How to become a

Climatology Professor

Climatology Professorcareers in the U.S. (Atmospheric and Space Scientists) earn a national median of $99,070 per year (May 2025), with a typical entry of master's degree.

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Climatology Professor at a glance

Median yearly pay
$99,070
National estimate · May 2025
Median hourly
$48
Annual median ÷ 2,080 hours
U.S. workers
10K
In the published occupation · May 2025
Typical entry
Master's degree
Usual entry-level education (BLS OOH)

Where pay actually lands

May 2025 · national

Reading the band: 10% of workers earn below the left edge, 90% earn below the right edge, and the marker is the median. BLS publishes all four edges for this occupation.

$53,060$99,070 median$161,890

10th to 90th percentile, national median pay · May 2025

10th percentile

$53,060

25th percentile

$73,350

75th percentile

$129,960

90th percentile

$161,890

A median is the middle: half of workers earn more, half earn less. It is a snapshot of the national occupation, not a promise for any single job, offer, or region.

The education path

Degrees that lead here

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The usual starting education for climatology professor is master's degree. Compare that with what programs are actually available online.

How to become a

How to become a Climatology Professor

A climatology professor career in the United States is what the Bureau of Labor Statistics tracks as the occupation Atmospheric and Space Scientists. The route in is straightforward: start with the education BLS reports as typical, compare that with the online programs that lead to the role, and use the pay figures below as a realistic starting point.

The education path

BLS reports the typical entry point for climatology professor as a master's degree. A master's degree is usually one to two years of study on top of a bachelor's degree.

That degree is the standard first step, and it is the level most online programs are built around. Students cover general requirements first, then the major coursework tied to the occupation, and many move from a two-year program into a full bachelor's degree without starting over.

The directory's finder routes for life & physical science set up a general program search, so you can compare what is actually available online before committing to a level.

What the work pays

Nationally, the occupation Atmospheric and Space Scientists reported a median of $99,070 per year in the May 2025 OEWS estimate. BLS derives an hourly figure from a standard 2,080-hour year, which puts this career at about $48 per hour.

Most published earnings for the occupation fall between $53,060 and $161,890 per year. Half of all reported workers earn between $73,350 and $129,960, and local markets move within that wider band, so use it when you compare regions and employers.

Across the country, the published occupation counts 10,000 workers, reported nationally as Atmospheric and Space Scientists for the 2025 reference year. A national median is a snapshot of the whole occupation, not a promise for one job, offer, or region.

Ways in and what comes next

The direct route in matches the published entry level: a master's degree. From there, most progression happens on the job, and pay typically rises with experience within the band above.

Careers that sit next to climatology professor in the same field are worth comparing before you commit, including Climatologist at $99,070 per year, Storm Chaser at $99,070 per year, Meteorologist at $99,070 per year. Each has its own page with the same published-source pay band, so the comparison is apples to apples.

Already thinking about switching? The degree finder asks what you enjoy and what you want from a career, then returns programs that match your answers. Nothing in the results is ordered by payment, and no school can buy a higher position.

The honest version

Every figure on this page comes from published BLS data or the career directory behind the site; nothing is estimated, interpolated, or inflated. Verify anything that matters to your decision against the sources linked above, then run the finder to see which online programs fit your level, field, and timeline.

Questions people ask

How much does a climatology professor earn?

The published BLS OEWS median for the occupation Atmospheric and Space Scientists is $99,070 per year (May 2025), about $48 per hour at the standard 2,080-hour year. Most published earnings sit between $53,060 and $161,890 per year.

How many climatology professor jobs exist in the United States?

10,000 workers were counted nationally in the occupation Atmospheric and Space Scientists for the 2025 OEWS reference year.

What education do you need to become a climatology professor?

The published typical entry-level education is a master's degree. A master's degree is usually one to two years of study on top of a bachelor's degree.

How long does it take to become a climatology professor?

From the published entry point (a master's degree), the time depends on the route you choose and whether you study full time, part time, or online. The degree programs that lead here list their own lengths, and transfer credits from earlier study can shorten them.

Which degrees point toward a climatology professor career?

Certificate, associate's, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral programs can all lead toward this field. The routes that tend to lead here in the directory are Master's programs, Certificate programs, Associate's programs, and the degree finder preloads your level and subject so you can see what is actually available online.

See which online programs lead to Climatology Professor

Answer a few questions about your level, subject, and goals. The finder skips what is already answered and shows programs that actually match.

Programs for Climatology Professor

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About this career page

Median pay, hourly pay, employment, and percentile ranges are the national estimates published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics through the Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program for the 2025 reference year. Climatology Professor is grouped with the published occupation “Atmospheric and Space Scientists”.

Typical entry-level education follows the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook. Pay varies by state, employer, and experience, and a national median is never a promise for your specific job or region.

Every figure on this page is real and labelled with its year. No figure is estimated, interpolated, or inflated.

Source
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Directory updated
November 2026

Climatology Professor: one career, real data