Research Meteorologist Salary in the United States
How much does a Research Meteorologist make in the United States?
As of September 01, 2026, the average salary for a Research Meteorologist in the United States is $47,889 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $23.
However, a Research Meteorologist's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:
Top Earners (90th percentile): $58,791
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $43,998 to $53,596
Key Factors That Influence Research Meteorologist Salaries
A Research Meteorologist's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors.
Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education
and company size
can directly affect your earning potential.
How Experience Level Affects Research Meteorologist Salaries?
Experience is a primary driver of a Research Meteorologist's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:
How Do Research Meteorologist Salaries Vary from State to State?
Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Research Meteorologists. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
Salaries can also vary between different cities.
Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay.
Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:
San Jose: $60,403
San Francisco: $59,742
Oakland: $58,483
San Jose, CA$60,403
San Francisco, CA$59,742
Oakland, CA$58,483
New York, NY$55,139
Paramus, NJ$54,469
Queens Village, NY$54,467
Passaic, NJ$54,421
Bergenfield, NJ$54,417
Stamford, CT$54,311
Huntington, NY$54,292
Newark, NJ$53,938
Bridgeport, CT$53,837
Vallejo, CA$53,741
New Brunswick, NJ$53,722
Petaluma, CA$53,694
Middlesex, NJ$53,603
Somerset, NJ$53,569
Santa Cruz, CA$53,507
Boston, MA$53,215
Monterey, CA$53,047
Seattle, WA$52,937
Santa Rosa, CA$52,927
Los Angeles, CA$52,913
Juneau, AK$52,788
Washington, DC$52,736
Orange, CA$52,565
Santa Ana, CA$52,439
Long Beach, CA$52,391
Anaheim, CA$52,381
Anchorage, AK$52,357
Santa Maria, CA$52,214
Everett, WA$52,204
Danbury, CT$52,036
Bremerton, WA$51,970
Tacoma, WA$51,797
New Suffolk, NY$51,796
Sacramento, CA$51,783
Santa Barbara, CA$51,730
Trenton, NJ$51,677
San Diego, CA$51,677
Brockton, MA$51,625
Fairbanks, AK$51,507
Lompoc, CA$51,385
Lowell, MA$51,347
Ventura, CA$51,337
Nashua, NH$51,328
Stockton, CA$51,323
Modesto, CA$50,973
Poughkeepsie, NY$50,868
Olympia, WA$50,777
Kennewick, WA$50,777
New Haven, CT$50,758
Lawrence, MA$50,586
Hartford, CT$50,538
Riverside, CA$50,528
New Bedford, MA$50,480
Richland, WA$50,480
Bakersfield, CA$50,413
San Bernardino, CA$50,394
New Britain, CT$50,389
Atlantic City, NJ$50,389
New London, CT$50,370
Norwich, CT$50,356
Portsmouth, NH$50,346
Boulder, CO$50,245
Portland, OR$50,179
Worcester, MA$50,174
Minneapolis, MN$50,025
Philadelphia, PA$49,958
Honolulu, HI$49,800
Saint Paul, MN$49,777
Vineland, NJ$49,767
Providence, RI$49,628
Chicago, IL$49,489
Bellingham, WA$49,431
Springfield, MA$49,393
Baltimore, MD$49,379
Chico, CA$49,259
Pittsfield, MA$49,130
Manchester, NH$49,039
Spokane, WA$48,828
Denver, CO$48,823
Albany, NY$48,598
Troy, NY$48,579
Nassau, NY$48,528
Schenectady, NY$48,478
Wilmington, DE$48,440
Burlington, VT$48,373
Salem, OR$48,354
Portland, ME$48,205
Yakima, WA$48,158
Rochester, MN$48,009
Reno, NV$47,985
Fresno, CA$47,985
Milwaukee, WI$47,942
Detroit, MI$47,894
Ann Arbor, MI$47,886
Allentown, PA$47,880
Colorado Springs, CO$47,798
Syracuse, NY$47,774
Carson City, NV$47,774
Houston, TX$47,707
Eugene, OR$47,683
Gary, IN$47,626
Springfield, OR$47,588
Bismarck, ND$47,578
Galveston, TX$47,545
Medford, OR$47,473
Fort Collins, CO$47,454
Concord, NH$47,430
Austin, TX$47,415
Mesa, AZ$47,315
Reading, PA$47,310
Phoenix, AZ$47,305
Dallas, TX$47,291
Saint Cloud, MN$47,245
Madison, WI$47,181
Utica, NY$47,051
Rochester, NY$46,975
Des Moines, IA$46,970
Raleigh, NC$46,965
Atlanta, GA$46,893
Battle Creek, MI$46,879
Salt Lake City, UT$46,865
Lancaster, PA$46,793
Harrisburg, PA$46,726
Kansas City, MO$46,678
Champaign, IL$46,668
Kansas City, KS$46,668
Fort Worth, TX$46,663
Columbus, OH$46,655
Boca Raton, FL$46,644
Pittsburgh, PA$46,625
Richmond, VA$46,606
Indianapolis, IN$46,596
Cleveland, OH$46,592
Las Vegas, NV$46,534
Cincinnati, OH$46,534
Petersburg, VA$46,462
Huntsville, AL$46,390
Lansing, MI$46,358
Lebanon, PA$46,352
Pueblo, CO$46,347
Appleton, WI$46,333
Buffalo, NY$46,314
Dayton, OH$46,299
Racine, WI$46,290
Charlotte, NC$46,285
Saint Louis, MO$46,271
York, PA$46,242
Elkhart, IN$46,242
Gastonia, NC$46,233
Billings, MT$46,221
Beaumont, TX$46,208
Lorain, OH$46,199
Benton Harbor, MI$46,189
Toledo, OH$46,180
Binghamton, NY$46,156
Rock Hill, SC$46,151
Rockford, IL$46,127
Springfield, IL$46,108
Elyria, OH$46,103
Fargo, ND$46,103
Flagstaff, AZ$46,070
Fort Lauderdale, FL$46,041
Duluth, MN$46,012
Miami, FL$46,012
Cheyenne, WY$45,979
Grand Forks, ND$45,979
Bangor, ME$45,873
Cedar Rapids, IA$45,821
Durham, NC$45,800
Louisville, KY$45,797
Grand Rapids, MI$45,787
Hialeah, FL$45,782
Casper, WY$45,715
Scranton, PA$45,658
New Orleans, LA$45,643
Virginia Beach, VA$45,639
Akron, OH$45,615
Peoria, IL$45,552
Sarasota, FL$45,543
Nashville, TN$45,509
Omaha, NE$45,509
Green Bay, WI$45,509
Baton Rouge, LA$45,485
Charleston, SC$45,476
Jamestown, NY$45,452
Davenport, IA$45,452
Tucson, AZ$45,428
Saint Petersburg, FL$45,399
Tampa, FL$45,390
Evansville, IN$45,361
Port Arthur, TX$45,361
Bradenton, FL$45,342
Santa Fe, NM$45,255
Orlando, FL$45,169
Clearwater, FL$45,155
Canton, OH$45,054
La Crosse, WI$45,054
Albuquerque, NM$45,026
Newport News, VA$45,021
High Point, NC$45,006
Ogden, UT$44,987
Corpus Christi, TX$44,949
Norfolk, VA$44,920
Laramie, WY$44,920
Rock Island, IL$44,892
Saginaw, MI$44,882
Jacksonville, FL$44,877
Salisbury, NC$44,868
Boise, ID$44,858
Moline, IL$44,834
Fort Myers, FL$44,820
Memphis, TN$44,810
Tulsa, OK$44,786
Waterloo, IA$44,757
Spartanburg, SC$44,710
Lincoln, NE$44,686
Fort Wayne, IN$44,676
Provo, UT$44,671
Cedar Falls, IA$44,614
San Antonio, TX$44,595
Greensboro, NC$44,575
South Bend, IN$44,571
Savannah, GA$44,518
Muskegon, MI$44,499
Birmingham, AL$44,494
Winston Salem, NC$44,471
Lake Charles, LA$44,355
Anderson, IN$44,346
Lexington, KY$44,331
Augusta, GA$44,317
Greenville, SC$44,317
Lima, OH$44,279
Wichita, KS$44,274
Tuscaloosa, AL$44,274
Columbia, SC$44,231
Springfield, OH$44,221
Asheville, NC$44,144
Bloomington, IN$44,111
Knoxville, TN$43,939
Shreveport, LA$43,934
Wilmington, NC$43,871
Roanoke, VA$43,871
Topeka, KS$43,785
Frankfort, KY$43,780
Oklahoma City, OK$43,747
Chillicothe, OH$43,728
Longview, TX$43,723
Melbourne, FL$43,718
Sioux Falls, SD$43,642
Mobile, AL$43,637
Terre Haute, IN$43,618
Altoona, PA$43,589
Amarillo, TX$43,555
Killeen, TX$43,541
Fayetteville, AR$43,503
Chattanooga, TN$43,488
Sioux City, IA$43,445
Idaho Falls, ID$43,436
Lynchburg, VA$43,397
Gainesville, FL$43,335
Portsmouth, OH$43,311
Little Rock, AR$43,302
Lafayette, LA$43,282
Youngstown, OH$43,282
Daytona Beach, FL$43,254
Clarksville, TN$43,249
Pensacola, FL$43,244
Temple, TX$43,241
Hopkinsville, KY$43,100
Erie, PA$43,091
Florence, SC$43,072
Charleston, WV$42,995
Great Falls, MT$42,971
Macon, GA$42,904
Tallahassee, FL$42,899
Fayetteville, NC$42,890
Waco, TX$42,880
Helena, MT$42,847
Pine Bluff, AR$42,828
Vincennes, IN$42,770
Lubbock, TX$42,751
Alamogordo, NM$42,722
Twin Falls, ID$42,679
Rapid City, SD$42,665
Jackson, MS$42,578
Huntington, WV$42,575
Greenville, MS$42,574
Parkersburg, WV$42,525
Montgomery, AL$42,516
Wichita Falls, TX$42,468
Springfield, MO$42,468
Biloxi, MS$42,444
Monroe, LA$42,396
Johnstown, PA$42,363
Sumter, SC$42,344
Columbus, GA$42,339
Pascagoula, MS$42,248
Abilene, TX$42,248
Kingsport, TN$42,124
Albany, GA$42,124
Gulfport, MS$42,109
Alexandria, LA$41,951
Fort Smith, AR$41,831
El Paso, TX$41,702
Las Cruces, NM$41,487
Harlingen, TX$41,365
Pocatello, ID$41,357
Florence, AL$41,295
Brownsville, TX$41,285
Mcallen, TX$41,185
Dothan, AL$41,118
Columbus, MS$40,833
Altus, OK$40,610
Lawton, OK$40,519
Pierre, SD$40,347
What Skills Can Increase a Research Meteorologist's Salary?
Demanded Skills for the Role:
Planning (Mentioned in 8.79% Job Postings): An act or process of making or carrying out plans. Establishment of goals, policies, and procedures for a social or economic unit city planning business planning.
Aviation (Mentioned in 4.13% Job Postings): Aviation is the activities surrounding mechanical flight and the aircraft industry. Aircraft includes fixed-wing and rotary-wing types, morphable wings, wing-less lifting bodies, as well as lighter-than-air craft such as hot air balloons and airships.
Hydraulics (Mentioned in 1.03% Job Postings): Hydraulics is a technology and applied science using engineering, chemistry, and other sciences involving the mechanical properties and use of liquids.
Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay.
Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Research Meteorologist's salary.
System Maintenance: Can increase your salary by up to 17%.
Project Management: Can increase your salary by up to 12%.
Customer Service: Can increase your salary by up to 9%.
Research Meteorologist Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors
For Research Meteorologist roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential
by as much as 45% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries).
Data shows that the Software & Networking and MFG Durable
sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 25% above the average.
In contrast, Research Meteorologist positions in Transportation or Aerospace & Defense typically offer lower base pay,
as these industries often view Research Meteorologist as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.
The top paying industries for a Research Meteorologist
Industry Sector
Average Annual Salary
Average Hourly Rate
Pay vs.Avg
Software & Networking
$59,862
$29.0
25%
MFG Durable
$52,678
$25.0
10%
How Education impacts a Research Meteorologist's Salary?
Your level of education can impact your salary potential.
While many Research Meteorologists enter the field with a High School Diploma or Technical Certificate degree,
higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.
According to our 100% employer-reported salary data,
the median salary for a Research Meteorologist with a High School Diploma or Technical Certificate is between
$85,393
and $89,751).
Research Meteorologist Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay
Understanding how a Research Meteorologist's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting.
Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role.
Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.
Hourly
Monthly
Weekly
Yearly
Table View
Last Updated on September 01, 2026
$43,998
Average$47,889/year
$53,596
$3,667
Average$3,991/month
$4,466
$846
Average$921/week
$1,031
$21
Average$23/hour
$26
Annual Salary
Monthly Pay
Weekly Pay
Hourly Wage
75th Percentile
$53,596
$4,466
$1,031
$26
Average
$47,889
$3,991
$921
$23
25th Percentile
$43,998
$3,667
$846
$21
Salaries of Jobs related to Research Meteorologist
Salaries for a Research Meteorologist can change over time,
reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy.
The median salary decreased from $59,218 in 2023
to around $58,291 in 2025,
reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy.
For a detailed analysis of Research Meteorologist salary trends,
.
Average Annual Salary of Research Meteorologist Over Time
$???
$59,218
$59,102
$58,291
$???
$???
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
2027
Year
Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023
$59,218
2024
$59,102
2025
$58,291
2026
View More
2027
View More
Most common benefits for Research Meteorologist
Social Security
401 (k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
Common company salaries for Research Meteorologist
Here are companies hiring for Research Meteorologist and their salaries, click below for more details.
L$106,714/per year
L3 Technologies IncMFG Durablethe United States
L$106,353/per year
L-3 Communications CorpMFG Durablethe United States
C$104,622/per year
Chery Automobile Co.( LLCMFG Durablethe United States
R$103,889/per year
Raytheon Intelligence & SpaceMFG Durablethe United States
S$100,180/per year
SanyoMFG Durablethe United States
M$99,945/per year
Motorola Mobility LLCMFG Durablethe United States
O$98,405/per year
OSRAM SYLVANIA IncMFG Durablethe United States
S$95,776/per year
Saras LLCMFG Durablethe United States
J$93,552/per year
Jsw Steel IncMFG Durablethe United States
C$93,115/per year
Collins Aerospace CompaniesMFG Durablethe United States
C$92,955/per year
CarrierMFG Durablethe United States
A$92,540/per year
Alpine Co. LtdMFG Durablethe United States
V$92,343/per year
Vanguard National Trailer CorpMFG Durablethe United States
A$92,265/per year
Asia Pulp & PaperMFG Durablethe United States
C$91,920/per year
ChryslerMFG Durablethe United States
D$90,518/per year
Daimler Truck North America LLCMFG Durablethe United States
S$90,363/per year
Suzhou Dongshan Precision Manufacturing Co., Ltd (DSBJ)MFG Durablethe United States
R$89,132/per year
Raytheon Missiles & DefenseMFG Durablethe United States
L$88,262/per year
Louis PoulsenMFG Durablethe United States
T$88,219/per year
Toyota Boshoku America IncMFG Durablethe United States
A$87,299/per year
ABB Installation Products IncMFG Durablethe United States
R$86,213/per year
Regal RexnordMFG Durablethe United States
T$84,081/per year
Tesla Motors IncMFG Durablethe United States
C$83,582/per year
Clarios LLCMFG Durablethe United States
K$83,024/per year
Kobelco Construction Machinery USA IncMFG Durablethe United States
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FAQ about Research Meteorologist
1. What industry pays the highest salary for Research Meteorologist?
The Software & Networking industry offers the highest average compensation for Research Meteorologist roles,
with salaries approximately 25% above the market median.
Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?
Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.
