ABSTRACT Soil moisture (SM) estimation from cosmic ray neutron sensors (CRNS) requires pre-processing of raw neutron counts particularly correcting for atmospheric density, known as the barometric effect. The barometric coefficient (β) varies by location, altitude, atmospheric conditions, and sensor type, necessitating station-specific values for precise correction. This study analyzes 30 CRNS and 46 neutron monitors (NM) globally to estimate β through regression and assess its impact on CRNS-estimated SM. Our results show spatio-temporal variation in the barometric effect, with β ranging from 0.66 to 0.82 %hPa for NM and 0.63 to 0.80 %hPa for CRNS. The study’s coefficients exhibit higher variability than previously published analytical models. Incorrect β can reduce CRNS-based SM accuracy by ±0.02m³/m³. Incisively, our study emphasizes the need for atmospheric correction in CRNS measurements, highlights the importance and provides a new method for a site- and sensor-specific β for accurate SM.