Transcript Lecture 11 - University of Oklahoma | School of Meteorology

Lecture 13 (12/2)
Job Opportunities
for Meteorologists
What Can I Do With A Degree?
Four main classifications of career
opportunities:
• Applied meteorology (non-media)
• Non-university Research
• University Teaching and Research
• Media Weathercasting
Applied Meteorology
• Most common career for meteorologists
• Weather forecasting – most common and
well known
• Forecasting opportunities exist in public,
military, private sector (industrial and
commercial), and aviation
• Not typically a 9 to 5 job (shiftwork is
required)
Public forecasting
• NWS-issue watches, warnings, zone
forecasts, etc.
• Good benefits (working for the government)
• Training programs
• Potential for advancement if you’re good
(and especially if you get a master’s degree)
Military Forecasting
• All army and air force support is provided by
meteorologists in the air force
• If you might be interested in this, talk to a
recruiter (you can enter as an officer with your
degree or they will pay $ for your education).
• Mostly forecast for aviation, but also for army ops,
special ops, top secret stuff
• May involve time away from family and getting
assignments rather than deciding your own future
• Often sent to grad school for a masters
Private Sector Forecasting
• These places offer detailed, special forecasts
to many different types of users
• Users may include: utility companies,
farmers and ranchers, ocean shipping firms
and port operators, and highway depts.
• Usually work for smaller company (usually
some shiftwork required but not always)
Aviation Forecasting
• Larger airlines (passenger and cargo) have
their own meteorology departments.
• But a lot of aviation forecasting is done by
the NWS and commercial weather firms.
• Services provided may include: terminal
and en route forecasts, automated computergenerated flight plans, etc.
Consulting
• You can throw about anything under this category.
• Almost any type of meteorological service
provided to a client.
• Can deal with specialized environmental services
(especially air quality)
• Development of meteorological software and
weather information systems
• Forensic meteorology (application of
meteorological expertise to legal matters and
police investigations)
Air Quality Meteorology
• Booming business and can mean good $
• Broad range of technical areas including:
environmental assessments and permitting,
dispersion modeling (pollutant concentrations),
risk assessments, measuring air pollutant
concentrations and meteorological parameters, and
specialized studies such as photochemical
modeling, acid rain, and global warming.
• Work with polluters to help them follow the
federal and state laws.
• Involves chemistry too
Forensic Meteorology
• Addresses application of meteorological
expertise to legal matters and police
investigations
• May range from people slipping on ice and
breaking bones--to robberies or massive car
pile ups
• Lots of other neat stuff possible
Other Applied Metrology Jobs
• Marketing and sales – a companies revenue may
depend a lot on the weather (need to know about
more than just the weather)
• Energy companies & weather derivative trading
(involves economics too)
• Derivative = insurance against something
happening like low snow fall in a year at a ski
slope, warmer than normal winter for energy
companies, or a hard freeze that destroys crops.
A Couple More
• Atmospheric measurements and
instrumentation
• Deals with developing better weather
instruments, manufacturing them, and
monitoring them.
• Software and Information Systems –
Develop & maintain metrological software,
work with modeling, networks, etc.
Non-university Research
• Usually requires at least a masters degree
• No teaching
• Divided between applied research and basic
research
• Applied research =deals with weather and climate
observation, analysis, and forecasting.
• Research you can apply to everyday activities and
operations.
• Ex: forecast techniques,forecast verification
methods, & case studies
Basic Research
• Addresses more fundamental atmospheric
processes
• Ex: formation of clouds and precipitation, air-sea
interactions, radiation budgets, aerosol transport,
thermodynamics, and global general circulation.
• Basic research often support advances in
numerical weather prediction models.
• Still a flood of unanswered questions: effects of
Global warming, what makes a thunderstorm
tornado, etc.
University Teaching and
Research
• Requires a Ph.D
• Hold faculty position at university or college
• Professors usually do research supported by
government or foundation grants
• Most of the research is basic research
• Meteorology is seldom, if ever, taught as a standalone subject at the elementary and secondary
school levels. Usually integrated into physical
science
• If you want to teach below the university level,
need to be a a physics, earth, or general science
teacher
Media Weather Casting
• Broadcast meteorology
• Weather casting for television, radio, and
newspapers
• Highest profile of all careers in meteorology
• Ranges from celebrity-type positions at major
networks and cable channels to part-time,
relatively obscure jobs at small-market stations.
• Generally starts small, but can improve rapidly
More on Broadcast Metr
• A lot of "behind-the-scenes" effort put forth by
private meteorological firms (graphics software,
other special tools)
• A strong theoretical background in meteorology is
a necessity, forecast experience is highly useful,
and computer competence is helpful.
• Strong communication skills are essential, in
terms of both oral and written communication.
• Can also be a radio broadcast metr (thru phone
lines you can get studio quality sound)
Final note on Broadcast Metr
• Tough business – can succeed fantastically
or lose your shirt
• You’re famous – good and bad
• Can’t get drunk at the local bar
• Often go to elementary schools and give
talks to the kiddos
• Salary range 17K to 1 million +
• You should be able to get a job if you want
So How Much Ya Gonna Pay
Me?
• Starting salaries range from low 20’s to high
20’s (higher with masters or PhD)
• NWS = advance faster, mid 30’s after a year
or two
• Within 5 to 7 years 40K-70K
• Many jobs top out in 70-100K range
More on the Money
• Professors make between mid 40’s
(assistant) and mid 80’s (full)
• A master’s or Ph.D. increases your earnings
potential
• Always try to make your credentials better
(AMS Seal of Approval, Certified
Consulting Meteorologist (CCM), etc.)
Web sites for job-seekers
(bookmark these puppies on your home computer)
Nonbroadcast links
http://www.ametsoc.org/AMS
http://www.nwas.org/jobs.html
http://www.earthworks-jobs.com/clim.htm or http://www.earthworks-jobs.com
http://mrd3.nssl.ucar.edu/~dob/www/jobs.html
http://www.noaa.gov/jobs.html
http://www.met.psu.edu/Jobs/jobs/index.html
http://www.usajobs.opm.gov/a9noaa.htm or http://www.usajobs.opm.gov/
http://unr.edu/homepage/daved/jobs.html#met (links to many companies)
http://libwww.syr.edu/research/internet/earth/jobs.html#Job
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Met-Jobs/
http://www.ujobbank.com/
http://libwww.syr.edu/research/internet/earth/jobs.html
Broadcast links (you have to pay to post a resume/tape)
http://www.medialine.com/ or http://tvjobs.com/
If you wanna go to grad schoolhttp://www.ametsoc.org/AMS/curricula/index.html
For next time:
• Read last chapter (The Future of Earth)
• Burn your book 