Career change as a meteorologist
With your experience you can switch to 8 jobs in Germany: 7 with on-the-job training and 1 with training or a course.
In the job search you can sort by what matters to you, save jobs and see where they lead.
Career change paths
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Climate adaptation manager
Also: Climate protection manager in a municipality
With on-the-job training
In municipalities, districts or consulting offices, you develop concepts for dealing with heat and heavy rain and for climate protection, and you support their implementation.
- What you bring:
- You understand climate data, extreme weather and climate projections and can explain them to laypeople.
- How to get there:
- Municipalities often fill such positions through funded projects, and a degree in natural sciences is usually expected. You learn administrative processes and funding programs on the job. Some positions are fixed-term at first.*
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically light€5,842gross per monthMedian salary
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Data scientist
Also: Data analyst
With on-the-job training
As a data scientist in the energy sector, insurance, retail or industry, you build forecasting models and analyze data for decisions.
- What you bring:
- Every day you work with large amounts of data, statistics, models and programming languages such as Python.
- How to get there:
- Companies also hire meteorologists directly because of their modeling and programming skills. You can add knowledge of databases and machine learning in online courses or further training lasting a few weeks.*
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightLittle customer contactIn an officeHome office possible€6,500gross per monthMedian salary
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Natural hazard modeler at an insurer
Also: Statistician
With on-the-job training
At reinsurers, primary insurers or modeling firms, you use models to estimate what damage natural hazards can cause and advise on premium rates and risks.
- What you bring:
- You know storms, hail, heavy rain and floods in physical and statistical terms.
- How to get there:
- Insurers and reinsurers hire meteorologists for natural hazard teams and train them on the job in actuarial mathematics and damage models. Good English is usually expected.*
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightLittle customer contactIn an officeHome office possible€6,130gross per monthMedian salary
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Wind energy expert appraiser
Also: Engineer for energy yield forecasts
With on-the-job training
At expert offices, project developers or grid operators, you prepare wind and yield reports and forecasts for wind and solar parks.
- What you bring:
- You understand wind fields, measurements and flow models and can quantify uncertainties properly.
- How to get there:
- Expert offices and project developers in the wind industry hire meteorologists directly and train them on the job in industry software and technical guidelines. Expect a few months before you handle reports independently.*
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightLittle customer contactIn an office€6,115gross per monthMedian salary
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Science journalist
Also: Weather and climate editor
With on-the-job training
In newsrooms, at weather portals or broadcasters, you write and produce pieces on weather, climate and the environment.
- What you bring:
- You can put weather situations, climate studies and uncertainties into context and explain them clearly.
- How to get there:
- You can get in through a traineeship (Volontariat), usually lasting one to two years, through freelance work, or directly at weather services with a media offering. Experience in front of a camera or microphone helps when you apply for permanent positions.*
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Physically lightLittle customer contactIn an officeHome office possible€4,728gross per monthMedian salary
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Air pollution control consultant (Immissionsschutz)
Also: Dispersion modeling specialist
With on-the-job training
At engineering offices or authorities, you prepare dispersion calculations and expert reports on air pollutants, odors and cold air for permits and planning.
- What you bring:
- You understand how air, odors and pollutants spread in the atmosphere.
- How to get there:
- Engineering offices for pollution control train meteorologists on the job in calculation models and regulations such as the TA Luft. Expect a few months before you handle reports independently.*
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightIn an office€5,595gross per monthMedian salary
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Climate risk consultant
Also: Sustainability consultant
With on-the-job training
In consultancies, banks or companies, you assess physical climate risks for locations and supply chains and support sustainability reporting.
- What you bring:
- You can read climate scenarios, assess them and apply them to specific locations.
- How to get there:
- Consultancies and financial institutions hire climate experts and train them on the job in the rules for sustainability reporting. Courses on this take a few days to a few weeks. Basic business knowledge is helpful.*
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightLots of contact with peopleIn an officeHome office possible€6,768gross per monthMedian salary
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Physics teacher through the alternative route (Seiteneinstieg)
Also: Mathematics teacher
With a degree
At secondary schools, you teach as a career changer, mainly physics and mathematics and, depending on the state, geography.
- What you bring:
- You have studied physics and mathematics and can explain complex relationships such as weather and climate clearly.
- How to get there:
- Depending on the state, there are alternative routes into teaching (Seiteneinstieg) with a preparatory service (Vorbereitungsdienst) or a qualification alongside work, usually lasting one to two years. The state decides whether your degree is recognized for two subjects. Whether the alternative route is open in physics or mathematics depends on demand in the respective state.*Regulated by law (State law: teacher education acts and alternative-route regulations of the German states).
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically light€5,466gross per monthMedian salary
Salary: median of all full-time employees in the job, gross per month excluding special payments, as of April 2025. Half earn more, half earn less. Source: Federal Statistical Office of Germany (Destatis), table 62361-0030, license dl-de/by-2-0. Assigned to the jobs by quereinsteiger.de. No guarantee of accuracy.
Frequently asked questions
Which jobs can I do as a meteorologist without vocational training or retraining?
Without a new qualification, often with on-the-job training: Climate adaptation manager, Data scientist, Natural hazard modeler at an insurer, Wind energy expert appraiser, Science journalist, Air pollution control consultant (Immissionsschutz) and Climate risk consultant.
Which retraining or further training suits me as a meteorologist?
With vocational training, retraining, further training or a course: Physics teacher through the alternative route (Seiteneinstieg).
Which of these jobs pay the most?
According to official statistics, the highest median full-time salaries are: Climate risk consultant (€6,768 gross per month), Data scientist (€6,500 gross per month) and Natural hazard modeler at an insurer (€6,130 gross per month). Half of employees earn more, half earn less; when you start it is often lower. Source: Federal Statistical Office of Germany (Destatis), April 2025. No guarantee of accuracy.
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