If you are passionate about science as well as the environment and would like to combine the two, a career as a Climatologist could be for you.
Career Overview
Climatologists are involved in collecting and analyzing data from natural resources such as ice, snow, soil, sand and plants and then finding patterns in weather and understanding the relationship between the two as well as the subsequent effect on Earth and it’s inhabitants.
Required School Subjects
You will need to have taken the following subjects at high school:
- English (Home Language or First Additional Language)
- Pure Mathematics
- Physical Science
Recommended subjects:
- Life Sciences
- Geography
Institution and APS
There are a number of tertiary institutions in South Africa that offer high quality education, but we recommend the following:
- University of Cape Town (UCT) – APS of 660 for guaranteed entrance. (The APS will be a score out of 800 and will comprise of your best 6 subjects and the Maths and Physics scores will be doubled.)
- University of Stellenbosch – APS of 450 at minimum for consideration
Required Qualification/s
Before you can embark on your career as a Climatologist in South Africa, you will have to tick a few boxes.
- You will have to attain your bachelor’s degree in a Bachelor of Science majoring in Physics from a tertiary institution.
- You will, after your bachelor’s degree, need to gain work experience via internships or entry-level jobs.
- Do some form of post-graduate studying.
- After having done this you will be well on your way to being an employable Climatologist.
Required Skills
The following skills are needed in order to be a Climatologist:
- Great understanding of Maths, Science and Geography
- Writing
- Comprehension
- Critical thinking
- Reasoning
- Communication
Where you can work
Climatologists can work in the weather field for weather forecasting companies or they can teach, do research and train future Climatologists.
Working Hours
Climatologists work long hours as they are heavily involved in research. At minimum, you can expect to work the 40-hour work week.
Expected Salary
As a Climatologist, you can expect to earn anywhere around the average yearly income of R600 000 for Climatologists in South Africa. This translates to R50 000/month.
What to expect
As a Climatologist, you should expect a career aligned with research that is Maths and Science oriented. If you are passionate about Maths, Science and nature then this can be the dream job you’ve been searching for!
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