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Atmospheric Sciences & Meteorology

Types of Degrees Atmospheric Sciences & Meteorology Majors Are Earning

Those studying Atmospheric Sciences & Meteorology may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Bachelor’s Degree	538
Master’s Degree	301
Doctor’s Degree	135

What Atmospheric Sciences & Meteorology Majors Need to Know

Coursework for Atmospheric Sciences & Meteorology develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Atmospheric Sciences & Meteorology graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Atmospheric Sciences & Meteorology emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills built by a Atmospheric Sciences & Meteorology program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Atmospheric Sciences & Meteorology careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Atmospheric Sciences & Meteorology graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.4 / 7
Working with Computers	4.4 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.1 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.0 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.0 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.0 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	3.9 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	3.9 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	3.9 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	3.9 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Atmospheric Sciences & Meteorology professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
The MathWorks MATLAB	Analytical or scientific software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
ESRI ArcGIS software	Geographic information system	✓
Adobe Acrobat	Document management software	—
Adobe Photoshop	Graphics or photo imaging software	—
Microsoft Project	Project management software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Atmospheric Sciences & Meteorology graduates include:

• Clinical Trials Manager
• Clinical Project Manager
• Research Coordinator
• Adjunct Professor
• Volcanology Professor
• Mineralogy Teacher
• Oceanology Teacher
• Lecturer
• Hydrology Teacher
• Oceanic Sciences Professor
• Earth Science Teacher
• Geoscience Professor
• Hydrography Teacher
• Geology Professor
• College Professor

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Atmospheric Sciences & Meteorology graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	32.0%
Master’s degree	24.3%
Doctoral degree	13.4%
Post-doctoral training	9.3%
High school diploma or equivalent	4.9%
Postsecondary certificate	4.6%
Some college courses	3.8%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	3.6%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	2.3%
Post-master’s certificate	1.2%
Less than a high school diploma	0.4%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Atmospheric Sciences & Meteorology?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 45.3% women and 54.7% men among Atmospheric Sciences & Meteorology graduates.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	441	45.3%
Men	533	54.7%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Atmospheric Sciences & Meteorology graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	674	69.2%
Asian	30	3.1%
Hispanic or Latino	83	8.5%
Black or African American	45	4.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native	1	0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	1	0.1%
Two or More Races	32	3.3%
Race Unknown	17	1.7%
International Students	91	9.3%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Atmospheric Sciences & Meteorology Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Atmospheric Sciences & Meteorology graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$40,631
4 years	$52,102
5 years	$61,596

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $61,596 — roughly 52% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Atmospheric Sciences & Meteorology Programs

Distance learning are documented by IPEDS for Atmospheric Sciences & Meteorology. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	1	0

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Atmospheric Sciences & Meteorology Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Atmospheric Sciences & Meteorology graduates earn a median of $52,102 four years after completion — roughly 37% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology	40.04
Atmospheric Chemistry and Climatology	40.0402
Atmospheric Physics and Dynamics	40.0403
Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology, Other	40.0499
Meteorology	40.0404
Astronomy and Astrophysics, Other	40.0299
Astronomy	40.0201
Astrophysics	40.0202
Geochemistry and Petrology	40.0606
Geochemistry	40.0602
Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences, Other	40.0699

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.