Skill → Career

What Jobs Use Weather & Climate Skills?

Atmospheric scientists, glaciologists, and environmental scientists use weather and climate skills. They measure change and explain what the numbers mean.

See the jobs Try it this week

Weather is today. Climate is the long pattern. Both need careful data.

Modules S5.1, S6.1, and M6.5 help you track systems and graphs. Cold-world adventures in Crystal Tundra practice this habit.

Jobs that use weather and climate skills

Each card explains the job, then shows what a day at work looks like.

Atmospheric scientists

Atmospheric scientists study daily weather and long climate patterns across regions.

These scientists include meteorologists who forecast storms and researchers who study decades of temperature and rainfall. They use satellites, balloons, and ground stations to collect data. Climate work looks at averages and extremes — not whether one snowstorm proves anything. Clear math and honest graphs help airports, farms, and cities plan ahead.

What a day at work looks like

An atmospheric scientist updates a regional forecast model after new radar scans arrive. They write a public briefing about severe thunderstorm timing and hail risk. Midday, they attend a climate team meeting reviewing Arctic temperature trends. Before the night shift takes over, they archive today's datasets and flag a sensor that may need maintenance.

Module S6.1

Glaciologists

Glaciologists measure ice and meltwater to track how glaciers and ice sheets change.

Glaciologists drill ice cores, fly over ice sheets, and install GPS units on moving glaciers. Each layer of ice traps air bubbles that reveal past climate. Measuring melt rates today helps predict sea-level rise tomorrow. Fieldwork is cold and slow, but consistent methods make year-to-year comparisons trustworthy.

What a day at work looks like

A glaciologist checks camp instruments that record surface melt every hour. They drill a shallow core, bag sections, and note visible ash layers from old volcanoes. A helicopter delivers supplies while they download GPS positions showing the glacier moved farther than last season. Evening is lab time: weighing samples and entering results next to satellite photos.

Module S5.1

Environmental scientists

Environmental scientists test air, water, and land to see how weather and pollution interact.

Environmental scientists connect daily weather to long-term habitat health. A drought can concentrate pollutants in rivers; heavy rain can wash fertilizer into lakes. They design sampling plans that account for season and storm timing. Reports explain both the numbers and what communities can do to reduce harm.

What a day at work looks like

After a heat wave, a scientist collects water from three river sites and tests dissolved oxygen levels. They compare results to a chart of normal ranges for July. A factory manager calls about air permits; the scientist shares wind rose data showing which neighborhoods get the most exposure. They finish writing recommendations for tree buffers that could cool one hot block.

Module M4.4

Most atmospheric scientists need a college degree in atmospheric science or a related field for starter jobs.

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Atmospheric Scientists, Including Meteorologists, at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/life-physical-and-social-science/atmospheric-scientists-including-meteorologists.htm (visited July 30, 2026).

Quick lookup

Reference table

Career	How the skill is used	School connection
Atmospheric scientist	Tracks weather and climate data	S6.1 + M6.5
Glaciologist	Measures ice change	S5.1 / S6.1
Environmental scientist	Samples air and water	M4.4 + S6.1

Try it this week

Record outdoor temperature for five mornings at the same time. Graph it. Write one true claim.

Time ice cubes melting in sun and shade. Change only one thing. Write what you learned.

AGA modules that teach this

Module S5.1Earth and Space Systems (Grade 5)Module S6.1Earth Systems, Weather, and Geologic Change (Grade 6)Module M6.5Statistics and Probability Foundations (Grade 6)

weather and climate careers All careers