How to hire a meteorologist

How to hire a meteorologist, step by step

Here's a step-by-step meteorologist hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a meteorologist job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new meteorologist
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a meteorologist do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your meteorologist job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a meteorologist for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A meteorologist's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, meteorologists from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   Here's a comparison of meteorologist salaries for various roles:

   Type of Meteorologist	Description	Hourly rate
   Meteorologist	Atmospheric scientists study the weather and climate, and how those conditions affect human activity and the earth in general.	$19-54
   Environmental Service Technician	An environmental service technician is an employee who works in a hospital or healthcare facility to maintain cleanliness and a healthy environment within the premises. Environmental service technicians are involved in traditional janitorial tasks as well as proper handling and disposal of biological waste... Show more	$12-17
   Environmental Technician	An environmental technician is responsible for identifying, evaluating, preventing, and controlling contamination of the environment. They study how it affects human health with the supervision of environmental engineers and environmental scientists... Show more	$14-24

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Doppler
   • Remote Sensing
   • Satellite Imagery
   • FAA
   • Radar Data
   • Atmospheric Administration
   • Public Appearances
   • Community Events
   • Social Media Sites
   • WSI
   • Weather Reports
   • Doppler Radar
   • Meteorological Data
   • News Stories

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Interpret highly complex satellite imagery and Doppler radar images.
   • Produce & deliver on-camera, weather reports.
   • Prepare and deliver current and extend weather forecasts, utilizing the latest WSI TruVuMax computer system.
   • Develop custom reports for severe weather outbreaks, tropical cyclone impacts, and river flooding potential.
   • Determine weather predictions using Doppler radar and satellite systems.
   • Provide weather information to producers, newsdesk, and television staff.

   More meteorologist duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the meteorologist job description is a good way to get more applicants. A meteorologist salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for a meteorologist in Kansas may be lower than in Illinois, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level meteorologist. Additionally, a meteorologist with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average meteorologist salary

   $68,815yearly

   $33.08 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level meteorologist salary

   $41,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 5, 2025

   Average meteorologist salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Illinois	$100,809	$48
   2	Maine	$97,415	$47
   3	California	$90,831	$44
   4	Maryland	$90,373	$43
   5	Massachusetts	$85,014	$41
   6	Utah	$78,529	$38
   7	North Dakota	$77,764	$37
   8	Ohio	$77,532	$37
   9	Nebraska	$76,734	$37
   10	West Virginia	$76,261	$37
   11	Missouri	$76,073	$37
   12	Texas	$72,947	$35
   13	Colorado	$72,190	$35
   14	New York	$71,636	$34
   15	Oklahoma	$70,487	$34
   16	Louisiana	$70,291	$34
   17	Tennessee	$70,290	$34
   18	Georgia	$69,436	$33
   19	Oregon	$69,386	$33
   20	South Carolina	$69,148	$33

   Average meteorologist salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Univision Communications	$97,718	$46.98
   2	Forest Manufacturing Co	$94,961	$45.65
   3	Centurum	$94,577	$45.47
   4	Brookhaven National Laboratory	$93,966	$45.18
   5	TDS	$92,848	$44.64
   6	NBCUniversal	$87,450	$42.04	2
   7	Sinclair Broadcast Group	$86,865	$41.76	20
   8	Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC	$84,475	$40.61
   9	I.M. Systems Group	$83,152	$39.98
   10	Spectrum	$82,171	$39.51
   11	The State of Oregon	$80,354	$38.63	6
   12	Nexstar Media Group	$77,928	$37.47	18
   13	The E.W. Scripps Company	$75,819	$36.45	2
   14	Systems Research Corporation	$74,175	$35.66
   15	Spire	$72,839	$35.02
   16	Gray Television	$72,075	$34.65	17
   17	Paramount	$70,494	$33.89	12
   18	WMSN FOX 47 News, Madison	$69,793	$33.55	3
   19	PPM	$69,313	$33.32
   20	TEGNA	$62,598	$30.10	9

4. Writing a meteorologist job description

   A meteorologist job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a meteorologist job description:

   Meteorologist job description example

   KTXS/KTXE in Abilene, Texas is looking for a morning show Meteorologist to join our #1 rated team. As our AM Meteorologist, you are responsible for the content of our weather forecasting and coverage across all platforms.
   The main day to day responsibilities of the role will include:
   
   * Forecasting, producing and presenting clear and concise weather casts, which tell a story and connect with viewers
   * Issue warnings and alerts, produce graphics and maps, and report live during weather events
   * Utilize social media during severe weather, as well as write weather stories
   * Make public appearances on behalf of the station
   * Work with Chief Meteorologist and News Director to plan and execute coverage.
   * Work with producers to determine relevant weather content in breaking and everyday situation.
   
   What skills do you need to be successful in our role?
   
   * Ability to tell memorable and meaningful stories, we value visual and compelling storytelling
   * Ability to demonstrate experience with active and visual live shots
   * In depth knowledge of forecasting
   * Ability to multitask while meeting deadlines and prioritizing tasks
   * Ability to work holidays, weekends, and other shifts as necessary
   * Bachelor's degree in Meteorology, or related field, or an equivalent combination of education and work-related experience
   
   Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc. is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer and Drug Free Workplace!
   
   About Us
   
   Make your mark in Media with Sinclair Broadcast Group, a diversified media company dedicated to connecting people with content everywhere! We have consistently led the broadcast industry since our inception, and now Sinclair owns the largest regional sports network business and one of the largest television broadcast portfolios in the country. Also, we have affiliations with all of the major broadcast networks, our own Tennis Channel, and several multicast networks including TBD and Comet. Our content is distributed over-the-air, on multi-video providers, and through our industry-leading digital media platforms. We also recently launched a free TV streaming service called STIRR. Our success is the direct result of our extraordinary employees and management team who believe in our vision and are dedicated to ensuring a great future for our employees. We are advancing the world of Media and want YOU to join our winning team!
   
   About the Team
   
   The life-blood of our organization is our people. We have a compelling story, a goal-oriented culture, and we take really good care of people. How good? Here is a glimpse: great benefits, open-door policy, upward mobility and a strong desire to see you succeed. Ready to be part of a winning team? Let's talk.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find meteorologists for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your meteorologist job on Zippia to find and recruit meteorologist candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with meteorologist candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new meteorologist

   Once you've found the meteorologist candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   To prepare for the new meteorologist first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire a meteorologist?