Careers > Atmospheric and Space Scientists

Atmospheric and Space Scientists

$83.78K Median Salary 1K Job Openings (Annual Projection) 8.4% Job Growth

Find Colleges for this Career Find Certificates for this Career

About This Career

Investigate atmospheric phenomena and interpret meteorological data, gathered by surface and air stations, satellites, and radar to prepare reports and forecasts for public and other uses. Includes weather analysts and forecasters whose functions require the detailed knowledge of meteorology.

Reported Job Titles

Broadcast Meteorologist, Forecaster, Forensic Meteorologist, General Forecaster, Hydrometeorological Technician, Meteorologist, Research Meteorologist, Space Weather Forecaster, Warning Coordination Meteorologist, Weather Forecaster

Career data shown for:

Skills You'll Need

Click on skills to find related courses.

Abilities

Oral Comprehension

Oral Expression

Written Comprehension

Speech Clarity

Written Expression

Deductive Reasoning

Inductive Reasoning

Near Vision

Problem Sensitivity

Speech Recognition

Information Ordering

Category Flexibility

Flexibility of Closure

Fluency of Ideas

Mathematical Reasoning

Far Vision

Number Facility

Originality

Selective Attention

Knowledge

Physics

English Language

Geography

Mathematics

Computers and Electronics

Communications and Media

Chemistry

Education and Training

Engineering and Technology

Customer and Personal Service

Public Safety and Security

Skills

Reading Comprehension

Active Listening

Critical Thinking

Science

Speaking

Writing

Active Learning

Complex Problem Solving

Judgment and Decision Making

Systems Analysis

Learning Strategies

Social Perceptiveness

Coordination

Instructing

Monitoring

Service Orientation

Time Management

Mathematics

Negotiation

Persuasion

Technology Skills

Analytical or scientific software

Presentation software

Graphics or photo imaging software

Operating system software

Object or component oriented development software

Geographic information system

Development environment software

Data base user interface and query software

Web page creation and editing software

Spreadsheet software

Electronic mail software

Desktop publishing software

Video creation and editing software

Office suite software

Word processing software

Map creation software

Tools

Temperature or humidity surface observing apparatus

Radarbased surveillance systems

Anemometers

Rainfall recorders

Weather stations

Hygrometers

Meteorology instrument accessories

Barometers

Surface thermometers

Notebook computers

Radiosonde apparatus

Temperature transmitters

Solar radiation surface observing apparatus

Light trucks or sport utility vehicles

Air samplers or collectors

Lux or light meter

Tablet computers

Two way radios

Psychrometers

Desktop computers

Personal computers

Abilities

Oral Comprehension: The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Oral Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Written Comprehension: The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Speech Clarity: The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
Written Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
Deductive Reasoning: The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Inductive Reasoning: The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
Near Vision: The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Problem Sensitivity: The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
Speech Recognition: The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
Information Ordering: The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
Category Flexibility: The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
Flexibility of Closure: The ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.
Fluency of Ideas: The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).
Mathematical Reasoning: The ability to choose the right mathematical methods or formulas to solve a problem.
Far Vision: The ability to see details at a distance.
Number Facility: The ability to add, subtract, multiply, or divide quickly and correctly.
Originality: The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
Selective Attention: The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.

Knowledge

Physics: Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.
English Language: Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Geography: Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
Mathematics: Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Computers and Electronics: Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
Communications and Media: Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
Chemistry: Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
Education and Training: Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
Engineering and Technology: Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
Customer and Personal Service: Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Public Safety and Security: Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.

Skills

Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Science: Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Writing: Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Active Learning: Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Complex Problem Solving: Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Systems Analysis: Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
Learning Strategies: Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Instructing: Teaching others how to do something.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Service Orientation: Actively looking for ways to help people.
Time Management: Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Mathematics: Using mathematics to solve problems.
Negotiation: Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
Persuasion: Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.

Technology Skills

Analytical or scientific software: Statistical analysis software; TapRooT
Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint
Graphics or photo imaging software: SmugMug Flickr
Operating system software: Microsoft Windows
Object or component oriented development software: Oracle Java
Geographic information system: ESRI ArcView; Geographic information system GIS systems
Development environment software: Adobe Systems Adobe Creative Suite
Data base user interface and query software: Blackboard software; Database software; Microsoft Access; Yardi software
Web page creation and editing software: Facebook; Google Sites; LinkedIn; Social media sites
Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel
Electronic mail software: IBM Notes; Microsoft Exchange; Microsoft Outlook
Desktop publishing software: Adobe Systems Adobe InDesign; Microsoft Publisher
Video creation and editing software: YouTube
Office suite software: Microsoft Office software
Word processing software: 3M Post-it App; Evernote; Google Docs; Microsoft Word
Map creation software: ESRI Site Scan for ArcGIS; OpenDroneMap

Tools

Temperature or humidity surface observing apparatus: Electronic hygrothermometers
Radarbased surveillance systems: Radar navigation systems
Anemometers: Thermoanemometers
Rainfall recorders: Rain gauges
Weather stations: Portable meteorological stations
Hygrometers: Humidity sticks
Meteorology instrument accessories: Weather balloons
Barometers:
Surface thermometers: Field thermometers
Notebook computers: Laptop computers
Radiosonde apparatus: Radiosonde launchers
Temperature transmitters: Electronic temperature sensors
Solar radiation surface observing apparatus: Pyranometers
Light trucks or sport utility vehicles: Utility trucks
Air samplers or collectors: Aerosol meters; Air quality dataloggers; Microbial samplers; Thermal desorption tubes
Lux or light meter: Light meters
Tablet computers:
Two way radios:
Psychrometers:
Desktop computers:
Personal computers: