Many colleges and universities offer climatology courses through their earth and atmospheric sciences departments. The training leads to a bachelor's degree in meteorology and climatology. The training includes courses in oceanography, meteorology, mathematics, physics and atmospheric sciences. Much of the climatology training focuses on the study of past weather patterns and the effects of atmospheric conditions on future weather patterns. Over the years climatology has grown from a statistics-gathering profession to an international weather career.
Many climatologists only need a bachelor's degree in climatology, meteorology or atmospheric science to find a career as a climatologist in the federal government. Private industry generally requires more education from a climatologist. Most private employers require an applicant to have a minimum of a master's degree in climatology. Many weather research organizations will only hire individuals with a doctorate degree in climatology or other atmospheric sciences.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates the field of climatology will grow by 15 percent over the next 10 years. Most of these jobs will come from the private sector, such as news services, weather research agencies and weather consulting. The bureau also predicts that competition for these jobs will be keen because the number of climatology graduates will be greater than the available jobs. Few jobs will be in government agencies, such as the National Weather Service, because these jobs will only come open when another climatologist leaves the position or retires.
More than 9,400 people were employed as atmospheric scientists as of 2008, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Most of these individuals have advanced degrees in meteorology, but more graduates have been concentrating on climatology in recent years. The median annual income for a climatologist or atmospheric scientist was $81,290, but individuals working for the government had an average annual salary of $93,661, as of March 2009. The income for climatologists is expected to grow with the increased need for atmospheric scientists in the private sector. One concern with climatology careers is that the number of jobs available depends on the economy.