Climate Scientists

Employers

The federal government is the largest employer of climate scientists in the United States. The following federal entities participate in the U.S. Global Change Research Program (and employ a significant number of environmental scientists in research and policy positions): NASA, National Science Foundation, Smithsonian Institution, U.S. Agency for International Development, and the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce (especially the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), Defense, Energy, Health & Human Services, Interior, State, and Transportation. Visit https://www.globalchange.gov/agencies to learn more about the work of these entities regarding climate science.

State and local governments, colleges and universities, research organizations, nonprofits, renewable energy companies, risk management consulting firms, and insurance companies employ climate scientists. Some climate scientists launch their own consulting firms or think tanks that focus on climate science.

Starting Out

The best jobs go to those with at least a master’s degree and considerable research experience, but recent graduates with a bachelor’s degree can land jobs as research assistants, science technicians, or entry-level scientists (at some employers).

Job listings with federal agencies—the largest employers of climate scientists—can be found at https://www.usajobs.gov. Many scientists landed their first jobs as a result of contacts that they made during internships, fellowships, and other post-graduate programs, and summer research positions with their professors or other environmental science educators. Other job-search strategies include attending career fairs, creating a LinkedIn page to attract recruiters, and visiting the Web sites of potential employers to learn about open positions. Additionally, some people check out environmental employment sites such as Environmental Career Opportunities (http://ecojobs.com). Those who are interested in teaching and/or research jobs at colleges and universities should subscribe to the Chronicle of Higher Education (http://chronicle.com) to learn about trends in higher education and to access job listings.