The Average Meteorology Salary
Not all meteorologists appear on the nightly news to predict the weather. Atmospheric scientists study the effect of atmospheric conditions on the environment, and while many meteorologists lend their services to weather agencies, others study more long-term conditions in an attempt to predict monthly and yearly weather patterns. Your level of education and experience factors heavily into how much you earn as a meteorologist.
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Experience and Education
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Meteorologists working in the military are often trained on the job, but if you want to work for the government or a nongovernment facility, a bachelor's degree is often the minimum educational requirement. Candidates without experience beyond a completed bachelor's degree can expect to start out on the low end of the pay scale, which ranges from $27,000 to $48,000 per year, as of December 2010, according to Payscale. Five to nine years experience in the field can increase your earnings to $38,502 to $69,288 per year.
Earnings by State
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The availability of employment in the field of meteorology varies from state to state, as do the earning levels. The District of Columbia has the highest earning potential for candidates in the United States, with the average meteorologist earning approximately $54.84 per hour and $114,070 per year. However, the number of employed meteorologists in Washington, D.C., is low, with only approximately 70 people in that field. Residents living in Alaska fall on the lower end of the pay scale, earning around $33.12 per hour and $68,890 per year. There are twice as many people employed in the field of atmospheric sciences in Alaska.
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Median Earnings
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When the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) factors the average earnings for meteorologists, it takes into consideration the earnings from every state and divides them by the overall number of people employed in that field. In May of 2008, the median salary was around $81,290 per year. The top 10 percent earned $127,100 and above, while the lowest 10 percent earned approximately $38,990 per year.
Government Employment
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Candidates employed by federal and state government agencies have higher earning potential than those employed by private organizations. According to the BLS, meteorologists employed by the federal government earned approximately $94,000 per year as of March 2009.
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