Best Careers: Meteorologist

The rundown:

Humans have been trying to understand and anticipate weather patterns since the beginning of time. Modern technological advancements and computer models allow for much more sophisticated study of the atmosphere's patterns. While we often think of meteorologists as weather forecasters, a more official—and appropriate—title is atmospheric scientists. If you're especially interested in environmental preservation, you might focus on climate change as a climatologist, or on air quality as an environmental meteorologist. If you like an audience, you might want to work for a television or radio station, but these are highly competitive positions. A more likely scenario is a job for the National Weather Service—more than a third of atmospheric scientists are on the federal government's payroll.

[See a list of The 50 Best Careers.]

The outlook:

Employment growth of meteorologists is expected to be faster than average. The occupation is expected to add 1,400 jobs between 2008 and 2018, expanding by nearly 15 percent, according to the Labor Department. The private sector is increasingly a source of employment for meteorologists, whether for consulting firms or research organizations.

Money:

The median annual earnings for meteorologists were $84,710 in 2009. But pay varies widely. If you're starting out at the National Weather Service, you'll make closer to $40,000, while the highest paid 10 percent make more than $127,000.

Upward mobility:

You'll have a few options as you grow in experience: You might move up into a management role or take over more advanced or complex projects. You may eventually want to open your own forecasting shop (i.e., weather consulting firm).

Activity level:

Varied. For some, days are spent at a desk. For others, time on the job can be spent outside or on their feet in the TV studio.

[See a list of the best technology careers.]

Stress level:

Not too bad. For the most part, this is low-stress work. But if you're working on a forecast for a particularly ominous weather pattern, your heart rate may head north.

Education and preparation:

If you're interested in working at the National Weather Service, you'll want to get a bachelor's degree and—if it's not in meteorology—make sure you soak up some education (a good 24 semester hours, at least) in meteorology courses. College physics and physical science courses are also required. If you're more interested in applied research and development, you'll need a master's degree. A Ph.D. will be necessary for research positions.

Real advice from real people about landing a job as a meteorologist:

Seek out internships at a local television or weather service station, or do research in a lab to distinguish yourself from other job candidates. Develop a working knowledge of meteorological measurements, especially numerical weather prediction models, which are increasingly being used to forecast climate further in advance. "Trucking companies, airlines, railroads, and power companies all pay a lot of attention to the weather to make transportation decisions. Knowing what the weather is going to do can increase the efficiency of almost any business." —Margaret LeMone, a senior scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research's Foothills Lab and president of the American Meteorological Society

Suggested job searches: Meteorologist jobs | Hydrologist jobs | Anchor jobs | Video Journalist jobs