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Atmospheric Science Jobs (NOW HIRING)

The Pennsylvania State University

$36K - $53K/yr

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS: * CURRENT PENN STATE EMPLOYEE (faculty, staff, technical service, or student), please login to Workday to complete the internal application process. Please do not apply here ...

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How much do atmospheric science jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 11, 2026, the average yearly pay for atmospheric science in the United States is $76,130.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $40,000.00 and $104,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as an atmospheric scientist, and why are they important?

To thrive as an Atmospheric Scientist, you need a solid background in meteorology, mathematics, physics, and often an advanced degree in atmospheric or environmental science. Proficiency with data analysis tools, weather modeling software, remote sensing technologies, and programming languages like Python or MATLAB is typically required. Strong analytical thinking, problem-solving, and effective communication skills help you interpret data and share findings with diverse audiences. These skills and qualifications are crucial for accurately predicting weather patterns, understanding climate phenomena, and informing public safety and policy decisions.

What are some common challenges atmospheric scientists face when conducting field research?

Atmospheric scientists often encounter unpredictable weather, difficult terrain, and logistical hurdles when conducting field research. These challenges can impact the deployment of instruments, data collection, and project timelines. Effective planning, adaptability, and teamwork are essential for overcoming these obstacles and ensuring safety while gathering high-quality data. Collaborating closely with other scientists, engineers, and local stakeholders also helps in addressing unexpected issues and achieving research objectives.

What is the difference between Atmospheric Science vs Meteorology?

AspectAtmospheric ScienceMeteorology
Required CredentialsBachelor's or higher in atmospheric science, meteorology, or related fieldsBachelor's degree in meteorology or atmospheric sciences often required
Work EnvironmentResearch labs, universities, government agenciesWeather forecasting centers, TV stations, government agencies
Industry UsageResearch, academia, environmental consultingWeather prediction, broadcasting, operational forecasting

Atmospheric Science and Meteorology share overlapping credentials and work environments, but Atmospheric Science has a broader focus on research and environmental studies, while Meteorology is more oriented toward weather forecasting and operational services.

What is atmospheric science?

Atmospheric science is the study of the Earth's atmosphere, its processes, and how it interacts with the planet's surface and oceans. This field includes the investigation of weather patterns, climate change, air quality, and the transfer of energy within the atmosphere. Atmospheric scientists use observations, experiments, and computer models to predict weather, understand climate trends, and analyze environmental impacts. Careers in atmospheric science can include meteorology, climatology, and research on atmospheric chemistry and physics.

What are the qualifications to get a job in atmospheric science?

The qualifications to get a job in atmospheric science depend on the level and complexity of your responsibilities and the specific field in which you work. For many entry-level jobs, such as field workers, site researchers, and assistants, you need an associate or bachelor’s degree in climate science, meteorology, or atmospheric science. More advanced research or analytical work may require a master’s degree or Ph.D. Many atmospheric science jobs now include a significant data analysis component, so knowledge of R and other statistical software is essential. Strong analytical thinking and study skills are essential.

More about Atmospheric Science jobs
What cities are hiring for Atmospheric Science jobs? Cities with the most Atmospheric Science job openings:
What are the most commonly searched types of Atmospheric Science jobs? The most popular types of Atmospheric Science jobs are:
What states have the most Atmospheric Science jobs? States with the most job openings for Atmospheric Science jobs include:
What job categories do people searching Atmospheric Science jobs look for? The top searched job categories for Atmospheric Science jobs are:
Atmospheric Science jobs near you
Infographic showing various Atmospheric Science job openings in the United States as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% Internship, 1% As Needed, 74% Full Time, 20% Part Time, and 4% Contract. Highlights an 77% Physical, 4% Hybrid, and 19% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $76,130 per year, or $36.6 per hour.

Rainmaker Fellow, Atmospheric Instrumentation

Rainmaker Technology Corporation

El Segundo, CA • On-site

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision

Posted 19 days ago

Job description

About Rainmaker

Rainmaker is pioneering a modern cloud-seeding system to increase precipitation, improve water availability, and address severe-weather challenges. We combine atmospheric science, weather-resistant UAS, radar and satellite observations, numerical weather prediction, novel sensing systems, and sustainable seeding technologies to design, operate, and evaluate precipitation-enhancement programs.

Rainmaker is building new atmospheric instruments because proprietary, intervention-relevant observations are central to improving our forecasts and operations.

About the Fellowship

The Rainmaker Atmospheric Instrumentation Fellowship is a paid, full-time research and engineering appointment for exceptional undergraduate and graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, recent graduates, and other early-career researchers.

You will join Rainmaker's instrumentation team and work alongside our engineers and scientists on a scoped project drawn from the team's current development priorities and defined in close collaboration with your research lead or mentor. Project matching will consider available hardware and data, mentor capacity, team needs, and your background. You will take responsibility for a concrete experimental or engineering workstream while contributing to the design, testing, and review work of the broader team.

Fellows are not expected to own delivery of an entire instrument program. You will be expected to produce a rigorous, reusable result that advances one important part of it.

Examples of the Work

Fellowship projects change with Rainmaker's instrument-development priorities. Examples of the work our instrumentation team may pursue include:

  • Developing calibration and validation methods for an airborne cloud-particle imaging instrument.
  • Creating controlled targets, fixtures, and acceptance tests for optical or particle-sensing systems.
  • Characterizing measurement uncertainty and environmental sensitivity across laboratory, ground, and flight tests.
  • Designing comparisons between Rainmaker instruments and trusted reference instrumentation.
  • Prototyping a new optical, mechanical, electrical, data-acquisition, or atmospheric-sensing subsystem.
What You'll Do
  • Translate a scientific measurement need into a scoped experimental or engineering plan with your mentor.
  • Build, integrate, calibrate, or test hardware and analysis methods required by the assigned project.
  • Create repeatable calibration procedures for the agreed instrument metrics.
  • Characterize measurement uncertainty and sensitivity to environmental, mechanical, optical, electrical, or algorithmic factors.
  • Build fixtures, test equipment, data-acquisition workflows, and analysis software needed for validation.
  • Help design laboratory, ground, and flight comparisons against reference instrumentation.
  • Connect physical instrument behavior to measurement and retrieval quality.
  • Produce clear documentation, calibration records, acceptance criteria, and reusable analysis code.
  • Deliver a final artifact such as a validated dataset, calibration system, instrument prototype, test method, uncertainty analysis, or technical report.
What We're Looking For
  • Current undergraduate, master's, or PhD students; postdoctoral researchers; recent graduates; and other early-career researchers are all eligible.
  • Background in optical engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, physics, atmospheric science, experimental science, or a related field.
  • Strong hands-on experimental ability and willingness to build and troubleshoot hardware personally.
  • Quantitative programming and data-analysis ability.
  • Careful scientific judgment about calibration, uncertainty, repeatability, and validation.
  • Ability to take responsibility for a bounded workstream while collaborating closely with instrumentation engineers and scientists.
  • Availability for full-time, on-site work in El Segundo for the agreed appointment.
Particularly Relevant Experience
  • Digital holography, microscopy, particle imaging, lasers, high-speed cameras, lidar, aerosol instruments, cloud probes, or optical metrology.
  • Calibration fixtures, laboratory automation, uncertainty budgets, environmental testing, or acceptance testing.
  • Scientific Python, image processing, signal processing, or data acquisition.
  • Airborne, UAS-borne, field-deployed, or low-volume scientific instruments.
What Success Looks Like

By the end of the fellowship, you will have answered a clearly defined measurement or engineering question and delivered a documented result the instrumentation team can continue using. Depending on the project, that might be a calibrated prototype, validation dataset, test fixture, acceptance method, uncertainty analysis, or reusable analysis workflow.

Fellowship Details
  • Paid, full-time, and on-site in El Segundo.
  • Three-to-six-month appointment, with four months as the standard duration.
  • Rolling applications and project-specific start dates.
  • Attached directly to Rainmaker's instrumentation team with a named hands-on mentor.
  • Possible consideration for future full-time roles, without any promise or expectation of conversion.
  • Publication may be supported when it does not compromise Rainmaker intellectual property or operational know-how.
Compensation and Benefits

$8,000 per month

Benefits:

  • Full health coverage (medical, dental, and vision insurance)
  • Lunch provided when working in-office and a fully stocked kitchenette
  • Free EV charging at the HQ
$8,000 - $8,000 a month
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