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Atmospheric Sciences

Instructional content for this group of programs is defined in codes 40.0401 - 40.0499.

Types of Degrees Atmospheric Sciences Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Atmospheric Sciences can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Associate’s Degree	2
Bachelor’s Degree	824
Master’s Degree	366
Doctor’s Degree	149

What Atmospheric Sciences Majors Need to Know

Programs in Atmospheric Sciences develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Atmospheric Sciences graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Atmospheric Sciences emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set built by a Atmospheric Sciences program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Atmospheric Sciences careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Atmospheric Sciences graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.4 / 7
Working with Computers	4.4 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.1 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.1 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.0 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.0 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.0 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	3.9 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	3.9 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	3.9 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Atmospheric Sciences professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
The MathWorks MATLAB	Analytical or scientific software	✓
ESRI ArcGIS software	Geographic information system	✓
Adobe Photoshop	Graphics or photo imaging software	—
Adobe Acrobat	Document management software	—
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
R	Object or component oriented development software	✓

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Atmospheric Sciences graduates include:

• Clinical Project Manager
• Research Coordinator
• Clinical Trials Manager
• Space Studies Faculty Member
• Petrology Teacher
• Geology Teacher
• Oceanic Sciences Professor
• Hydrology Teacher
• Mineralogy Professor
• Oceanography Professor
• Geodesy Teacher
• Crystallography Teacher
• Geosciences Faculty Member
• Stratigraphy Teacher
• Geochemistry Teacher

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Atmospheric Sciences graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	31.7%
Master’s degree	26.1%
Doctoral degree	14.4%
Post-doctoral training	10.0%
Postsecondary certificate	4.3%
Some college courses	3.5%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	3.2%
High school diploma or equivalent	3.1%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	2.4%
Post-master’s certificate	1.3%
Less than a high school diploma	0.1%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Atmospheric Sciences?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 43.8% women and 56.2% men among Atmospheric Sciences graduates.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	587	43.8%
Men	754	56.2%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Atmospheric Sciences graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	955	71.2%
Asian	44	3.3%
Hispanic or Latino	110	8.2%
Black or African American	54	4.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native	2	0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	1	0.1%
Two or More Races	47	3.5%
Race Unknown	26	1.9%
International Students	102	7.6%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Atmospheric Sciences Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Atmospheric Sciences graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$40,631
4 years	$52,102
5 years	$61,596

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $61,596 — roughly 52% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Atmospheric Sciences Programs

Online study are documented by IPEDS for Atmospheric Sciences. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	1	2

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Atmospheric Sciences Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Atmospheric Sciences graduates earn a median of $52,102 four years after completion — roughly 37% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Physical Sciences	46,659
Chemistry	19,434
Physics	12,910
Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences	7,622
Physical Sciences, General	2,661
Astronomy and Astrophysics	1,580
Materials Sciences	650
Physical Sciences, Other	422
Physics and Astronomy	39
PHYSICAL SCIENCES	—

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.