Article claims storm chasers' average annual income is $74,000

[Dan Robinson]

Here's a nice lesson on online information sources and their spread into media articles.

According to Simply Hired, the average storm chaser makes $74,000 a year, but the few who become stars in the field can make more.

https://www.aol.com/article/finance/2018/10/15/how-much-storm-chasers-really-make/23561598/
https://www.gobankingrates.com/making-money/jobs/storm-chasers-salary/

Maybe in the early 1990s-2000s, but not today! The most I ever *grossed* was less than half of that in 2005. Net profit came out to about $2 an hour after expenses and taxes. If money was the goal, I would have made 10x more working part time at a fast food joint.

Here is the page used as the source for the article:

https://www.simplyhired.com/salaries-k-storm-chasers-jobs.html

 

[Warren Faidley]

There may be some tour operators who pull in that kind of money (gross), and at least one recent chaser we know of who was a genius at self-promotion, but the gold rush days are gone. The only jackpots left are long shot possibilities of new chase **related** TV shows -- some currently in the research stages. I certainly made an exceptional living from chasing, grossing over 6 figures in about 10 years, but you really sacrifice a lot, as self-and-outside promotion can be destructive. If I could have found a way to chase for 30 years and stayed out of the limelight, I would have taken that path.

 

[rdale]

What's the pay for an 'extreme' meteorologist versus a regular one?

And if he really only netted $250K from being on that many seasons of a TV show, something is amiss...

 

[Warren Faidley]

What's the pay for an 'extreme' meteorologist versus a regular one?

And if he really only netted $250K from being on that many seasons of a TV show, something is amiss...

Commercial sponsorships can pay a lot of money -- until they are pulled because of "Shenanigans." Speaking engagements, footage revenue (royalties) and similar income can add up. Consulting fees for large corporations average about 50k for single project. Then again, if you are a meteorologist with goals to eventually replace Jim Cantore or the handful of top market, celebrity "meteorologists" like Al Roker (net worth $30 million+), then you have to find a new path.

 

[Ethan Lang]

Man if only I got paid that much to chase storms. I would be lucky to get that kind of funding for any type of research that I may do.