19 Series · SOC 19-2021
Atmospheric and Space Scientists Salary
National pay, percentile range, growth outlook, and state-by-state detail from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey (May 2025).
- $99,070
- Median / year
- $161,890
- Top 10% earn
- +0.7%
- Growth '23–'33
- 10,000
- US workers
Atmospheric and Space Scientists professionals earn a median $99,070/year ($47.63/hr) nationally. The salary ranges from $53,060 (10th percentile) to $161,890 (90th percentile). Employment is projected to grow0.7% from 2023 to 2033, about average. The highest-paying state is Maryland at $128,800. Approximately 10,000 people work in this role across the U.S. Entry-level education: Bachelor's degree. Workplace safety grade: A (Very Safe).
Atmospheric and Space Scientists (SOC 19-2021) pays a national median of $99,070 per year according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey released in May 2025. Full-range compensation stretches from $53,060 at the 10th percentile to $161,890 at the 90th, with a mean of $106,110 indicating a right-skew where top earners pull the average above the midpoint. An estimated 10,000 Americans work in this occupation across 48 reporting states and 55 metro areas.
BLS Employment Projections forecast a +0.7% change in employment from 2023 to 2033, which the agency classifies as about average relative to the 5% all-occupations baseline. About 700 openings are projected per year, combining new positions with replacement needs from retirements and occupation-switchers. Typical entry-level preparation is Bachelor's degree. The BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) and Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII) produce a workplace-safety grade of A for this role, with a fatality rate of 1.5 per 100,000 and injury rate of 0.7 per 100.
Geographic variation matters as much as the headline median. Maryland pays the highest state median at $128,800, which is +30% above the national figure. The top metro is San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA at $151,000 — metro premiums typically reflect higher cost of living, industry concentration, or specialized employer demand. When using this page for negotiation or career planning, pair the national median with the state and metro rows below, remember that BLS wages exclude benefits, bonuses, and overtime, and revisit after each May OEWS release since percentiles shift with cost-of-living cycles and industry demand.
Median Salary
$99,070
per year
Median Hourly
$47.63/hr
per hour
Mean Salary
$106,110
average
Employment
10,000
jobs nationwide
Bar fills relative to a $200K reference ceiling. Marker shows the all-occupations US median for context — anything to the right of it earns above the typical American worker.
Job Outlook (2023–2033)
Projected Growth
+0.7%
About average
Annual Openings
700
per year (projected)
Typical Education
Bachelor's degree
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2023–2033
Workplace Safety
All safety ratings →Very Safe
Safety Grade (BLS 2023)
Fatality Rate
1.5/100K
Injury Rate
0.7/100
Danger Index
3.6/100
Source: BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) & Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII), 2023
Career Intelligence
Skills, knowledge, and tasks most important for Atmospheric and Space Scientists roles, ranked by importance. Source: O*NET.
Top Skills
Knowledge Areas
Key Tasks
- ▸ Develop or use mathematical or computer models for weather forecasting.
- ▸ Interpret data, reports, maps, photographs, or charts to predict long- or short-range weather conditions, using computer models and knowledge of climate theory, physics, and mathematics.
- ▸ Conduct meteorological research into the processes or determinants of atmospheric phenomena, weather, or climate.
- ▸ Formulate predictions by interpreting environmental data, such as meteorological, atmospheric, oceanic, paleoclimate, climate, or related information.
- ▸ Broadcast weather conditions, forecasts, or severe weather warnings to the public via television, radio, or the Internet or provide this information to the news media.
- ▸ Prepare forecasts or briefings to meet the needs of industry, business, government, or other groups.
- ▸ Direct forecasting services at weather stations or at radio or television broadcasting facilities.
- ▸ Gather data from sources such as surface or upper air stations, satellites, weather bureaus, or radar for use in meteorological reports or forecasts.
- ▸ Develop computer programs to collect meteorological data or to present meteorological information.
- ▸ Prepare weather reports or maps for analysis, distribution, or use in weather broadcasts, using computer graphics.
Source: O*NET Online, National Center for O*NET Development. Data represents typical importance ratings for this occupation.
Salary Range
Annual Salary Distribution
Hourly Rate Distribution
10th Percentile
$53,060
25th Percentile
$73,350
Median
$99,070
75th Percentile
$129,960
90th Percentile
$161,890
Salary by State
Highest Paying States
View all 48 states →
| # | State | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maryland | $128,800 | +30% above national |
| 2 | California | $124,920 | +26% above national |
| 3 | Hawaii | $121,010 | +22% above national |
| 4 | New Jersey | $120,180 | +21% above national |
| 5 | Idaho | $119,430 | +21% above national |
| 6 | New York | $117,540 | +19% above national |
| 7 | Florida | $115,960 | +17% above national |
| 8 | Arizona | $115,020 | +16% above national |
| 9 | Missouri | $114,230 | +15% above national |
| 10 | Illinois | $112,280 | +13% above national |
| 11 | Oregon | $112,260 | +13% above national |
| 12 | New Mexico | $110,070 | +11% above national |
| 13 | Kansas | $109,300 | +10% above national |
| 14 | Nevada | $109,300 | +10% above national |
| 15 | Montana | $108,890 | +10% above national |
| 16 | Massachusetts | $108,050 | +9% above national |
| 17 | Minnesota | $106,270 | +7% above national |
| 18 | Colorado | $104,670 | +6% above national |
| 19 | District of Columbia | $103,860 | +5% above national |
| 20 | Maine | $103,710 | +5% above national |
| 21 | Indiana | $103,680 | +5% above national |
| 22 | Kentucky | $103,240 | +4% above national |
| 23 | Michigan | $103,210 | +4% above national |
| 24 | Wyoming | $99,940 | +1% above national |
| 25 | Louisiana | $97,470 | 2% below national |
| 26 | Georgia | $96,820 | 2% below national |
| 27 | Utah | $96,520 | 3% below national |
| 28 | Tennessee | $96,190 | 3% below national |
| 29 | Washington | $94,400 | 5% below national |
| 30 | Alaska | $94,380 | 5% below national |
| 31 | North Carolina | $91,560 | 8% below national |
| 32 | North Dakota | $91,560 | 8% below national |
| 33 | Wisconsin | $85,870 | 13% below national |
| 34 | Connecticut | $85,110 | 14% below national |
| 35 | Texas | $84,990 | 14% below national |
| 36 | Virginia | $83,880 | 15% below national |
| 37 | South Carolina | $82,240 | 17% below national |
| 38 | Alabama | $81,080 | 18% below national |
| 39 | West Virginia | $80,690 | 19% below national |
| 40 | South Dakota | $78,900 | 20% below national |
| 41 | Ohio | $78,580 | 21% below national |
| 42 | Iowa | $76,850 | 22% below national |
| 43 | Oklahoma | $76,480 | 23% below national |
| 44 | Pennsylvania | $75,890 | 23% below national |
| 45 | Arkansas | $71,940 | 27% below national |
| 46 | Puerto Rico | $63,910 | 35% below national |
| 47 | Nebraska | $60,540 | 39% below national |
| 48 | New Hampshire | $42,820 | 57% below national |
Salary by Metro Area
Highest Paying Metros
View all 55 metro areas →
| # | Metro Area | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $151,000 | +52% above national |
| 2 | Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | $134,060 | +35% above national |
| 3 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $133,490 | +35% above national |
| 4 | Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $128,800 | +30% above national |
| 5 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $128,790 | +30% above national |
| 6 | Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $127,070 | +28% above national |
| 7 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $125,590 | +27% above national |
| 8 | Boise City, ID | $122,930 | +24% above national |
| 9 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $122,880 | +24% above national |
| 10 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $122,700 | +24% above national |
| 11 | Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $122,280 | +23% above national |
| 12 | Boulder, CO | $121,870 | +23% above national |
| 13 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $120,370 | +21% above national |
| 14 | Kansas City, MO-KS | $117,810 | +19% above national |
| 15 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $117,600 | +19% above national |
| 16 | Reno, NV | $115,650 | +17% above national |
| 17 | Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $113,550 | +15% above national |
| 18 | Richmond, VA | $112,510 | +14% above national |
| 19 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $111,790 | +13% above national |
| 20 | St. Louis, MO-IL | $111,650 | +13% above national |
| 21 | Fort Collins-Loveland, CO | $110,960 | +12% above national |
| 22 | Kansas nonmetropolitan area | $109,300 | +10% above national |
| 23 | Raleigh-Cary, NC | $108,810 | +10% above national |
| 24 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $108,040 | +9% above national |
| 25 | Madison, WI | $107,970 | +9% above national |
| 26 | Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | $107,690 | +9% above national |
| 27 | Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | $107,060 | +8% above national |
| 28 | Colorado Springs, CO | $106,020 | +7% above national |
| 29 | Rapid City, SD | $104,380 | +5% above national |
| 30 | Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | $104,220 | +5% above national |
| 31 | Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | $103,380 | +4% above national |
| 32 | Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | $103,240 | +4% above national |
| 33 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $103,080 | +4% above national |
| 34 | Anchorage, AK | $101,640 | +3% above national |
| 35 | Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | $100,650 | +2% above national |
| 36 | Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | $98,920 | same as national |
| 37 | Fairbanks-College, AK | $94,380 | 5% below national |
| 38 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $92,790 | 6% below national |
| 39 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $92,600 | 7% below national |
| 40 | Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $88,570 | 11% below national |
| 41 | San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | $87,110 | 12% below national |
| 42 | Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $85,440 | 14% below national |
| 43 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $82,980 | 16% below national |
| 44 | Charleston-North Charleston, SC | $82,240 | 17% below national |
| 45 | Lubbock, TX | $81,350 | 18% below national |
| 46 | Huntsville, AL | $81,080 | 18% below national |
| 47 | Memphis, TN-MS-AR | $78,950 | 20% below national |
| 48 | Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | $77,860 | 21% below national |
| 49 | Birmingham, AL | $77,580 | 22% below national |
| 50 | Tulsa, OK | $77,010 | 22% below national |
| 51 | Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | $76,850 | 22% below national |
| 52 | Oklahoma City, OK | $76,480 | 23% below national |
| 53 | Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | $72,800 | 27% below national |
| 54 | Omaha, NE-IA | $60,740 | 39% below national |
| 55 | Gulfport-Biloxi, MS | $56,620 | 43% below national |
Similar Occupations in the Same Category
Other roles in SOC major group 19 (life physical and social science) with comparable pay and career paths.
Salary Guides
Primary source data
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a Atmospheric and Space Scientists make? ▼
What state pays Atmospheric and Space Scientists the most? ▼
What education do you need to become a Atmospheric and Space Scientists? ▼
How dangerous is being a Atmospheric and Space Scientists? ▼
Is Atmospheric and Space Scientists a good career? ▼
How does Atmospheric and Space Scientists pay vary by state? ▼
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Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.