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Meteorologist salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a meteorologist is $104,000 per annum, before tax, up $21,900 since 2018.
DerivedIndicative estimate, not yet verified against official Jobs and Skills Australia / ABS data · Estimate
- Pay follows the employer more than the job title, since government and defence roles sit on defined classifications and shift rosters while research and consulting pay varies with the project and the client.
- Forecasters on overnight and weekend rosters usually receive penalty rates or rostered days off in return.
- A postgraduate qualification and experience in a specialty such as tropical cyclone or fire weather tends to move you up the scale.
The median salary rose by $21,900 between 2018 and 2024; the dashed line shows a projection to 2028 based on the real ABS Wage Price Index growth rate, not a role-specific forecast.
Roles that pay more than meteorologist
The largest typical pay rise is $20,800 a year, moving into Data Scientist.
- Data Scientist+$20,800/yr
- Mathematician+$7,800/yr
- Statistician+$2,600/yr
How to negotiate a higher meteorologist salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time meteorologist salary is $104,000; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Use demand as leverage. Meteorologists are on the skills shortage list for regional areas, so employers are more likely to move on price to keep or attract someone in a role they're struggling to fill.
- Lead with what's scarce, not just tenure. Skills like Data analysis and Statistical modelling tend to command a premium over general meteorologist experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Data Scientist pays a typical $20,800 a year more and draws on similar skills, even mentioning you're weighing it up is a legitimate data point in a pay conversation.
- Time it deliberately. Reviews, the end of a project you delivered, or taking on responsibility beyond your job description are stronger moments to ask than an arbitrary date on the calendar.
- Ask for a number, not a raise. "Based on the market rate and [specific contribution], I'd like to move to X" gets a clearer answer than "I think I deserve more."
Meteorologist salary questions
How much do meteorologists earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a meteorologist is $104,000 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is meteorologist pay rising or falling?
The median meteorologist salary is up $21,900 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than meteorologist?
Data Scientist pays a typical $20,800 a year more and draws on similar skills to meteorologist.
Related salaries
- Environmental Scientist salary
- Data Scientist salary
- Statistician salary
- Physicist salary
- Mathematician salary
- Neuroscientist salary
Pay advice
- How to ask for a pay rise, and back it up with real numbersWhat national wage growth looks like right now, how to work out a figure for your own role, wording you can adapt for the conversation, and what to do if the answer is no.
- The average salary in Australia (2026)Full-time adults in Australia averaged $2,083.70 a week in May 2026. Several measures get called the average salary, and this explains which one fits your situation.
- Overtime pay, time in lieu and what your award saysOvertime rates come from your award or agreement, not one national rule. How rates work, what happens on a salary, and how time off in lieu works.