Meteorological Technician
Drawn directly from OPM FedScope (June 2026), this page tracks headcount, average salary, tenure, and pay comparison for the Meteorological Technician occupation series (code 1341).
The verdict
In the Physical Sciences Group family, Meteorological Technician counts 328 employees, a smaller, specialized federal occupation at 0.0% of the federal civilian workforce, and headcount declined 1.8% from the prior period; pay averages $105,487, which pays below the federal-wide $117,339.
- Employees
- 328
- Share of workforce
- 0.0%
- Avg salary
- $105,487
- Avg tenure
- 17.5 yrs
What the Numbers Say About Meteorological Technician
0.0% of the federal civilian workforce (1,953,300 employees total, June 2026) works in the Meteorological Technician occupation (OPM code 1341): 328 people, headcount down -1.8% versus the prior period, though at this small a headcount, year-to-year swings can reflect a handful of hires or departures rather than a broad hiring trend.
Meteorological Technician pays $105,487 per year on average, moving up 1.8% from the prior period (a modest shift, consistent with routine locality pay and grade-level movement). Employees in this role stay an average of 17.5 years, a long average tenure, typical of career federal roles where employees stay through much of a full career before retirement.
The Physical Sciences Group family (code 13) groups Meteorological Technician together with 24 other related occupations across the federal government. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Meteorological Technician postings should also review these sibling occupations in the Physical Sciences Group family.
Within the Physical Sciences Group family, Meteorological Technician ranks #15 of 25 by headcount, accounting for 1.2% of the family's combined 26,960 employees.
Salary Context
How Meteorological Technician pay compares to the federal average of $117,339
Occupation Average
$105,487
Federal Average
$117,339
vs. Federal Avg
-10.1%
Where Meteorological Technician ranks on federal pay
Its average salary of $105,487 is higher than 57% of federal occupation series (310 of 541). The highlighted bar marks where Meteorological Technician sits in the federal pay distribution.
Average-salary distribution across all 541 federal occupation series; Meteorological Technician ranks higher than 57%.
Related Occupations in Physical Sciences Group
10 other occupations in the same family
| Occupation | Employees | Avg Salary | Avg LOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Physical Science | 8,297 | $145,078 | 14.6 yrs |
| Chemistry | 4,440 | $149,099 | 14.9 yrs |
| Meteorology | 2,494 | $123,942 | 15.9 yrs |
| Physics | 2,009 | $174,005 | 15.9 yrs |
| Physical Science Technician | 1,577 | $78,820 | 13.3 yrs |
| Hydrology | 1,524 | $116,486 | 17.1 yrs |
| Hydrologic Technician | 1,356 | $76,077 | 12.9 yrs |
| Geology | 1,240 | $124,746 | 14 yrs |
| Health Physics | 746 | $146,649 | 16.4 yrs |
| Cartography | 487 | $120,890 | 16.3 yrs |
Nationwide occupation series with similar scale or pay
Two peer sets for Meteorological Technician outside the Physical Sciences Group family, on headcount and average salary axes that vary across all OPM occupation series.
Similar headcount
Nearest employee counts in other occupation families (328 here).
Similar average salary
Nearest average salaries in other occupation families ($105,487 here).
Key takeaways
- Meteorological Technician pays below the federal average by 10.1% ($105,487 vs $117,339 federal-wide), at the 57th percentile for pay among 541 tracked occupation series.
- A smaller, specialized federal occupation by headcount: 328 employees, 0.0% of the federal civilian workforce, and headcount declined 1.8% from the prior period.
- According to OPM FedScope June 2026, Meteorological Technician ranks #355 of 663 federal occupation series by headcount (the same employee_count ordering as our occupations directory).
- Within the Physical Sciences Group family, Meteorological Technician ranks #15 of 25 by headcount, accounting for 1.2% of the family's combined 26,960 employees.
OPM FedScope and Federal Workforce Data figures are federal civilian headcounts, average salaries, and length-of-service statistics - not job-quality scores, hiring advice, or a live vacancy listing. A larger or higher-paid agency is not a better employer.