Weather observer vs marine meteorologist

The differences between weather observers and marine meteorologists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a marine meteorologist has an average salary of $54,394, which is higher than the $51,408 average annual salary of a weather observer.

Weather observer vs marine meteorologist overview

	Weather Observer	Marine Meteorologist
Yearly salary	$51,408	$54,394
Hourly rate	$24.72	$26.15
Growth rate	4%	4%
Number of jobs	619	10,781
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 56%	Bachelor's Degree, 91%
Average age	40	40
Years of experience	-	-

Weather observer vs marine meteorologist salary

Weather observers and marine meteorologists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Weather Observer	Marine Meteorologist
Average salary	$51,408	$54,394
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $98,000	Between $27,000 And $108,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between weather observer and marine meteorologist education

There are a few differences between a weather observer and a marine meteorologist in terms of educational background:

	Weather Observer	Marine Meteorologist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 56%	Bachelor's Degree, 91%
Most common major	Meteorology	Meteorology
Most common college	SUNY Stony Brook	Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Weather observer vs marine meteorologist demographics

Here are the differences between weather observers' and marine meteorologists' demographics:

	Weather Observer	Marine Meteorologist
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 70.4% Female, 29.6%	Male, 81.8% Female, 18.2%
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 marine meteorologist 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.

Marine meteorologist example responsibilities.

Manage Longshore persons on a daily basis and ensure job duties are performed in an efficient and safe manner.
Engage in meteorological research and participate in NOAA weather briefings and forecasting activities.
Produce weather advisory and closely monitor inclement weather conditions for various locations involving forward deploy scientific teams throughout Antarctica.

Weather observer vs marine meteorologist 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 marine meteorologist skills

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Weather Observer
Weather Observer vs Marine Meteorologist

Updated January 8, 2025

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