Incident Meteorologists

Job opportunities for atmospheric scientists, including meteorologists, are projected to grow by 1 percent from 2024 to 2034, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. This is more slowly than the average (3 percent) for all occupations. Employment for meteorologists who work for state and local government agencies will grow as fast as the average, while job opportunities for all meteorologists at federal agencies are expected to decline.

With that said, incident meteorologists play a critical role in the safety of wildland firefighters, rescue and recovery workers, and others, so there will continue to be a strong need for these professionals. “As more Americans move into areas prone to wildfires, the importance of the Incident Meteorologists Program will continue to grow,” according to the National Weather Service. The number and severity of adverse weather events have also increased due to global climate change, which will create a need for more IMETs to respond to wildfires, weather-related, and human-caused events. There is also a growing demand for IMETs to provide support during prescribed burns.