Meteorologist
A meteorologist collects, analyses, and interprets atmospheric and weather data to produce forecasts, warnings, and climate assessments for public safety, aviation, agriculture, and emergency management. They operate specialised monitoring equipment, process satellite and radar imagery, and apply meteorological models to predict weather patterns and detect severe weather phenomena.
What this job is
A meteorologist collects, analyses, and interprets atmospheric and weather data to produce forecasts, warnings, and climate assessments for public safety, aviation, agriculture, and emergency management. They operate specialised monitoring equipment, process satellite and radar imagery, and apply meteorological models to predict weather patterns and detect severe weather phenomena. Their work directly supports decision-making by the Bureau of Meteorology, aviation authorities, emergency services, and industry sectors dependent on accurate weather intelligence.
Are employers advertising this role?
Falling, down 57.6% over 5 years
Counted across a group of similar roles. These are three-month rolling averages of online job advertisements, not filled positions.
Source: Jobs and Skills Australia, Internet Vacancy Index.
Day-to-day
Collect atmospheric data using weather stations, radiosondes, anemometers, and barometric instruments in the field or remotely via automated networks. Process and quality-assure raw meteorological observations from ground stations, satellite sources, and radar networks before integration into forecasting systems. Operate and interpret outputs from numerical weather prediction models, including ACCESS-G and mesoscale models used by the Bureau of Meteorology. Analyse satellite imagery and radar data to detect and track weather systems such as cyclones, severe thunderstorms, and frontal boundaries. Produce routine weather forecasts and severe weather warnings compliant with Bureau of Meteorology protocols and standards. Issue aviation forecasts and TAFs (terminal aerodrome forecasts) meeting Civil Aviation Safety Authority requirements for flight operations. Monitor atmospheric conditions and issue alerts to emergency management agencies, state authorities, and local governments during hazardous weather events. Conduct climate trend analysis using long-term observational data and contribute to climate risk assessments for agriculture, water resources, and infrastructure planning.
Who does this now
About 690 people worked in this occupation across Australia at the 2021 Census.
What this role asks for
Bachelor degree or higher (ABS skill level 1)
Can employers fill these jobs
Employers hiring for this occupation were generally able to find suitable applicants in 2025. This measures how hard employers found it to fill jobs. It is not a count of jobs, and it does not say whether the occupation is growing.
Requirements
The standard entry pathway requires a bachelor degree or higher (ABS Skill Level 1). Specific qualification requirements vary by employer and state. Some employers may accept equivalent experience. Check yourcareer.gov.au for available courses and dewr.gov.au/skills-reform/free-tafe for subsidised training options.
The honest hard part
You'll need a science degree (usually physics or atmospheric science) plus often a postgrad qualification. Most jobs are with the Bureau of Meteorology, which has limited positions and doesn't grow much. Pay tops out below what engineers earn. Shift work including nights and weekends is standard during severe weather events. Your forecasts get publicly scrutinised when they're wrong.
Where the jobs are
The Bureau of Meteorology is the main employer. Most positions concentrate in capital cities. Regional offices exist but are smaller. Some roles work from home during routine analysis, but severe weather response requires being on-site. A handful of positions exist in aviation meteorology at major airports.
Pay
Published for ANZSCO unit group 2349, the wider group this job sits in, not for this job on its own.
This is the median for full-time employees who are not managers and are paid at the adult rate, before tax and salary sacrifice. It is a guide to what the work pays, not a wage rate.
Source: ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, customised report.
Skills
- Attention to Detailcore
- Data Entry and Accuracycore
- Digital Literacycore
- Problem Solvingcore
- Report Writingcore
- Reporting and Analyticscore
- Research and Analysiscore
- Risk Identificationcore
- Stakeholder Communicationcore
- Time Management and Prioritisationcore
- Verbal Communicationcore
- Written Communicationcore
- Adaptability and Flexibility
- Advise aircraft in hazardous conditions
- Basic Arithmetic and Numerical Accuracy
- Carry out meteorological research
- Continuous Learning and Upskilling
- Google Workspace (Docs, Sheets, Drive)
- Incident Reporting
- Microsoft Excel Data Management
- Power BI Reporting and Dashboards
- Process Documentation
- Regulatory and Legislative Awareness
- Team Collaboration
Which of these do you have?
Tick the ones you haveCommon questions
Sources
- ABS OSCA 2024, occupation definition and task statements
- ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, customised report.
- ABS, 2021 Census of Population and Housing based on usual place of residence (Custom Report). OSCA Experimental Estimates.
Role data is drawn from official Australian Government sources, and each figure names where it comes from. Where a role is not in the ABS classification, the page shows no government figures for it. Data may not reflect every local variation.
Last updated: 30 October 2026
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