Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology
Physical Sciences
Median earnings by degree level
| Degree | Median earnings | Typical range | Schools | Clear the bar |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's Degree | $59,427 | $54,593 to $66,943 | 17 | 94% |
"Clear the bar" is the share of programs whose graduates out-earn a typical high-school graduate (the federal earnings-premium test). Typical range is the 25th to 75th percentile of program medians.
Job outlook
Projected employment growth +4% (2025 to 2035), about 22,000 openings a year across the occupations this field commonly leads to.
| Occupation | Median pay | Growth | Openings/yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life, Physical, and Social Science Technicians, All Other | $62,280 | +4.4% | 11,200 |
| Natural Sciences Managers | $167,220 | +8.2% | 9,200 |
| Atmospheric, Earth, Marine, and Space Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary | $103,170 | +2.4% | 800 |
| Atmospheric and Space Scientists | $99,070 | +2.6% | 800 |
Occupation pay and outlook: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS wages, Employment Projections). A field maps to several occupations, and the same occupations serve many majors, so these are the jobs this major commonly leads to, not positions reserved for its graduates; the openings should not be added up across majors.
Where this is studied
The 8 colleges where the most students complete a atmospheric sciences and meteorology program, of 86 that report one. Ordered by number of completions only: this is where people study it, not a judgement about where to.
- Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus
- University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus
- Texas A&M University-College Station
- Pennsylvania State University-World Campus
- University of Missouri-Columbia
- Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
- Florida State University
- University of Washington-Seattle Campus
Earnings source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (release 2026-06-10), median earnings of graduates measured up to four years after completing. Figures describe past graduates and are never a promise. Method: methodology. Report an error.