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Best states for a meteorologist
Quoted expert
Shel McGuire
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Do you want to become a meteorologist at US Air Conditioning Distributors, and you wonder what that means or entails? We have the full list of best states for meteorologists that you can check out, before you begin your journey. Our research found that Maine is the best state for meteorologists, while Illinois and Maine are ranked highest in terms of median salary. Maine has a median salary of $96,760 and Illinois has the highest median salary among all 50 states for meteorologists.
The median salary for meteorologists in Maine is $96,760. Compare that to the median salary in Alabama of $51,936, which ranked worst for meteorologists, and you can see how your location is important for your career.Maine is the best state, and Waukegan is the city with the highest pay for meteorologists.
10 best states for meteorologists in 2026
1. Maine
Total meteorologist jobs: 49 Average annual salary: $96,760 Lowest 10 percent earn: $60,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $153,000 Location Quotient: 3.37
2. Alaska
Total meteorologist jobs: 37 Average annual salary: $95,456 Lowest 10 percent earn: $61,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $148,000 Location Quotient: 4.04
3. Illinois
Total meteorologist jobs: 116 Average annual salary: $100,310 Lowest 10 percent earn: $63,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $157,000 Location Quotient: 0.89
4. Wisconsin
Total meteorologist jobs: 69 Average annual salary: $87,906 Lowest 10 percent earn: $55,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $138,000 Location Quotient: 1.14
5. North Dakota
Total meteorologist jobs: 33 Average annual salary: $79,102 Lowest 10 percent earn: $50,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $123,000 Location Quotient: 3.24
6. West Virginia
Total meteorologist jobs: 36 Average annual salary: $78,088 Lowest 10 percent earn: $49,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $123,000 Location Quotient: 2.15
7. Idaho
Total meteorologist jobs: 26 Average annual salary: $84,636 Lowest 10 percent earn: $52,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $136,000 Location Quotient: 1.44
8. Indiana
Total meteorologist jobs: 61 Average annual salary: $86,379 Lowest 10 percent earn: $54,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $136,000 Location Quotient: 0.85
9. California
Total meteorologist jobs: 450 Average annual salary: $87,251 Lowest 10 percent earn: $54,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $139,000 Location Quotient: 1.4
10. Ohio
Total meteorologist jobs: 101 Average annual salary: $78,469 Lowest 10 percent earn: $49,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $123,000 Location Quotient: 0.9
Meteorologist jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a meteorologist
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a meteorologist
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maine | $96,760 | $60,000 | 1,335,907 | 49 |
| 2 | Alaska | $95,456 | $61,000 | 739,795 | 37 |
| 3 | Illinois | $100,310 | $63,000 | 12,802,023 | 116 |
| 4 | Wisconsin | $87,906 | $55,000 | 5,795,483 | 69 |
| 5 | North Dakota | $79,102 | $50,000 | 755,393 | 33 |
| 6 | West Virginia | $78,088 | $49,000 | 1,815,857 | 36 |
| 7 | Idaho | $84,636 | $52,000 | 1,716,943 | 26 |
| 8 | Indiana | $86,379 | $54,000 | 6,666,818 | 61 |
| 9 | California | $87,251 | $54,000 | 39,536,653 | 450 |
| 10 | Ohio | $78,469 | $49,000 | 11,658,609 | 101 |
| 11 | New Mexico | $75,982 | $47,000 | 2,088,070 | 31 |
| 12 | Maryland | $90,006 | $57,000 | 6,052,177 | 48 |
| 13 | Michigan | $81,778 | $52,000 | 9,962,311 | 46 |
| 14 | Kentucky | $72,093 | $45,000 | 4,454,189 | 51 |
| 15 | Massachusetts | $85,049 | $54,000 | 6,859,819 | 49 |
| 16 | Montana | $70,796 | $44,000 | 1,050,493 | 21 |
| 17 | Utah | $79,054 | $49,000 | 3,101,833 | 13 |
| 18 | Mississippi | $75,085 | $46,000 | 2,984,100 | 17 |
| 19 | Nebraska | $76,442 | $48,000 | 1,920,076 | 17 |
| 20 | Missouri | $76,300 | $48,000 | 6,113,532 | 48 |
| 21 | Connecticut | $70,607 | $45,000 | 3,588,184 | 90 |
| 22 | Oklahoma | $69,983 | $43,000 | 3,930,864 | 48 |
| 23 | Rhode Island | $70,853 | $45,000 | 1,059,639 | 16 |
| 24 | South Dakota | $70,102 | $44,000 | 869,666 | 13 |
| 25 | Arkansas | $69,055 | $43,000 | 3,004,279 | 39 |
| 26 | Texas | $71,856 | $44,000 | 28,304,596 | 183 |
| 27 | Tennessee | $70,298 | $44,000 | 6,715,984 | 47 |
| 28 | Colorado | $72,219 | $45,000 | 5,607,154 | 50 |
| 29 | Louisiana | $70,157 | $43,000 | 4,684,333 | 29 |
| 30 | South Carolina | $69,531 | $43,000 | 5,024,369 | 43 |
| 31 | Vermont | $67,936 | $42,000 | 623,657 | 13 |
| 32 | District of Columbia | $67,731 | $43,000 | 693,972 | 38 |
| 33 | Nevada | $65,164 | $40,000 | 2,998,039 | 29 |
| 34 | New Hampshire | $69,476 | $44,000 | 1,342,795 | 14 |
| 35 | New Jersey | $71,457 | $45,000 | 9,005,644 | 39 |
| 36 | Oregon | $69,630 | $43,000 | 4,142,776 | 32 |
| 37 | Georgia | $69,465 | $43,000 | 10,429,379 | 65 |
| 38 | Florida | $60,535 | $38,000 | 20,984,400 | 282 |
| 39 | New York | $71,505 | $45,000 | 19,849,399 | 60 |
| 40 | Washington | $58,258 | $36,000 | 7,405,743 | 126 |
| 41 | Delaware | $69,138 | $44,000 | 961,939 | 4 |
| 42 | Iowa | $59,409 | $37,000 | 3,145,711 | 44 |
| 43 | Wyoming | $52,789 | $33,000 | 579,315 | 18 |
| 44 | Virginia | $61,737 | $39,000 | 8,470,020 | 110 |
| 45 | Pennsylvania | $59,957 | $38,000 | 12,805,537 | 109 |
| 46 | Arizona | $58,899 | $36,000 | 7,016,270 | 62 |
| 47 | Hawaii | $54,462 | $40,000 | 1,427,538 | 9 |
| 48 | Kansas | $57,119 | $36,000 | 2,913,123 | 25 |
| 49 | Minnesota | $56,357 | $35,000 | 5,576,606 | 71 |
| 50 | North Carolina | $56,318 | $35,000 | 10,273,419 | 84 |
| 51 | Alabama | $51,936 | $32,000 | 4,874,747 | 23 |
Highest paying states for meteorologists
| Rank | State | Avg. Meteorologist Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maine | $96,760 |
| 2 | Alaska | $95,456 |
| 3 | Illinois | $100,310 |
| 4 | Wisconsin | $87,906 |
| 5 | North Dakota | $79,102 |
| 6 | West Virginia | $78,088 |
| 7 | Idaho | $84,636 |
| 8 | Indiana | $86,379 |
| 9 | California | $87,251 |
| 10 | Ohio | $78,469 |
| 11 | New Mexico | $75,982 |
| 12 | Maryland | $90,006 |
| 13 | Michigan | $81,778 |
| 14 | Kentucky | $72,093 |
| 15 | Massachusetts | $85,049 |
| 16 | Montana | $70,796 |
| 17 | Utah | $79,054 |
| 18 | Mississippi | $75,085 |
| 19 | Nebraska | $76,442 |
| 20 | Missouri | $76,300 |
| 21 | Connecticut | $70,607 |
| 22 | Oklahoma | $69,983 |
| 23 | Rhode Island | $70,853 |
| 24 | South Dakota | $70,102 |
| 25 | Arkansas | $69,055 |
| 26 | Texas | $71,856 |
| 27 | Tennessee | $70,298 |
| 28 | Colorado | $72,219 |
| 29 | Louisiana | $70,157 |
| 30 | South Carolina | $69,531 |
| 31 | Vermont | $67,936 |
| 32 | District of Columbia | $67,731 |
| 33 | Nevada | $65,164 |
| 34 | New Hampshire | $69,476 |
| 35 | New Jersey | $71,457 |
| 36 | Oregon | $69,630 |
| 37 | Georgia | $69,465 |
| 38 | Florida | $60,535 |
| 39 | New York | $71,505 |
| 40 | Washington | $58,258 |
| 41 | Delaware | $69,138 |
| 42 | Iowa | $59,409 |
| 43 | Wyoming | $52,789 |
| 44 | Virginia | $61,737 |
| 45 | Pennsylvania | $59,957 |
| 46 | Arizona | $58,899 |
| 47 | Hawaii | $54,462 |
| 48 | Kansas | $57,119 |
| 49 | Minnesota | $56,357 |
| 50 | North Carolina | $56,318 |
| 51 | Alabama | $51,936 |
Expert opinions on the best states for meteorologists
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for meteorologists to find work opportunities?
Shel McGuire
Academic Program Specialist, Florida State University
There does not seem to be a particular area in the United States that is better or worse. Our students who get hired for broadcasting jobs get offers from all over the United States. Our students who go to graduate school also go to a variety of schools across the nation. For the students who have chosen the private sector, they tend to stay in major cities, such as Boston.
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Updated January 8, 2025