Climate Science Degree in Frederick, MD — Salary & ROI 2026
Climate Science degree analysis for Frederick, MD. COL-adjusted salary data, local tuition costs, ROI calculator, and job market outlook.
Starting Salary
$81K
COL-adjusted
Mid-Career
$118K
COL-adjusted
ROI Payback
2.5 yrs
in Frederick
Cost of Living
112.5
index (100 = avg)
Climate Science in Frederick, MD Overview
While Frederick has a smaller college scene with 4 institutions, Climate Science students benefit from lower tuition costs. Room and board averages $15,475/year, and the car-friendly layout shapes the student experience. Climate Science has seen growing enrollment nationally, reflecting rising employer demand for Climate Modeling and Data Analysis skills. The adjusted starting salary in Frederick is approximately $81,000.
Category
STEM
Local Colleges
4
Public Tuition
$10,800/yr
Private Tuition
$42,000/yr
Room & Board
$15,475/yr
Avg Fin. Aid
$13,491/yr
Unemployment
4.2%
Graduation Rate
66%
Climate Science Salary in Frederick (COL-Adjusted)
Salaries adjusted for Frederick's cost of living index of 112.5 (national average = 100).
Note: National average Climate Science salary: $72,000 starting, $105,000 mid-career, $140,000 senior level.Frederick adjustment factor: 1.13x based on the local cost of living index.
Climate Science ROI Calculator for Frederick
Estimate your return on investment for a Climate Science degree using local Frederick tuition and cost of living data.
Public avg: $10,800 | Private avg: $42,000
Frederick avg aid: $13,491/yr
Federal avg: 6.5% | Private: 4-14%
Total Education Cost
$105,100
tuition + room & board - aid
Annual Earnings Premium
$41,625
vs HS diploma in Frederick
ROI Payback Period
2.5 years
to break even
Lifetime Return in Frederick
$7,400
Lifetime earnings premium ($112,500) minus total education cost ($105,100)
Student Loan Payoff for Climate Science in Frederick
Standard Plan (10 years)
Aggressive Plan (5 years)
Colleges in Frederick for Climate Science
Frederick State University
public
$11,147/yr
$44,588 total
Community Colleges (2-Year Transfer)
Frederick Community College
$6,149/yr
Top Employers for Climate Science in Frederick
Frederick offers opportunities in Tech companies, Research labs, Government agencies for Climate Science graduates. National top employers in this field include:
Key Frederick Hiring Sectors for STEM
Tech companies
Research labs
Government agencies
Startups
Consulting firms
Common Climate Science Job Titles
Climate Science in Nearby Maryland Cities
Baltimore, MD
$94K starting · COL 130
22 colleges
Columbia, MD
$92K starting · COL 127.2
4 colleges
Silver Spring, MD
$88K starting · COL 122.5
4 colleges
Waldorf, MD
$87K starting · COL 120.7
4 colleges
Ellicott City, MD
$82K starting · COL 114.2
3 colleges
Glen Burnie, MD
$78K starting · COL 108.8
3 colleges
Rockville, MD
$93K starting · COL 128.5
3 colleges
Bethesda, MD
$84K starting · COL 116.7
3 colleges
Other STEM Majors in Frederick
Prompt Engineering
$56K starting · 1.5 yr ROI
Computational Linguistics
$107K starting · 2 yr ROI
Computer Science
$96K starting · 2.8 yr ROI
Software Engineering
$99K starting · 2.7 yr ROI
Data Science
$92K starting · 3 yr ROI
Actuarial Science
$56K starting · 3 yr ROI
Cybersecurity
$90K starting · 3 yr ROI
Robotics Engineering
$56K starting · 3 yr ROI
Climate Science Degree in Frederick — FAQ
Data Sources: Salary data from BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook. Cost of living from BLS Regional Data. College data from NCES/IPEDS. Updated March 2026.
Explore More
Compare Climate Science ROI in other cities, or explore other majors in Frederick.