Weather observer vs hydrometeorological technician

The differences between weather observers and hydrometeorological technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a weather observer has an average salary of $51,408, which is higher than the $50,674 average annual salary of a hydrometeorological technician.

The top three skills for a weather observer include DOD, federal aviation administration and radar. The most important skills for a hydrometeorological technician are data acquisition, , and .

Weather observer vs hydrometeorological technician overview

	Weather Observer	Hydrometeorological Technician
Yearly salary	$51,408	$50,674
Hourly rate	$24.72	$24.36
Growth rate	4%	4%
Number of jobs	619	11,460
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 56%	Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Average age	40	40
Years of experience	-	-

Weather observer vs hydrometeorological technician salary

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

	Weather Observer	Hydrometeorological Technician
Average salary	$51,408	$50,674
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $98,000	Between $24,000 And $105,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between weather observer and hydrometeorological technician education

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

	Weather Observer	Hydrometeorological Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 56%	Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Most common major	Meteorology	Criminal Justice
Most common college	SUNY Stony Brook	Florida State University

Weather observer vs hydrometeorological technician demographics

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

	Weather Observer	Hydrometeorological Technician
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 70.4% Female, 29.6%	Male, 100.0% Female, 0.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 3.9% Unknown, 7.9% Hispanic or Latino, 6.9% Asian, 5.3% White, 75.5% 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 observer and hydrometeorological technician duties and responsibilities

Weather observer example responsibilities.

Assist in taking patient medical history and managing clinical patients and participate in medical team discussions regarding patient treatment plans.
Collect and plot coordinates using GPS units.
Answer requests for technical information regarding regional products from field meteorologists, DOD customers, and other users.
Prepare and release radiosondes, collect and disseminate upper air data using GPS navigational equipment and RRS software.
Produce up-to-date training seminars in PowerPoint.
Collect and disseminate marine weather observations from vessels in Alaskan waters.

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 observer vs hydrometeorological technician skills

Common weather observer skills

DOD, 18%
Federal Aviation Administration, 15%
Radar, 10%
Air Traffic Control, 6%
Data Quality Control, 6%
Weather Station, 6%

Common hydrometeorological technician skills

Data Acquisition, 100%

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Weather Observer
Weather Observer vs Hydrometeorological Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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