# How much do you figure TV weather people get paid? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 20, 2017, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-figure-tv-weather-people-get-paid/789417 "2017-06-20T03:13:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2017, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-figure-tv-weather-people-get-paid/789417/21 "2017-06-20T18:16:57Z")
Dallas Raines, chief meteorologist for KABC-TV in Los Angeles, reportedly makes [$500,000 per year](http://www.searchnetworth.com/tag/dallas-raines-salary/) with a net worth of $3 million. Granted, L.A. is the second largest TV market in the USA, but that’s still pretty damn good for only having to say “Sunny, 72” for nine months out of the year. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2017, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-figure-tv-weather-people-get-paid/789417/22 "2017-06-20T20:07:31Z")
Plus the fist pump. It isn’t a Dallas Raines weather teaser without the fist pump. ---
**Author:** ![Yodalicious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yodalicious/32/8195_2.png) [@Yodalicious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yodalicious)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2017, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-figure-tv-weather-people-get-paid/789417/23 "2017-06-20T20:28:51Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > But seriously, I could look at the internet now for a minute and give an equally impressive TV performance. These people are no longer prognosticators; they’re actors. This is equally true for the sports guys. They’re not telling me anything I can’t find on the internet right now. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2017, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-figure-tv-weather-people-get-paid/789417/24 "2017-06-20T20:45:57Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > Anyone notice that the gals on **The Weather Channel** are always pregnant? > > What’s goin’ on over there? 😉 Atlanta Pregnancy Cult. > [@buddha\_david](#): > > … but that’s still pretty damn good for only having to say “Sunny, 72” for nine months out of the year. “Next weather report in four days.” Harris Telemacher made “in the low 50s” in LA in 1991. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Alley\_Dweller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alley_dweller/32/430_2.png) [@Alley\_Dweller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alley_Dweller)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2017, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-figure-tv-weather-people-get-paid/789417/25 "2017-06-20T22:20:28Z")
An interesting question. I looked for the salary of WGN-TV’s long-time chief meteorologist, Tom Skilling. In 2012, he signed a 10-year contract [reportedly paying a million dollars a year](http://www.adweek.com/tvspy/wgns-tom-skilling-signs-10-year-contract-renewal/63262). WGN has the fourth rated local newscasts in Chicago. Every source I’ve checked says he “studied” meteorology and journalism at the University of Wisconsin, but none state what, if any, degree he attained. In contrast, the main weather-forecaster for Chicago’s top rated local news station WLS-TV reportedly makes $136,000 a year. WLS-TV stole her from another Chicago station in 2014 and promoted her to the position on their most-watched newscasts in 2016. She has a degree in Geological Science from Brown University and a certificate in broadcast meteorology from Mississippi State. So, even in the same market, the salaries are all over the place. By the way, Tom Skilling is the older brother of disgraced Enron CEO Jefferey Skilling. Tom has nothing to do with Enron. ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2017, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-figure-tv-weather-people-get-paid/789417/26 "2017-06-20T23:13:03Z")
> [@Alley\_Dweller](#): > > An interesting question. > > I looked for the salary of WGN-TV’s long-time chief meteorologist, Tom Skilling. In 2012, he signed a 10-year contract [reportedly paying a million dollars a year](http://www.adweek.com/tvspy/wgns-tom-skilling-signs-10-year-contract-renewal/63262). WGN has the fourth rated local newscasts in Chicago. Every source I’ve checked says he “studied” meteorology and journalism at the University of Wisconsin, but none state what, if any, degree he attained. > > In contrast, the main weather-forecaster for Chicago’s top rated local news station WLS-TV reportedly makes $136,000 a year. WLS-TV stole her from another Chicago station in 2014 and promoted her to the position on their most-watched newscasts in 2016. She has a degree in Geological Science from Brown University and a certificate in broadcast meteorology from Mississippi State. > > So, even in the same market, the salaries are all over the place. > > By the way, Tom Skilling is the older brother of disgraced Enron CEO Jefferey Skilling. Tom has nothing to do with Enron. WGN was the first national cable channel, and Skilling was on the team from the beginning. He’s a huge national name. And I do believe he is a degreed meteorologist from Wisconsin, maybe the best Meteorology department in the country. LM, BS Meteorology, University of Wisconsin 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Alley\_Dweller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alley_dweller/32/430_2.png) [@Alley\_Dweller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alley_Dweller)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2017, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-figure-tv-weather-people-get-paid/789417/27 "2017-06-20T23:56:58Z")
> [@Lamar\_Mundane](#): > > WGN was the first national cable channel, and Skilling was on the team from the beginning. He’s a huge national name. And I do believe he is a degreed meteorologist from Wisconsin, maybe the best Meteorology department in the country. > > LM, BS Meteorology, University of Wisconsin 🙂 The national cable channel is called “WGN America.” I just looked at [their schedule](http://www.wgnamerica.com/schedule/) for the next couple of days and I don’t see any news or weather on the WGN America schedule. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2017, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-figure-tv-weather-people-get-paid/789417/28 "2017-06-21T00:42:00Z")
> [@Alley\_Dweller](#): > > The national cable channel is called “WGN America.” I just looked at [their schedule](http://www.wgnamerica.com/schedule/) for the next couple of days and I don’t see any news or weather on the WGN America schedule. Correct. WGN America was split off from WGN-TV a few years ago. They dropped all WGN-TV programming, and stopped carrying the Cubs, as well. But it does seem that[when bad weather hits, Chicagoland viewers watch WGN-TV.](http://www.tribunemedia.com/wgn-news-generates-overwhelming-ratings-as-overwhelming-storms-hit-chicagoland/) ---
**Author:** ![DooWahDiddy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9bcb4/32.png) [@DooWahDiddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DooWahDiddy)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2017, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-figure-tv-weather-people-get-paid/789417/29 "2017-06-21T01:14:52Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > “Next weather report in four days.” Harris Telemacher made “in the low 50s” in LA in 1991. 🙂 You think with a financial statement like this you can have the _duck_? ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2017, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-figure-tv-weather-people-get-paid/789417/30 "2017-06-21T01:32:25Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > I would like to subscribe to your Dad’s newsletter. 😃 He’s got his own TV station it’s called Fox News! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2017, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-figure-tv-weather-people-get-paid/789417/31 "2017-06-21T01:46:18Z")
> [@Alley\_Dweller](#): > > … > > By the way, Tom Skilling is the older brother of disgraced Enron CEO Jefferey Skilling. Tom has nothing to do with Enron. Tom Skilling _knows_ the weather. Like, in a “sold his soul to Satan” for special information kind of way. I think if there is one unifying thing in Chicago, it would be that everybody likes Tom Skilling, weather god. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2017, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-figure-tv-weather-people-get-paid/789417/32 "2017-06-21T04:40:40Z")
> [@Alley\_Dweller](#): > > The national cable channel is called “WGN America.” I just looked at [their schedule](http://www.wgnamerica.com/schedule/) for the next couple of days and I don’t see any news or weather on the WGN America schedule. As kunilou notes, the cable channel WGN America no longer runs any of the local programming from WGN, including the news. That said, the Chicago WGN feed runs something like 10 hours of news broadcasting a day, and speaking as a weather nerd, Skilling is definitely the dean of meteorologists in this city. (Also, part of the reason that WGN’s evening news ranks fourth is that it runs at 9pm, while the ABC, NBC, and CBS stations are running prime-time entertainment programming.) (And, to Lamar Mundane: I went to Wisconsin, initially intending on a Meteorology degree. But, the amount of math and physics required quickly led me to redirect into the business school. 😃 ) ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2017, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-figure-tv-weather-people-get-paid/789417/33 "2017-06-21T06:13:55Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > (And, to Lamar Mundane: I went to Wisconsin, initially intending on a Meteorology degree. But, the amount of math and physics required quickly led me to redirect into the business school. 😃 ) That three dimension equation of motion in polar coordinates was a son of a bitch. ---
**Author:** ![Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2017, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-figure-tv-weather-people-get-paid/789417/34 "2017-06-21T14:33:05Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > Both CBC and CTV Ottawa have had the same weather person for like 30 years. I’m not kidding. > > I get my weather from the internet. I used to have to watch these guys, but I don’t any more, and why would anyone wait for the evening news when you have the weather at your fingertips? > > What do these guys get paid, and why? > > I have a feeling they make more money by being the goofy sidekick at charity events. Ottawa’s a small market in Canada, so they’re probably about $75,000-$100,000, since they’ve been there for decades. I doubt they get paid for the charity work. The contracts in my city require on-air talent to do a certain amount of visible charity work each year (such as hosting an event). And yes, EVERYONE gets their weather from the internet. But you’re not watching them for the actual weather – you’re watching them because they’re friends, they’re companions, and they’re that little bit of hometown reliability. And the trend in Canada for several decades has been to downgrade meteorological training. While the people on camera have taken courses and - if they’ve been there for years - know the vagaries of the microclimates in your city, outside companies (including Environment Canada provide the ‘base’ forecast, and the local people tweak it. ---
**Author:** ![ssgenius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5ac83/32.png) [@ssgenius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ssgenius)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2017, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-figure-tv-weather-people-get-paid/789417/35 "2017-06-21T23:22:33Z")
Watch around the 6:00 minute part for a good laugh [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pM3d7ow1HRA) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-figure-tv-weather-people-get-paid/789417.md?page=1)