How much do meteorologists make?

Meteorologist salary 2026 · BLS occupation: Atmospheric and Space Scientists (SOC 19-2021) · Updated October 28, 2026

Answer

Meteorologists in the US earned a median of $99,070 a year ($47.63 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned $73,350 to $129,960.

Median annual pay: $99,070; Mean $106,110
Median hourly pay: $47.63; Mean $51.01
Typical range (10th–90th): $53.1K–$162K; $53,060 to $161,890
US jobs: 10,000; +2.6% projected, 2025–35

BLS OEWS, May 2025, released April 30, 2026. Wages include tips, commissions and production bonuses but not overtime premiums, shift differentials, other bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers are not included. Methodology

How to become a meteorologist: steps, years and cost · Best-paying state after cost of living: Missouri

Meteorologist pay range

Annual wages, May 2025

10th percentile$53,060
25th percentile$73,350
Median$99,070
75th percentile$129,960
90th percentile$161,890

Half of all meteorologists earned more than $99,070 and half earned less. The lowest-paid 10% made under $53,060; the top 10% made over $161,890. The middle 50%, from the 25th to the 75th percentile, ran from $73,350 to $129,960.

These percentiles describe everyone in the occupation at one time. They are not pay steps by years of experience: they mix new and senior workers, different states, employers and hours. Pay generally rises with experience, credentials and specialization, but BLS does not publish pay by experience.

Percentile	Annual	Hourly	Monthly
10th	$53,060	$25.51	$4,422
25th	$73,350	$35.26	$6,113
Median (50th)	$99,070	$47.63	$8,256
75th	$129,960	$62.48	$10,830
90th	$161,890	$77.83	$13,491
Mean (average)	$106,110	$51.01	$8,843

Meteorologist salary by state

Median annual pay; cost of living from BEA regional price parities 2024

Median annual pay for meteorologists by state. Darker tiles pay more. A dash means BLS did not publish a figure.

Highest-paying states

1. Maryland $128,800
2. California $124,920
3. Hawaii $121,010
4. New Jersey $120,180
5. Idaho $119,430

Lowest-paying states

47. New Hampshire $42,820
46. Nebraska $60,540
45. Arkansas $71,940
44. Pennsylvania $75,890
43. Oklahoma $76,480

Best after cost of living: Missouri. Its median of $114,230 is worth about $125,780 at national-average prices, more than in Maryland once prices are counted.


Alabama	$81,080	38	$91,283	32	$38.98	340	0.16
Alaska	$94,380	30	$92,205	31	$45.38	—	—
Arizona	$115,020	8	$114,247	8	$55.30	80	0.02
Arkansas	$71,940	45	$82,750	43	$34.59	—	—
California	$124,920	2	$112,825	9	$60.06	510	0.03
Colorado	$104,670	18	$101,570	26	$50.32	1,150	0.40
Connecticut	$85,110	34	$82,145	44	$40.92	50	0.03
Delaware	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
District of Columbia	$103,860	19	$94,503	30	$49.93	70	0.11
Florida	$115,960	7	$112,132	11	$55.75	270	0.03
Georgia	$96,820	26	$100,547	27	$46.55	170	0.04
Hawaii	$121,010	3	$110,058	15	$58.18	70	0.11
Idaho	$119,430	5	$125,065	2	$57.42	50	0.06
Illinois	$112,280	10	$112,327	10	$53.98	110	0.02
Indiana	$103,680	21	$111,091	12	$49.85	80	0.02
Iowa	$76,850	42	$87,566	39	$36.95	100	0.07
Kansas	$109,300	13	$121,353	4	$52.55	80	0.06
Kentucky	$103,240	22	$114,509	7	$49.63	100	0.05
Louisiana	$97,470	25	$110,501	13	$46.86	70	0.04
Maine	$103,710	20	$106,862	22	$49.86	50	0.07
Maryland	$128,800	1	$122,715	3	$61.92	750	0.27
Massachusetts	$108,050	16	$102,168	25	$51.95	—	—
Michigan	$103,210	23	$107,268	21	$49.62	150	0.04
Minnesota	$106,270	17	$107,756	20	$51.09	50	0.02
Mississippi	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Missouri	$114,230	9	$125,780	1	$54.92	160	0.05
Montana	$108,890	15	$115,051	6	$52.35	70	0.14
Nebraska	$60,540	46	$67,190	46	$29.11	160	0.16
Nevada	$109,300	14	$109,323	16	$52.55	120	0.08
New Hampshire	$42,820	47	$41,108	47	$20.59	130	0.19
New Jersey	$120,180	4	$110,454	14	$57.78	60	0.01
New Mexico	$110,070	12	$119,366	5	$52.92	60	0.07
New York	$117,540	6	$108,913	17	$56.51	370	0.04
North Carolina	$91,560	31	$97,068	29	$44.02	170	0.03
North Dakota	$91,560	32	$102,924	24	$44.02	40	0.10
Ohio	$78,580	41	$84,700	41	$37.78	160	0.03
Oklahoma	$76,480	43	$87,064	40	$36.77	420	0.24
Oregon	$112,260	11	$108,610	18	$53.97	100	0.05
Pennsylvania	$75,890	44	$77,778	45	$36.48	160	0.03
Rhode Island	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
South Carolina	$82,240	37	$87,724	37	$39.54	150	0.06
South Dakota	$78,900	40	$89,066	35	$37.93	130	0.29
Tennessee	$96,190	28	$104,702	23	$46.25	230	0.07
Texas	$84,990	35	$87,567	38	$40.86	720	0.05
Utah	$96,520	27	$97,629	28	$46.41	170	0.10
Vermont	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Virginia	$83,880	36	$82,964	42	$40.33	350	0.09
Washington	$94,400	29	$88,214	36	$45.39	190	0.05
West Virginia	$80,690	39	$90,159	34	$38.80	40	0.06
Wisconsin	$85,870	33	$91,259	33	$41.29	280	0.10
Wyoming	$99,940	24	$107,821	19	$48.05	40	0.14

BLS OEWS, May 2025, state estimates. Adjusted pay = median ÷ (state price level ÷ 100), using BEA regional price parities for 2024; it ignores taxes. Figures for states with few workers in the occupation have larger survey errors and can change sharply from one year to the next. “—” means BLS did not publish the figure (4 states). State names link to each state’s highest-paying jobs.

Best-paying metro areas for meteorologists

54 metro areas with published pay

Highest median pay
Metro area	Median	Adjusted	Jobs
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA	$151,000	$130,608	30
Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY	$134,060	$134,644	70
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN	$133,490	$128,858	50
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD	$128,800	$123,269	270
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ	$128,790	$114,416	260
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI	$127,070	$126,692	40
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI	$125,590	$119,813	30
Boise City, ID	$122,930	$124,940	30
Urban Honolulu, HI	$122,880	$110,742	70
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL	$122,700	$107,485	110

Most jobs
Metro area	Jobs	Median	Adjusted
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV	700	$117,600	$108,005
Boulder, CO	620	$121,870	$115,844
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD	270	$128,800	$123,269
Oklahoma City, OK	270	$76,480	$84,594
Anchorage, AK	260	$101,640	$96,414
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ	260	$128,790	$114,416
Fort Collins-Loveland, CO	250	$110,960	$109,722
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX	240	$88,570	$89,801
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	220	$111,790	$98,436
Huntsville, AL	180	$81,080	$87,115

BLS OEWS, May 2025, metropolitan statistical areas; adjusted with BEA metro price parities (2024).

What moves meteorologist pay: employers and settings

Employer type explains most of the range. In our data, the federal government pays a median of $122,700 and scientific research and development firms pay $127,960. By contrast, radio and television stations pay $77,990 and private consulting and technical services firms $78,610. Universities sit near the middle at $103,970. Across all private employers the median is $82,630. In this data, federal and research employers pay well above TV stations and private forecasting firms.

Location follows the employers. Maryland, home to many federal weather and climate offices, has the highest median at $128,800, followed by California at $124,920, Hawaii at $121,010, New Jersey at $120,180, and Idaho at $119,430. After living costs, Missouri comes out best at $125,780. The lowest medians are in Arkansas at $71,940, Nebraska at $60,540, and New Hampshire at $42,820.

The field has a wide spread: the 10th percentile is $53,060, and the 90th is $161,890, a gap of more than three to one. Graduate degrees open research jobs, which tend to pay more, and federal forecasters move up the General Schedule as they gain grades. The hourly median is $47.63.

Where meteorologists work
Industry	Share of jobs	Median pay
Federal Executive Branch	25.9%	$122,700
Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	18.8%	$78,610
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools	13.7%	$103,970
Scientific Research and Development Services	11.1%	$127,960
Radio and Television Broadcasting Stations	10.6%	$77,990
Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers	4.5%	$82,240

Private employers and government
Employer type	Jobs	Median pay
Private employers	5,930	$82,630
Federal government (incl. Postal Service)	2,590	$122,700
State government (incl. schools and hospitals)	1,290	$103,970
Local government (incl. schools and hospitals)	180	$111,790

BLS OEWS, May 2025, national industry-specific and ownership estimates (4-digit NAICS).

Meteorologist pay over time

Median annual pay, 2015–2025

$99.1K $89.8K

2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025

Nominal median (dollars of each year)In May 2025 dollars (adjusted with CPI-U)

The median rose from $89,820 in 2015 to $99,070 in 2025, up 10% in nominal dollars. After inflation, the 2015 median is worth $121,419 in May 2025 dollars, so real pay fell 18% over the period.

BLS OEWS, May 2025 and earlier May releases; inflation from the CPI-U, US city average, May of each year.

What meteorologists do

A meteorologist, or atmospheric scientist, studies the air above us and turns observations into forecasts, warnings and research. Most of the work happens at a computer: reading radar and satellite images, weather balloon soundings and surface reports, comparing numerical model runs and deciding which one to trust. The output can be a tornado warning, a seven-day forecast, a route briefing for an airline, an estimate of power demand for a utility, or a research paper on how hurricanes intensify.

The federal government is the largest single employer in our data, with 25.9% of jobs, mostly forecasters at National Weather Service offices around the country, including airports and remote sites. Private consulting and forecasting firms, universities, research labs and TV and radio stations employ most of the rest. Broadcast meteorologists are the visible minority; most meteorologists never appear on camera. Because weather never stops, forecast offices run around the clock, so rotating shifts, nights, holidays and long hours during storms are part of many jobs.

A typical day

Read radar, satellite, balloon and surface data to see what the atmosphere is doing now
Compare computer model runs and write forecasts for the public or a client
Issue watches and warnings when severe storms, floods or blizzards threaten
Brief airlines, utilities, emergency managers or farmers on weather that affects them
Write code to process data, run models or build forecast graphics
Present forecasts on air or online and explain the uncertainty
Research storms, climate records or air quality and publish the findings

Also called: atmospheric scientist, broadcast meteorologist, forecaster, general forecaster, hydrometeorological technician (hydrometeorological tech), ocean monitoring and data assimilation scientist, research meteorologist, service hydrologist.

How to become a meteorologist

Full guide

To become a meteorologist you need a bachelor's degree in meteorology or atmospheric science, or a related science degree with heavy meteorology, math and physics coursework. There is no license; most people start working after four years of college, and research jobs need a master's or PhD.

Typical time: 4-6 years; Fastest: 4 years
Minimum education: Bachelor's degree in meteorology or atmospheric science (or a related science degree with at least 24 semester hours of meteorology)
License: Not licensed (certification optional)
Typical training cost: $46.1K–$46.8K; See the guide for what it includes

Read the step-by-step guide to becoming a meteorologist: each step with its time and cost, education options, exams, licensing and advancement.

Is it worth it? Training cost against pay

Compare careers

Training time: 4-6 years; Typical path in our guide
Training cost: $46.1K–$46.8K; Tuition and exam fees, before aid
Median pay: $99,070; $48,090 above the all-jobs median ($50,980)
Cost vs. one year's pay: 47–47%; Training cost as a share of a year at the median

Once qualified, the pay difference over the typical US job at the median ($48,090 a year before tax) would repay the training cost in less than a year after training ends (4-6 years in our guide). This is a rough guide: it ignores taxes, financial aid, interest, earnings given up while training and how pay changes over a career. How we calculate ROI.

Job outlook for meteorologists

BLS Employment Projections 2025–35

Projected growth: +2.6%; All occupations +3.5%
Jobs in 2025: 10,700; 10,900 projected for 2035
Openings each year: 800; New jobs plus replacements
Self-employed: 1.2%; Not in the pay figures above

BLS projects jobs for atmospheric and space scientists to grow 2.6% from 2025 to 2035, from 10,700 to 10,900, a bit slower than the 3.5% for all occupations. Expect about 800 openings a year, mostly from retirements and career changes.

Two forces pull in different directions. Businesses such as shippers, airlines and energy companies want custom forecasts, which supports private-sector hiring. But a large share of meteorologists work for agencies like NOAA or on publicly funded research, so federal budgets will decide a lot of the hiring. It is a small field, so only a few hundred jobs open up in a typical year.

Related careers and their pay

Data Scientist$120,230
Hydrologists$96,600
Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers$101,920
Physical Scientists, All Other$122,570
Computer Occupations, All Other$116,580

Related occupations from O*NET 31.0; median annual pay from BLS OEWS, May 2025.

Meteorologist salary FAQ

How much do meteorologists make an hour?

The median hourly wage for meteorologists was $47.63 in May 2025. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $25.51 an hour and the highest-paid 10% more than $77.83. Hourly figures are BLS estimates for all workers in the occupation, full-time and part-time.

Which state pays meteorologists the most?

Maryland has the highest median pay for meteorologists, $128,800 a year, followed by California ($124,920) and Hawaii ($121,010). After adjusting for each state's price level, Missouri comes out ahead at about $125,780 in national-average dollars.

Do meteorologists make six figures?

Some do: based on the BLS percentiles, between 25% and 50% of meteorologists earn more than $100,000 a year. The median is $99,070, and the top 10% earn more than $161,890. Pay generally rises with experience, specialization and location.

Do TV meteorologists make more than National Weather Service forecasters?

Usually not, on our data. Radio and television stations have a median of $77,990 for atmospheric scientists, while the federal government, where National Weather Service forecasters work, has a median of $122,700. A small number of on-air meteorologists in major markets earn far more than the median, but station pay varies widely with market size.

Has meteorologist pay kept up with inflation?

No. The median rose from $89,820 in 2015 to $99,070 in 2025, but the 2015 figure is worth $121,419 in 2025 dollars. In real terms, the typical meteorologist earns less than ten years ago. Private employers, which pay less than federal and research employers in our data, hold most of the jobs.

Which states have the most meteorologist jobs?

Colorado leads with 1,150 jobs in our data. Maryland follows with 750, then Texas with 720, California with 510 and Oklahoma with 420. These states host large federal weather and climate offices, research universities or private forecasting firms, so a job search in this field often means being willing to relocate.

Sources

Data updated October 28, 2026 · Text checked against its sources October 28, 2026

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates, released April 30, 2026, SOC 19-2021
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–2035, released September 2026
O*NET 31.0 Database (19-2021.00), U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under CC BY 4.0; tasks rewritten by Careers and Salaries
U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state and metro area, 2024
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, May values
U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard field-of-study and institution data, most recent cohorts, released 2026-10-15
Atmospheric Scientists, Including Meteorologists: Occupational Outlook Handbook, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · checked October 28, 2026
Meteorology Series 1340 Qualification Standard, U.S. Office of Personnel Management · checked October 28, 2026
Certified Broadcast Meteorologist Program (CBM), American Meteorological Society · checked October 28, 2026
CCM Eligibility Requirements, American Meteorological Society · checked October 28, 2026
License Finder, CareerOneStop, U.S. Department of Labor · checked October 28, 2026
Penn State's 100% Online Weather Forecasting Certificate, Penn State World Campus · checked October 28, 2026
Certified Consulting Meteorologist Program (CCM), American Meteorological Society · checked October 28, 2026

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