Avalanche Forecast & Control Specialist pay range
State of Washington · class code 599B
- Class code
- 599B
- Salary range
- 55
- Pay unit
- Year
- State
- Washington
- The State of Washington published pay range for Avalanche Forecast & Control Specialist is $62,880 to $84,528 per year.
- Washington State Office of Financial Management (OFM) keys this classification as class code 599B.
- This is the range the plan authorises, not the salary of any individual employee.
Step progression
Washington State Office of Financial Management (OFM) assigns this class to salary range 55 in the General Service Salary Schedule. The range pays 13 steps; a step is normally earned on a periodic increment date, not negotiated.
| Basis | A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual | $62,880 | $64,512 | $66,072 | $67,704 | $69,348 | $71,136 | $72,900 | $74,748 | $76,608 | $78,504 | $80,496 | $82,440 | $84,528 |
| Monthly | $5,240 | $5,376 | $5,506 | $5,642 | $5,779 | $5,928 | $6,075 | $6,229 | $6,384 | $6,542 | $6,708 | $6,870 | $7,044 |
| Hourly | $30.11 | $30.90 | $31.64 | $32.43 | $33.21 | $34.07 | $34.91 | $35.80 | $36.69 | $37.60 | $38.55 | $39.48 | $40.48 |
Steps as published. The monthly and hourly rows are the state's own, not conversions of the annual row.
Class specification
The OFM classified job specification for this class is published by Washington State Office of Financial Management (OFM). The passages below are quoted from it as published, not paraphrased, and cut to their opening sentences; the full specification is the authority on duties and qualifications.
What the state says the job is
This is the journey level of the series. Performs a variety of basic weather observation and avalanche control tasks such as, but not limited to, recording wind speed and direction, air temperature, dew point and humidity, snow crystal classification; conducting snow pit investigations; installing and servicing remote weather monitoring equipment; placing and detonating explosives; diagramming snow conditions. Unusual problems that may occur are brought to a higher-level supervisor with probable outcomes and solutions.
Examples of the work
Without direct supervision, records weather instrument readings; conducts snow pit investigations; documents ongoing observations, and evaluations and trends; compiles records and prepare summaries; Perform datalogger and weather system programming; Utilizing weather observations from instruments and other study plots, calculates and draws water equivalence, snow density, precipitation intensity and snow strength diagrams; Installs, services, and disassembles for maintenance, wind and temperature sensing equipment; Formulates hazards forecast based on observations and analysis; coordinates with maintenance division to schedule required control activities; communicates observations with North ...
Minimum qualifications
High school graduation or GED certificate and two years of experience involving ski patrol, snow safety, avalanche control, U.S. Army Gunnery School courses, or explosive demolition work. Must be able to ski and climb advanced terrain in heavy snow and adverse weather, making parallel turns while carrying a loaded back pack weighing not less than 25 pounds; able to work at heights and when suspended by ropes. A Washington State Explosive Users License with certification for Avalanche Control. Positions may require a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) Class B with hazmat endorsement, without air brake restriction. Possession of a valid driver's license may be required.
Quoted from the OFM classified job specification, read 2026-10-21.
Where this comes from
Washington State Office of Financial Management (OFM) publishes this figure in Classified Job Listing joined to the OFM salary schedules effective July 1, 2026. Every number on this page is read from that document; nothing is estimated, modelled or averaged.
The dollar figures come from the salary schedule the listing assigns this range to.