Operational Meteorologist

Operational Meteorologist Salary

$37K

$98.5K

$121.5K

$96,278

/year

$46.29

/hour

Operational Meteorologist Salary Comparison by Location

Nationwide

United States

$96,278

Columbus

Ohio

$92,995

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    How much does an Operational Meteorologist make?

    As of Aug 14, 2026, the average annual pay for an Operational Meteorologist in the United States is $96,278 a year.

    Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $46.29 an hour. This is the equivalent of $1,851/week or $8,023/month.

    While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $121,500 and as low as $37,000, the majority of Operational Meteorologist salaries currently range between $98,500 (25th percentile) to $98,500 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $111,500 annually across the United States. The average pay range for an Operational Meteorologist varies little (about 0), which suggests that regardless of location, there are not many opportunities for increased pay or advancement, even with several years of experience.

    An Operational Meteorologist in your area makes on average $92,995 per year, or $3,283 (3.410%) less than the national average annual salary of $96,278. Ohio ranks number 30 out of 50 states nationwide for Operational Meteorologist salaries.

    To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Operational Meteorologist jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.

    Find your next high paying job as an Operational Meteorologist on ZipRecruiter today.

    What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Operational Meteorologist Jobs

    We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for an Operational Meteorologist job is above the national average. Topping the list is Palmdale, CA, , with Barrow, AK, and Nome, AK, close behind in the second and third positions. Nome, AK, beats the national average by $23,155 (24.1%), and Palmdale, CA, furthers that trend with another $47,133 (49.0%) above the $96,278 average.

    With these 10 cities having average salaries higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as an Operational Meteorologist appears to be exceedingly fruitful.

    However, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies modestly at 23% between Palmdale, CA, and Sunnyvale, CA, , suggesting it may be difficult to see much positive wage advancement. The possibility of a lower cost of living may help determine the balance between location and salary for an Operational Meteorologist role.

    City

    Annual Salary

    Hourly Wage

    Palmdale, CA

    $143,411

    $68.95

    Barrow, AK

    $119,941

    $57.66

    Nome, AK

    $119,433

    $57.42

    National, MD

    $117,980

    $56.72

    Berkeley, CA

    $117,887

    $56.68

    Sitka, AK

    $115,984

    $55.76

    San Bruno, CA

    $115,022

    $55.30

    San Francisco, CA

    $113,432

    $54.53

    Santa Clara, CA

    $113,073

    $54.36

    Sunnyvale, CA

    $112,997

    $54.33

    What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Operational Meteorologist Jobs in the U.S.

    We found a few related jobs that pay more than jobs in the Operational Meteorologist category.

    For example Film Director jobs pay as much as $21,202 (22.0%) more than the average Operational Meteorologist salary of $96,278. If you're qualified, finding work as an Film Director may help you make more money than that of the average Operational Meteorologist position.

    Job Title

    Annual Salary

    Hourly Wage

    Film Director

    $117,480

    $56.48

    Quantum Scientist

    $96,318

    $46.31

    Hebrew Teacher

    $67,499

    $32.45

    Rmsks

    $54,791

    $26.34

    Ielts Teacher

    $54,168

    $26.04

    About Our Data

    ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.

    Infographic detailing Operational Meteorologist salary across the United States as of August 2026. Displays a bar chart with salary percentiles, a national average salary of $96,278 per year or $46.29 an hour, and a color-coded map showing state-by-state salary variations.