Also called: Transportation Meteorologist, Winter Maintenance Meteorologist
Predicts ice, snow and fog on highways so road crews know exactly when to pre-salt, plow or close roads.
At 3 a.m. you watch sensors buried in a bridge deck drop toward freezing and tell the state DOT to send salt trucks before the morning commute. Your forecast decides whether hundreds of plow drivers get called in. In summer you forecast heat that buckles pavement and fog for trucking companies.
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.
Ways in: 4-year college. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Meteorology, Atmospheric Science.
Growing about average. Small niche, but every snowy state and many private firms need it.
Medium risk for 10 years. AI weather models already beat many manual forecasts; translating them into 'salt now' calls and staying on call in storms stay human.
Classes: Physics, AP Calculus, Earth science.
Official data: O*NET occupation 19-2021.
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