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Operational Meteorologist Jobs (NOW HIRING)

GRAY TELEVISION

METEOROLOGIST - WWBT

Richmond, VA

WWBT, Richmond's #1 news team, is seeking a dynamic and engaging meteorologist to join our First ... weather operations. - Ability to communicate clearly and confidently in high-pressure, live ...

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Operational Meteorologist information

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How much do operational meteorologist jobs pay per year?

As of Jul 17, 2026, the average yearly pay for operational meteorologist in the United States is $96,278.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $98,500.00 and $98,500.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What does a typical day look like for an Operational Meteorologist?

A typical day for an Operational Meteorologist includes analyzing weather data from satellites, radars, and observation stations to generate short-term and long-term forecasts. You'll be tasked with updating forecasts throughout your shift, delivering briefings to stakeholders such as emergency management teams or media outlets, and issuing alerts for severe weather conditions as necessary. The role often involves shift work, including nights and weekends, to provide 24/7 coverage. Collaboration with other meteorologists, IT specialists, and sometimes public safety officials is common, making teamwork and clear communication crucial parts of the job.

What does an operational meteorologist do?

An operational meteorologist analyzes weather data and forecasts to provide timely weather information for decision-making in sectors like aviation, shipping, or emergency management. They use tools such as weather models, radar, and satellite imagery, often working in shifts to ensure continuous coverage and accuracy.

Is there a high demand for meteorologists?

Operational meteorologists are in moderate demand, especially in sectors like weather forecasting, aviation, and emergency management. Employment growth is driven by the need for accurate weather predictions and climate analysis, with a typical requirement for specialized training and certifications. Job prospects can vary based on geographic location and industry needs.

What is the highest paying meteorologist job?

The highest paying meteorologist roles are typically senior positions such as chief meteorologists, atmospheric scientists, or meteorology directors, often found in government agencies, private industry, or research institutions. These roles usually require advanced degrees, extensive experience, and specialized skills, and they can offer salaries exceeding $150,000 annually.

Is meteorology being replaced by AI?

Operational meteorologists use AI and machine learning tools to improve weather forecasting accuracy and data analysis. While AI enhances certain tasks, human expertise remains essential for interpreting complex weather patterns and making critical decisions. AI is a complement, not a replacement, for meteorologists' skills and judgment.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive in the Operational Meteorologist position, and why are they important?

To thrive as an Operational Meteorologist, you need a solid background in atmospheric sciences, data analysis, and weather forecasting, typically supported by a degree in meteorology or a related field. Familiarity with meteorological software, radar systems, and tools like AWIPS (Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System) is essential, and certifications from organizations such as the American Meteorological Society can be advantageous. Strong communication, teamwork, and decision-making skills are important for conveying complex weather data to varied audiences and collaborating effectively. These competencies enable operational meteorologists to provide accurate forecasts and timely warnings, ensuring public safety and supporting critical industries.

What does an Operational Meteorologist do?

An Operational Meteorologist analyzes weather data, creates forecasts, and provides real-time weather warnings to help industries and the public make informed decisions. They use radar, satellite imagery, and computer models to monitor atmospheric conditions. These professionals often work in government agencies, broadcasting, aviation, or private weather services, ensuring timely and accurate weather information.

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Operational Meteorologist jobs near you
Infographic showing various Operational Meteorologist job openings in the United States as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 86% Full Time, 6% Part Time, and 8% Contract. Highlights an 90% In-person, 2% Hybrid, and 8% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $96,278 per year, or $46.3 per hour.
Lead Software Engineer, Meteorological Technologies

Lead Software Engineer, Meteorological Technologies

The Weather Company

Atlanta, GA • On-site

Other

Medical, Dental, Vision, Retirement

Posted 21 days ago

Job description

About The Weather Company:

The Weather Company is the world's leading weather provider, helping people and businesses make more informed decisions and take action in the face of weather. Together with advanced technology and AI, The Weather Company's high-volume weather data, insights, advertising, and media solutions across the open web help people, businesses, and brands around the world prepare for and harness the power of weather in a scalable, privacy-forward way. The world's most accurate forecaster globally, the company reaches hundreds of enterprise clients and more than 360 million monthly active users via its digital properties from The Weather Channel (weather.com) and Weather Underground (wunderground.com).

Job brief:

As a Lead Software Engineer of Meteorological Technologies at The Weather Company, you will transform meteorological operations by strategically building meteorological tools and applying intelligent workflow automation and AI where they deliver real value. You'll partner with our 24x7 Forecast Operations team to evaluate emerging automation tools, build practical solutions and unlock higher productivity from our meteorologists.

This is both a leadership and hands-on technical role requiring someone who can co-design, build, manage, sustain and rapidly evolve cloud-based technology solutions in an operational meteorological environment, co-architect AI workflows and assess cutting-edge tools with discernment, and influence-often across multiple projects simultaneously. You'll aggressively evaluate AI capabilities in partnership with science and technology colleagues while thoughtfully deploying them in trustworthy ways, knowing when AI adds value versus when traditional solutions are smarter, and building pragmatic intelligent systems that operational meteorologists actually use.

The impact you'll make:

  • Build, maintain, and leverage intelligent meteorological tools and workflow automation using AI and traditional software
  • Unlock value by adding capacity to meteorological operations through automation, capturing expertise, and integrating solutions across consumer and business verticals
  • Aggressively evaluate emerging AI tools and traditional software while thoughtfully assessing which platforms deliver trustworthy, practical value for our operations
  • Partner with meteorologists and developers to co-create solutions through collaboration, not top-down directives
  • Make pragmatic technology decisions balancing innovation with operational reliability, feasibility, simplicity, cost, and effectiveness
  • Manage multiple concurrent projects, advancing 3-5+ initiatives from assessment through production deployment and sustaining engineering
  • Influence technical direction across Science & Technology development and operational support teams beyond your direct scope
  • Champion thoughtful AI adoption, helping teams embrace intelligent automation while maintaining trust and reliability
  • Bring order where there is chaos, creating workflow efficiency where manual processes and inefficiencies currently exist
  • Modernize select legacy systems by proposing sustainable replacements when they block automation opportunities

What you've accomplished:

  • 7+ years in cloud-based (e.g., AWS) solutions architecture, software development, DevOps, or related technical roles
  • Domain experience in meteorology, weather forecasting, aviation, or scientific operations
  • Production software delivery across the full lifecycle from design to deployment to support
  • 24x7 operational environments - worked with mission-critical systems where trustworthiness and reliability matter
  • Multi-project execution - successfully managed 3-5+ concurrent technical initiatives to completion
  • AI-assisted development - practical experience using AI coding assistants such as V0, GitHub CoPilot, Cursor to accelerate development workflows.
  • LLM and modern AI integration - practical experience with APIs, prompt engineering, RAG, agentic workflows, or similar capabilities
  • Multi-language programming - proficiency in Python, JavaScript/TypeScript, Go, or similar languages
  • Modern web development - experience with React, Next.js, or similar frameworks for building production web applications
  • Both AI and traditional solutions - comfortable building with or without AI based on what the problem requires.
  • API design and integration - connecting AI or other systems with existing tools and building maintainable architectures
  • System modernization - successfully replaced or upgraded operational systems when needed
  • Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, AI/ML, Meteorology, or a related field (or equivalent experience)

Working Style, Judgment, and Collaborative Skills:

  • Hands-on contributor - writes code and builds workflows, not just directs others
  • Pragmatic decision-maker - ships simple, effective solutions over complex, perfect ones
  • AI innovator with discernment - aggressively evaluates emerging tools but applies critical judgment about practical, trustworthy application
  • Systems thinker - understands dependencies, integration points, and how solutions fit into larger workflows
  • Customer-focused - treats internal teams as valued customers and solves real operational problems
  • Balanced risk-taker - pushes for innovation while ensuring solutions are reliable and maintainable
  • Comfortable with ambiguity - thrives when creating structure where little exists
  • Cross-functional partnership - delivered solutions by collaborating with non-technical domain experts
  • Influence without authority - achieved adoption and buy-in across organizational boundaries
  • Change management - helped teams successfully adopt new technologies while maintaining confidence

Nice To Have

  • Frontend/backend coordination: experience building or leading the development of full-stack web applications with API integrations using modern hosting platforms and serverless architectures
  • Experience deploying and managing web apps on Vercel or comparable hosting services
  • Practical AI deployment - built and shipped AI solutions that solve real operational problems with appropriate monitoring and safeguards
  • Advanced AI techniques - vector databases, embeddings, semantic search, RAG, or multi-agent orchestration patterns
  • DevOps practices - CI/CD pipelines, infrastructure as code, containerization, monitoring, and observability
  • Process mining and optimization - formal experience identifying and quantifying automation opportunities
  • Technology evaluation frameworks - made pragmatic build/buy/AI decisions using structured analysis balancing innovation with reliability
  • Master's degree or higher in Computer Science, Engineering, AI/ML, Meteorology, or a related field (or equivalent experience)
TWCo Benefits/Perks:
  • Flexible Time Off program
  • Hybrid work model
  • Variety of medical insurance options including a $0 cost premium employee coverage
  • Benefits effective day 1 of employment include competitive 401K match with no vesting requirement, national health, dental, and vision plans
  • Progressive family plan benefits
  • An opportunity to work for a global and industry-leading technology company
  • Impactful work in a collaborative environment

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