Also called: Weather Radar Scientist
Studies and improves the weather radars that spot tornadoes, hail and flash floods.
You analyze radar scans from a supercell storm to find hidden tornado signatures, then test new radar software that could give warnings minutes earlier. Some days you drive a mobile radar truck to chase storms.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Doctorate (PhD), about 8 years after high school. PhD or master's in meteorology.
Ways in: 4-year college, Graduate school. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Meteorology, Atmospheric Science, Electrical Engineering.
Growing slowly (about 1% over 10 years). Atmospheric scientists overall.
Medium risk for 10 years. AI spots tornado signatures in radar automatically; building new radar methods and field chases stay human.
Classes: AP Physics C, AP Calculus, AP 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.