🌦️
Federal Government
NOAA, NASA, National Weather Service
Atmospheric and Space Scientists
Atmospheric and space scientists study the atmosphere, climate, and related data to understand how weather and long-term patterns change. The work is a mix of coding, research, and public communication: one day you may be running climate models, and the next you may be explaining a severe-weather risk to nonexperts. The main tradeoff is that the job is highly analytical and specialized, but the labor market is small and the best opportunities often require advanced training.
Also known as MeteorologistAtmospheric ScientistClimatologistResearch MeteorologistWeather Scientist
Median Salary
$97,450
Mean $103,980
U.S. Workforce
~9K
0.7K openings per year
10-Year Growth
+0.7%
9.4K to 9.5K
Entry Education
Bachelor's degree
+ None experience
What This Role Looks Like in Practice
Atmospheric and Space Scientists sits in the Science category. In practical terms, this role combines day-to-day execution, cross-team coordination, and consistent decision-making under real business constraints.
U.S. employment is currently about ~9K workers, with a median annual pay of $97,450 and roughly 0.7K openings each year. Based on BLS projections, total employment is expected to grow from 9.4 K in 2024 to 9.5K in 2034.
Most hiring paths start with Bachelor's degree in meteorology, atmospheric science, or a related field, and employers typically expect none of related experience. Many careers in this track begin around Entry-level research assistant and can progress toward Senior atmospheric scientist. High-value skills usually include Reading Technical Reports and Research Papers, Science and Applied Atmospheric Knowledge, and Python, R & MATLAB, paired with soft skills such as Active Learning, Active Listening, and Critical Thinking.
Core Responsibilities
- Clean up weather and climate data, then use statistical models to look for patterns.
- Compare past temperature, rainfall, and storm records to help estimate what may happen next.
- Study how the atmosphere behaves and how issues like warming, pollution, and ozone loss affect it.
- Turn model results into forecasts, warnings, or plain-language updates for the public and the media.
Keep exploring: more Science careers or browse all job titles.
A Day in the Life
01 Clean up weather and climate data, then use statistical models to look for patterns.
02 Compare past temperature, rainfall, and storm records to help estimate what may happen next.
03 Study how the atmosphere behaves and how issues like warming, pollution, and ozone loss affect it.
04 Turn model results into forecasts, warnings, or plain-language updates for the public and the media.
05 Work with government offices, researchers, and emergency teams to interpret data and coordinate alerts.
06 Write scripts, databases, and training materials that help collect, store, and explain weather information.
Industries That Hire
🚀
Aerospace and Defense
Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon
📺
Broadcasting and Media
The Weather Channel, AccuWeather, NBC News
🎓
Higher Education and Research
MIT, Penn State, University of Oklahoma
🌎
Environmental Consulting and Engineering
AECOM, WSP, Tetra Tech
⚡
Energy and Utilities
ExxonMobil, Duke Energy, National Grid
Pros and Cons
Advantages
+
Pay is strong for a science career, with a mean annual wage of $103,980 and a median of $97,450.
+
The usual entry point is a bachelor's degree, and BLS lists no work experience or on-the-job training as typical requirements.
+
The job mixes coding, data analysis, and communication, so the work stays varied instead of becoming purely routine.
+
Your work can directly support severe-weather warnings, climate research, and public safety decisions.
+
Skills transfer across government, media, consulting, and research settings, which gives you more than one place to work.
Challenges
-
The field is small, with only 8,780 jobs now and just 0.7K annual openings, so competition can be tight.
-
Growth is almost flat at 0.7% from 2024 to 2034, which means the occupation is not expanding much.
-
A bachelor's degree gets you in, but many employers still favor a master's or PhD for stronger research and modeling roles.
-
Routine forecasting and data handling are increasingly automated, so people who cannot code or interpret model output may get boxed out.
-
Some jobs depend on government budgets, grants, or media schedules, and severe-weather roles can require nights, weekends, and fast turnaround under pressure.
Career Progression
Entry-level research assistant
0-2 years
$55K-$72K
Helps gather weather data, run basic analyses, and support senior scientists with reports and model checks.
Atmospheric science analyst
2-5 years
$73K-$94K
Builds forecasts, interprets climate records, and turns messy data into usable findings for teams or clients.
Atmospheric and space scientist THIS ROLE
5-10 years
$95K-$125K
Leads research or forecasting work, develops models, and explains results to agencies, media, or internal decision-makers.
Senior atmospheric scientist
10+ years
$126K-$160K
Oversees major research or forecasting efforts, mentors junior staff, and helps set methods and priorities.
Education Paths
Bachelor's degree in meteorology, atmospheric science, or a related field
This is the most common entry point, held by 60% of workers in this role.
Master's degree in atmospheric science, climate science, or weather modeling
A common path for research-heavy or modeling-focused jobs, held by 20% of workers in this role.
Doctoral degree
A more advanced route for research, leadership, or university work, held by 15% of workers in this role.
Professional certification or specialized training in forecasting, GIS, or scientific programming
A non-degree option that can strengthen an application for applied forecasting, media, or data-heavy roles.
Key Skills
Technical
Reading Technical Reports and Research Papers 78%
Science and Applied Atmospheric Knowledge 75%
Python, R & MATLAB 74%
Numerical Weather Prediction Models (WRF, GFS, ECMWF) 73%
GIS, ArcGIS & QGIS 72%
Statistical Analysis & Data Visualization (Excel, SAS, Tableau) 72%
Complex Problem Solving 72%
NOAA/NCEI Data, netCDF & GRIB Tools 71%
Weather Radar & Satellite Data Systems 70%
Soft Skills
Active LearningActive ListeningCritical ThinkingSpeakingWritingAttention to Detail Job Outlook and Trends
+0.7%
Projected growth (2024-2034)
0.7K
Annual job openings
Employment is projected to rise from 9.4K to 9.5 K over the next decade, representing 0.7% growth. Around 0.7 K openings per year include both newly created roles and replacement hiring from turnover.
Remote availability is currently Limited. Demand remains strongest where employers need practical domain knowledge plus modern workflow and data skills.