Meteorologist Salary With Masters Degree

Meteorologist Salary With Masters Degree

If you are interested in becoming a meteorologist, there are several factors that you will need to consider. The most important factor is your education level. You can become a meteorologist by completing a bachelor’s or master’s degree program at a university or college. However, if you have a bachelor’s degree, you may have an easier time getting hired as a meteorologist than if you only have an associate degree.

A Meteorologist Salary With Masters Degree

The average salary for someone with a master’s degree in meteorology is around $63,000 per year. However, this number can vary depending on the type of employer and location where they live. For example, those who work at universities tend to earn more than those who work for local television stations because universities often pay higher salaries than television stations do.

Meteorologists with less than five years of experience typically earn between $50,000 and $60,000 each year while those with over ten years experience tend to earn between $75,000 and $100,000 per year on average.

Meteorologist Salary With Masters Degree

The general public is most familiar with meteorologists as weather personalities on television and radio. However, most meteorologists work in other industries, such as scientific services, government and academia. The minimum job requirement is a bachelor’s degree in meteorology, including challenging classes, such as physics and multivariable calculus. Research and teaching positions require at least a master’s degree and usually require a doctorate. In return for their rigorous training, meteorologists earn high average salaries.

Covering the Range

Meteorologists, also called atmospheric scientists, are a small group, numbering only 10,190 nationwide as of 2012, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Partly as a reflection of their different education levels, their salaries cover a wide range. Meteorologists reported an average annual income of $90,010 in 2012, but the lowest-paid 10 percent received $49,120 per year or less. The top-earning 10 percent earned $134,730 annually or higher. This BLS job category also includes space scientists because they collect weather data by means of satellites and air stations.

Working for Government or Research

The federal government employed 3,020 meteorologists at an average annual pay of $96,990 in 2012, according to the BLS. This was the most jobs and the second-highest pay for meteorologists of any industry. The second-largest employer for the profession was scientific research and development, which had 2,010 meteorologists at an average salary of $96,460. Most meteorologists are full-time employees, and weekend, night and overtime work is common.

Working in Other Industries

The third-largest industry for meteorologist jobs in 2012 was colleges and universities, which employed 1,690 workers at an average annual pay of $87,970, the BLS reports. Professional, scientific, and technical services came in fourth place for jobs and employed 1,630 professionals at average annual salaries of $73,150. Radio and television broadcasting was a relatively minor employer, having only 840 meteorologists in 2012. Media jobs paid an average annual income of $83,070. The highest-paying industry for meteorologists was architectural and engineering services, which had only 190 jobs but paid an average of $101,310 annually.

Locating Higher Pay

Annual salaries for meteorologists also vary by location. In 2012, New Jersey reported the highest average wages of any state — $111,120 annually — but it had only 100 jobs, according to the BLS. Colorado had the second-highest pay of $103,630 annually on average and the most positions, a total of 1,580. California came third for pay, at average annual wages of $98,450, and reported,1,030 jobs, the second-highest number. In contrast, Texas had the lowest pay among states with more than 600 positions. Texas reported 610 meteorologist jobs at average annual wages of $74,950.

Forecasting Job Outlook

The BLS estimates that the number of jobs for meteorologists and atmospheric scientists will increase 10 percent between 2012 and 2022, compared to 11 percent for the average of all jobs. A large number of graduates from degree programs in meteorology will make the job competitive. Although the job search will be particularly difficult in academia and government, private industry will likely offer the best prospects. You can improve your chances of finding work by complete a master’s degree or doctorate in the field.