Atmospheric Sciences Major

Atmospheric sciences and meteorology is a major that typically falls into the Physical Sciences category.

There are 1 programs available throughout the country that offer an associate’s degree in meteorology, 76 that offer a bachelor’s degree, and 45 that offer a master’s degree. There are also at least 41 schools in the nation where you can get your doctorate degree in the field.

Who Is Getting a Meteorology Degree?

This is a less frequently chosen major. Only 700 students graduated with a bachelor’s degree in atmospheric sciences and meteorology in 2017. This major tends to be male dominated. About 65.6% of recent graduates are men.

Racial Distribution

At the countrywide level, the racial distribution of meteorology majors is as follows:

• Asian: 1.8%
• Black or African American: 4.7%
• Hispanic or Latino: 5.5%
• White: 80.3%
• Non-Resident Alien: 1.7%
• Other Races: 6%

Americans aren’t the only ones with an interest in meteorology. About 1.7% of those graduating in 2017 were international students. The most popular countries sending meteorology majors to the U.S. are China, India and Taiwan.

What Will You Learn as an Atmospheric Sciences Major?

An O*NET survey asked people with careers related to meteorology to rate how important certain subject areas were to their job. The following are some of the results of that survey. Importance was rated on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being most important.

Knowledge Areas for Meteorology Majors

A major in meteorology should prepare you for careers in which you will need to be knowledgeable in the following areas:

Skills for Meteorology Majors

A major in meteorology prepares you for careers in which the following skill-sets are crucial:

Abilities for Meteorology Majors

A major in meteorology will prepare for your careers in which the following abilities are important:

What Can You Do With a Meteorology Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with meteorology:

Careers Related to Atmospheric Sciences

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Atmospheric, Earth, Marine, and Space Sciences Professors	9.9%	$90,860
Atmospheric and Space Scientists	12.5%	$94,110
Natural Sciences Managers	9.9%	$123,860

Atmospheric Sciences Major Salary

Average salaries range from $96,000 to $140,000 for careers related to meteorology. This range includes all degree levels, so you may expect those with a more advanced degree to make more while those with less advanced degrees will typically make less.

To put that into context, the typical high school graduate makes between $29,000 and $57,000 a year. The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $44,000 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,000 and $120,000.

Your salary will be largely dependent on the career path you follow and what area of the country (or world) you work. Getting a graduate degree may open up more options with higher salary potential.

Amount of Education Required for Atmospheric Sciences Major Jobs

Some careers associated with meteorology may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. Whatever the case may be, pursuing more education usually means that more career options will be available to you.

Find out what the typical degree level is for meteorology careers below.

Education Levels for Careers Associated With Atmospheric Sciences

Level of Education	Percentage of Workers
Less Than a High School Diploma	0%
High School Diploma or Equivalent	0%
Post-Secondary Certificate	0%
Some College Courses	1.2%
Associate's Degree or Equivalent	0%
Bachelor's Degree	25.4%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate	4.7%
Master's Degree	33.4%
Post-Master's Certificate	1.5%
First Professional Degree	0%
Doctoral Degree	24.8%
Post-Doctoral Training	9.4%

Online Atmospheric Sciences Programs

There are 76 colleges that offer a bachelor’s degree in atmospheric sciences and meteorology, with 1 of them offering at least some courses online.

Online learners must listen or watch video lectures, participate in group chats or forums, submit papers and assignments electronically, take tests, and meet deadlines.

Many learners are drawn to online programs due to the ease of use and flexibility. Students should be warned that those who enroll in online programs can take longer to graduate than average and are more likely to drop out.

Is an Atmospheric Sciences Major Worth It?

The median salary for a meteorology grad is $102,000 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 162% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $1,259,800 after 20 years!

Related Majors

• General Physical Sciences
• Astronomy & Astrophysics
• Atmospheric Sciences
• Chemistry
• Geological & Earth Sciences
• Physics
• Materials Sciences
• Other Physical Science

References

Bureau of Labor Statistics
National Center for Education Statistics
O*NET Online
Image Credit: Liam Gumley via License