Hydrologists — Career Decision Dashboard
United States
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Report generated from official BLS OEWS and O*NET data — United States.
Median annual wage
$96,600
United States, 2025
Employment
5,850
United States, 2025
Typical education
Not recorded
Job Zone 4
Skills identified
35
10 related careers
Career overview
Research the distribution, circulation, and physical properties of underground and surface waters; and study the form and intensity of precipitation and its rate of infiltration into the soil, movement through the earth, and return to the ocean and atmosphere.
- O*NET code
- 19-2043.00
- Job zone
- 4
- Experience required
- Over 6 months, up to and including 1 year
Typical tasks
- Design and conduct scientific hydrogeological investigations to ensure that accurate and appropriate information is available for use in water resource management decisions.
- Study and document quantities, distribution, disposition, and development of underground and surface waters.
- Prepare reports or presentations describing research results, using illustrations, maps, appendices, and other information.
- Apply research findings to help minimize the environmental impacts of pollution, waterborne diseases, erosion, and sedimentation.
- Measure and graph phenomena such as lake levels, stream flows, and changes in water volumes.
- Conduct research and communicate information to promote the conservation and preservation of water resources.
- Develop computer models for hydrologic predictions.
- Coordinate and supervise the work of professional and technical staff, including research assistants, technologists, and technicians.
Choose a location
Salary analysis — United States
10th percentile
$64,020
25th percentile
$77,210
75th percentile
$122,830
90th percentile
$153,130
Most important skills
- Critical Thinking4.1
- Mathematics3.9
- Reading Comprehension3.9
- Complex Problem Solving3.9
- Science3.9
- Active Listening3.9
- Writing3.8
- Active Learning3.8
- Judgment and Decision Making3.8
- Speaking3.8
- Systems Analysis3.5
- Monitoring3.3
What skills do you need?
Select the skills you already have
Skills listed are those O*NET rates at importance 3.0 or above for this occupation. Set your own level on the same 0–7 O*NET scale.
Skill coverage
0%
0 of 19 identified skills
Matched
0
Missing
19
Your selected skills cover approximately 0% of the skills identified for this occupation in O*NET. This is a coverage measure of listed skills only — it is not a qualification, hiring or interview outcome.
Skills to develop
| Skill | Importance | Required level | Your level | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Critical Thinking | 4.1 | 4.8 | Not selected | 4.8 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.9 | 4.9 | Not selected | 4.9 |
| Science | 3.9 | 4.4 | Not selected | 4.4 |
| Active Learning | 3.8 | 4.5 | Not selected | 4.5 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.9 | 4.3 | Not selected | 4.3 |
| Mathematics | 3.9 | 4.1 | Not selected | 4.1 |
| Active Listening | 3.9 | 4.1 | Not selected | 4.1 |
| Writing | 3.8 | 4.1 | Not selected | 4.1 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.8 | 4.0 | Not selected | 4.0 |
| Speaking | 3.8 | 4.0 | Not selected | 4.0 |
| Systems Analysis | 3.5 | 4.0 | Not selected | 4.0 |
| Monitoring | 3.3 | 3.8 | Not selected | 3.8 |
| Systems Evaluation | 3.1 | 3.8 | Not selected | 3.8 |
| Learning Strategies | 3.0 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Persuasion | 3.0 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Instructing | 3.0 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Time Management | 3.0 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Coordination | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
Ordered by required level gap multiplied by O*NET importance. No prediction or recommendation is implied.
Related careers
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Compare with HydrologistsSupplemental
National median $53,350
Compare with HydrologistsHow salary varies by location
| Location | Median | Employment | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington, DC | $152,730 | 50 | 2025 |
| San Francisco, CA | $147,080 | 50 | 2025 |
| MD | $143,010 | 90 | 2025 |
| San Jose, CA | $142,640 | 30 | 2025 |
| Baltimore, MD | $138,020 | 50 | 2025 |
| VA | $132,080 | 40 | 2025 |
| Trenton, NJ | $128,320 | 40 | 2025 |
| Riverside, CA | $126,820 | 40 | 2025 |
| NJ | $126,680 | — | 2025 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $123,420 | 70 | 2025 |
| CA | $122,110 | 540 | 2025 |
| GA | $121,830 | 30 | 2025 |
| MA | $119,350 | 50 | 2025 |
| Las Vegas, NV | $118,390 | 50 | 2025 |
| MO | $116,100 | 50 | 2025 |
| Portland, OR | $113,550 | 80 | 2025 |
| Reno, NV | $111,140 | 70 | 2025 |
| Denver, CO | $108,680 | 140 | 2025 |
| AK | $108,660 | 60 | 2025 |
| NV | $107,930 | 170 | 2025 |
Career transition paths
Compare the skills of a career you hold today with Hydrologists to see shared skills, target-only skills and skill overlap.
Build a transition comparisonCareer and skills data: O*NET 31.0.
Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, 2025 (May 2025 release).
Figures are periodic published survey snapshots, not real-time market rates.