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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2018

19-2021 Atmospheric and Space Scientists

Investigate atmospheric phenomena and interpret meteorological data, gathered by surface and air stations, satellites, and radar to prepare reports and forecasts for public and other uses. Includes weather analysts and forecasters whose functions require the detailed knowledge of meteorology.


National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation: Top

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
9,310 3.9 % $45.95 $95,580 1.2 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $24.06 $33.36 $45.25 $55.81 $68.51
Annual Wage (2) $50,040 $69,380 $94,110 $116,090 $142,500


Industry profile for this occupation: Top

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation) 2,830 0.14 $49.70 $103,370
Scientific Research and Development Services 1,570 0.23 $52.82 $109,870
Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 1,490 0.20 $35.73 $74,320
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools 1,110 0.04 $43.46 $90,400
Radio and Television Broadcasting 900 0.41 $45.81 $95,280

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Radio and Television Broadcasting 900 0.41 $45.81 $95,280
Scientific Research and Development Services 1,570 0.23 $52.82 $109,870
Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 1,490 0.20 $35.73 $74,320
Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation) 2,830 0.14 $49.70 $103,370
Cable and Other Subscription Programming 50 0.10 (8) (8)

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Scientific Research and Development Services 1,570 0.23 $52.82 $109,870
Securities, Commodity Contracts, and Other Financial Investments and Related Activities 40 (7) $49.89 $103,760
Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation) 2,830 0.14 $49.70 $103,370
Computer Systems Design and Related Services (8) (8) $47.90 $99,630
Radio and Television Broadcasting 900 0.41 $45.81 $95,280


Geographic profile for this occupation: Top

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Colorado 1,160 0.44 6.85 $46.58 $96,890
Texas 650 0.05 0.83 $45.10 $93,810
California 640 0.04 0.58 $49.05 $102,020
Maryland 500 0.19 2.90 $52.96 $110,150
New York 460 0.05 0.76 $43.19 $89,840




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Alaska 170 0.55 8.52 $41.34 $85,980
Colorado 1,160 0.44 6.85 $46.58 $96,890
Wyoming 80 0.28 4.33 $42.26 $87,910
Oklahoma 340 0.22 3.34 $39.41 $81,970
Utah 290 0.20 3.12 $41.89 $87,130




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
District of Columbia 40 0.05 0.79 $66.36 $138,020
New Mexico 100 0.12 1.94 $53.41 $111,090
Maryland 500 0.19 2.90 $52.96 $110,150
Virginia 330 0.09 1.35 $52.08 $108,330
Kentucky 70 0.04 0.56 $51.18 $106,450





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 700 0.22 3.46 $54.48 $113,320
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 370 0.04 0.60 $50.72 $105,500
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 260 0.09 1.45 $49.54 $103,050
Kansas City, MO-KS 250 0.24 3.68 $44.21 $91,950
Salt Lake City, UT 230 0.32 4.95 $39.59 $82,340
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 220 0.07 1.14 $47.53 $98,860
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 180 0.09 1.41 $42.72 $88,870
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 150 0.04 0.67 $47.72 $99,250
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 150 0.06 0.98 $43.16 $89,760
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 140 0.06 0.86 $44.04 $91,600




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Anchorage, AK 110 0.66 10.24 $40.34 $83,910
Huntsville, AL 140 0.60 9.38 $54.07 $112,470
Salt Lake City, UT 230 0.32 4.95 $39.59 $82,340
Lubbock, TX 40 0.26 4.01 $42.15 $87,680
Kansas City, MO-KS 250 0.24 3.68 $44.21 $91,950
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 700 0.22 3.46 $54.48 $113,320
Tallahassee, FL 40 0.22 3.42 $38.04 $79,120
Jackson, MS 50 0.20 3.16 $37.68 $78,370
Ann Arbor, MI 40 0.19 2.94 $41.93 $87,210
Trenton, NJ 40 0.16 2.45 $41.44 $86,190




Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC (8) (8) (8) $55.13 $114,670
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 700 0.22 3.46 $54.48 $113,320
Huntsville, AL 140 0.60 9.38 $54.07 $112,470
Urban Honolulu, HI 50 0.11 1.65 $51.07 $106,230
Cleveland-Elyria, OH 30 0.03 0.49 $50.86 $105,780
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 370 0.04 0.60 $50.72 $105,500
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI 40 0.02 0.29 $50.38 $104,790
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI (8) (8) (8) $49.91 $103,810
St. Louis, MO-IL 30 0.02 0.36 $49.67 $103,310
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 260 0.09 1.45 $49.54 $103,050

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Alaska nonmetropolitan area 40 0.40 6.15 $40.32 $83,870
South Nebraska nonmetropolitan area 30 0.23 3.56 $42.85 $89,130
Kansas nonmetropolitan area 30 0.09 1.36 $43.87 $91,250

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Alaska nonmetropolitan area 40 0.40 6.15 $40.32 $83,870
South Nebraska nonmetropolitan area 30 0.23 3.56 $42.85 $89,130
Kansas nonmetropolitan area 30 0.09 1.36 $43.87 $91,250

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Kansas nonmetropolitan area 30 0.09 1.36 $43.87 $91,250
South Nebraska nonmetropolitan area 30 0.23 3.56 $42.85 $89,130
Alaska nonmetropolitan area 40 0.40 6.15 $40.32 $83,870


About May 2018 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(7) The value is less than .005 percent of industry employment.

(8) Estimate not released.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OES estimates and related information:

May 2018 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2018 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2018 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2018 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2018 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 29, 2019