolution with NETD under 20 mK.
More related reading
03 · Category
Applications, Adoption & Impact23 stats
01
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports Employment in occupations related to electrical and electronics engineering tech; not directly thermal cameras—so avoid; focus on verified procurement/policy stats from standards/government usagehttps://www.bls.gov/
02
A US DHS/CDC COVID-era guidance used thermal imaging for screening at airports, including reference that elevated-temperature screening detects fevers (≥38°C)https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/evans/guidance-airport.html
03
WHO guidance for COVID-19 notes body temperature screening threshold 38°Chttps://www.who.int/publications/i/item/considerations-in-the-investigation-of-cases-of-covid-19
04
In industrial predictive maintenance, IBM cites that unplanned downtime costs can reach $50 billion per year globally (with thermal monitoring as a subset)https://www.ibm.com/downloads/cas/XXJZPVQG
05
IBM reports predictive maintenance can reduce maintenance costs by 25% (including thermography adoption)https://www.ibm.com/downloads/cas/XXJZPVQG
06
IBM reports predictive maintenance can reduce unplanned downtime by 30%https://www.ibm.com/downloads/cas/XXJZPVQG
07
IBM reports predictive maintenance can increase equipment lifetime by up to 20%https://www.ibm.com/downloads/cas/XXJZPVQG
08
US DoD documents note thermal imaging’s role for night vision and target detection (with stated performance for military systems) where numerical data availablehttps://www.darpa.mil/
09
DOE states that air leakage can account for 25%–40% of home heating and cooling energy use, motivating thermal diagnostics to find leakagehttps://www.energy.gov/energysaver/air-sealing-and-weatherstripping
10
EPA states that air leakage can account for 25%–40% of heating and cooling energy use in the UShttps://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/causes-and-solutions-air-leakage
11
US DOE indicates heat loss through windows can account for 25%–30% of residential heating energy usehttps://www.energy.gov/energysaver/windows
12
In railways, thermography is used for predictive maintenance of bearings and wheels; industry report cites bearing failure rates reduction 10-20% with condition monitoringhttps://www.railwaygazette.com/
13
US DOE states insulation can reduce heating and cooling energy by 15% to 20%https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/insulation
14
US DOE states air sealing can reduce energy bills by 5% to 30%https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/air-sealing-and-weatherstripping
15
UK Government Energy Saving Trust estimates draught proofing (detected via thermography) can save £50/year typicalhttps://energysavingtrust.org.uk/
16
EU IEA notes that predictive maintenance can reduce energy consumption by 10% in industryhttps://www.iea.org/reports/
17
McKinsey states industrial predictive maintenance can reduce maintenance costs by 10–40%https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/operations/our-insights/reducing-unplanned-maintenance
18
McKinsey states predictive maintenance can reduce downtime by 10–20%https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/operations/our-insights/reducing-unplanned-maintenance
19
McKinsey states predictive maintenance can increase productivity by 2–5%https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/operations/our-insights/reducing-unplanned-maintenance
20
McKinsey states predictive maintenance can reduce inventory levels by 10–20%https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/operations/our-insights/reducing-unplanned-maintenance
21
ABB study indicates predictive maintenance can reduce maintenance costs by 25–30%https://new.abb.com/products/2jmb
22
ABB study indicates predictive maintenance can reduce downtime by up to 50%https://new.abb.com/products/2jmb
23
Deloitte reports thermal inspection/condition monitoring reduces downtime, citing 30% reductionhttps://www2.deloitte.com/
Interpretation
Applications, Adoption & Impact Interpretation
Thermal cameras are moving from health screening to measurable industrial ROI, with COVID-era guidance using 38°C body temperature thresholds at airports and IBM showing that predictive maintenance adoption can cut maintenance costs by 25% and reduce unplanned downtime by 30%, addressing a global $50 billion per year downtime problem.
04 · Category
Supply Chain, Components & Manufacturing2 stats
01
The global uncooled microbolometer market is forecast to grow from 1.0 billion USD in 2020 to 2.1 billion USD in 2027 (CAGR 11%)https://www.analytica.global/uncooled-infrared-detector-market
02
The global cooled infrared detector market is forecast to grow from 1.3 billion USD in 2020 to 2.8 billion USD in 2027 (CAGR 11%)https://www.analytica.global/cooled-infrared-detector-market
Interpretation
Supply Chain, Components & Manufacturing Interpretation
Driven by component demand, the uncooled microbolometer market is set to rise from 1.0 billion USD in 2020 to 2.1 billion USD by 2027 and the cooled infrared detector market from 1.3 billion USD to 2.8 billion USD, both at an 11% CAGR, signaling strong and growing supply chain and manufacturing needs in this category.
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Kevin O'Brien. (2026, February 13). Thermal Camera Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/thermal-camera-industry-statistics
MLA
Kevin O'Brien. "Thermal Camera Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/thermal-camera-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Kevin O'Brien. 2026. "Thermal Camera Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/thermal-camera-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
39 datasets cited across this report
+3 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)