Also called: IMET, Fire Weather Forecaster
A National Weather Service forecaster who deploys to wildfires to predict wind and weather for firefighters.
IMETs set up a mobile weather station at fire camp, launch weather balloons, and brief crews every morning on wind shifts that could make a fire explode. A wrong forecast can put lives at risk.
Federal pay.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 6 years after high school. Bachelor's in meteorology; NWS forecaster experience and IMET training.
Ways in: 4-year college, Graduate school. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Meteorology, Atmospheric Science.
Growing slowly. Small specialty.
Low risk in 5 years, medium in 10. AI weather models forecast faster and better; on-scene briefings that crews trust stay 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.