Also called: Wildfire Risk Meteorologist (Utility), Utility Weather Forecaster
Forecasts wind, heat and storms for an electric company, deciding where to stage repair crews and when to shut off power to prevent wildfires.
Dry winds are forecast for Thursday, so you run high-resolution models down to each canyon in the utility's territory. You brief executives on which circuits face the worst fire risk and whether to cut power to them. Later you check humidity sensors on the company's own weather stations.
Estimated from western US utility postings.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 4 years after high school. Bachelor's in meteorology or atmospheric science; many have a master's.
Ways in: 4-year college, Graduate school. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Meteorology, Atmospheric Science, Data Science.
Growing faster than average. Wildfire and storm risk have pushed many utilities to build in-house weather teams.
Medium risk for 10 years. AI weather models sharpen forecasts, but advising on power shutoffs that affect thousands of people stays human.
Classes: AP Physics, AP Calculus, Earth science, Computer science.
Official data: O*NET occupation 19-2021.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.