Skills
Meteorologist Skills & Tools
The technical skills, people skills and tools employers look for in meteorologists, and how to build and show them.
What skills do meteorologists need?
Meteorologists need technical skills such as atmospheric science, forecasting, and radar interpretation, plus people skills like calm under pressure and communication. They also use tools such as Radar systems and Satellite imagery.
Technical (hard) skills
- Atmospheric science
- Forecasting
- Radar interpretation
- Numerical models
- Programming
- Communication
People (soft) skills
- Calm under pressure
- Communication
- Decision-making
- Curiosity
Tools, equipment and technology
- Radar systems
- Satellite imagery
- Weather models
- AWIPS
- Python
- GIS
Skills in action: common tasks
These step-by-step guides show how meteorologists put their skills to work:
How to show these skills on a resume
- Lead your skills section with the technical skills from the job posting, for example, “Atmospheric science” and “Forecasting.”
- Prove soft skills with results: instead of listing “calm under pressure,” describe a situation where you used it.
- List credentials such as CBM near the top, with the issuing organization and date.
- Use the employer’s vocabulary. Our meteorologist glossary covers the terms hiring managers expect.
How to build these skills
Formal training, supervised practice and certification are the most direct routes. Our Meteorologist training introduces each of these skills with plain-language lessons, procedures and a final knowledge check: a strong foundation before hands-on training or your first day.