Weather forecaster vs hydrometeorological technician

The differences between weather forecasters and hydrometeorological technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a weather forecaster has an average salary of $64,204, which is higher than the $50,674 average annual salary of a hydrometeorological technician.

The top three skills for a weather forecaster include DOD, weather warnings and computer system. The most important skills for a hydrometeorological technician are data acquisition, , and .

Weather forecaster vs hydrometeorological technician overview

	Weather Forecaster	Hydrometeorological Technician
Yearly salary	$64,204	$50,674
Hourly rate	$30.87	$24.36
Growth rate	4%	4%
Number of jobs	427	11,460
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 52%	Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Average age	40	40
Years of experience	-	-

Weather forecaster vs hydrometeorological technician salary

Weather forecasters and hydrometeorological technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Weather Forecaster	Hydrometeorological Technician
Average salary	$64,204	$50,674
Salary range	Between $36,000 And $114,000	Between $24,000 And $105,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between weather forecaster and hydrometeorological technician education

There are a few differences between a weather forecaster and a hydrometeorological technician in terms of educational background:

	Weather Forecaster	Hydrometeorological Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 52%	Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Most common major	Meteorology	Criminal Justice
Most common college	SUNY Stony Brook	Florida State University

Weather forecaster vs hydrometeorological technician demographics

Here are the differences between weather forecasters' and hydrometeorological technicians' demographics:

	Weather Forecaster	Hydrometeorological Technician
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 70.9% Female, 29.1%	Male, 100.0% Female, 0.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 3.6% Unknown, 7.8% Hispanic or Latino, 6.6% Asian, 7.1% White, 74.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%	Black or African American, 2.5% Unknown, 7.4% Hispanic or Latino, 5.4% Asian, 5.4% White, 78.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	12%	12%

Differences between weather forecaster and hydrometeorological technician duties and responsibilities

Weather forecaster example responsibilities.

Obtain certification from NWS; disseminate hourly METAR's and SPECI's as needed.
Work regularly with the ASOS and various weather relate web sites such as JAAWIN, NOAA and NRL.
Disseminate METARs and SPECIs locally and longline to NOAA.
Analyze GFS models for changes in temperature, precipitation, and visibility.
Predict the next micro and macro trends in fashion and lifestyle before they emerge.
Observe and report current weather conditions at the airport for pilots and NOAA weather statistics.

Hydrometeorological technician example responsibilities.

Manage client relations and coordinate the project effectively between onsite and offshore.
Complete WSR-88D HMT training course.
Skil in HTML, composing numerous web stories, and write local office tutorials.
Coordinate daily scrum meeting with project team members helping to facilitate communication, maximize productivity and resolve issues early.
Provide greenhouse construction and irrigation installation instruction and supervise experience to students.

Weather forecaster vs hydrometeorological technician skills

Common weather forecaster skills

DOD, 21%
Weather Warnings, 15%
Computer System, 10%
Weather Data, 5%
Flight Safety, 5%
Combat, 4%

Common hydrometeorological technician skills

Data Acquisition, 100%

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Weather Forecaster vs Hydrometeorological Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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