Hydrologists
Hydrologists earn an average annual salary of $122,789, making it one of the higher-paying occupations. While facing some shifts, the field is adapting to changes in the job market. Professionals in this field are primarily employed in industries such as Cross-industry and Federal, State, and Local Government, including State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S.
Key Statistics
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Hydrologists workforce.
Employment Over Time
670 Workforce in 2023
The Hydrologists workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Hydrologists.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$122,789 Average Wage
In 2023, Hydrologists earned an average of $122,789.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Hydrologists.
Salary distribution for Hydrologists.
Employment Growth Projections
-0.4% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
2,366 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: -2.2%
2,313 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: -4.4%
This occupation is experiencing a decline. Consider related fields with better growth prospects.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Hydrologists.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Hydrologists and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Hydrologists employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Hydrologists.
Wage Trends by Industry
2.7% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Hydrologists.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Hydrologists.
Metropolitan employment on this page is from the California OEWS extract. Area names omit state codes; all listed metros are in California, so the state chart shows California totals (not a multi-state ranking).
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 490 employees, $124,476 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Hydrologists.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom MSA: 120 employees, $116,492 avg wage
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA: 50 employees, $120,108 avg wage
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: 50 employees, $115,984 avg wage
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA: 40 employees, $122,481 avg wage
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara MSA: 40 employees, $145,592 avg wage
- Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD: 40 employees, $137,019 avg wage
- Bakersfield-Delano MSA: 30 employees, $109,302 avg wage
- Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD: 30 employees, $128,531 avg wage
- Fresno MSA: 20 employees, $122,645 avg wage
- Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura MSA: 20 employees, $129,887 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Hydrologists.
Diversity
Demographic information on Hydrologists in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Hydrologists in 2023 was 670 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Hydrologists.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Hydrologists.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Hydrologists.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Hydrologists in 2023 were Business Administration, Engineering, Business.
Common majors for Hydrologists.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Hydrologists workers.
Education level distribution for Hydrologists.
Skills
Hydrologists need many skills, but most especially Critical Thinking, Science, Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Mathematics.
Required skills for Hydrologists.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Hydrologists.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Hydrologists include Mathematics, Physics, Engineering and Technology, English Language, Geography.
Knowledge areas required for Hydrologists.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Hydrologists include Written Expression, Oral Comprehension, Written Comprehension, Oral Expression, Deductive Reasoning.
Required abilities for Hydrologists.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Hydrologists.
Daily Activities
Hydrologists spend their time on activities such as Analyzing Data or Information, Getting Information, Working with Computers, Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Documenting/Recording Information.
Most important work activities for Hydrologists.
About
Hydrologists
The average yearly wage for Hydrologists was $122,789 in 2023.
SOC Code
19-2043 - Hydrologists
Insights and Analysis
High earnings profile: Hydrologists reports an average salary of $122,789, placing it among stronger-paying occupations.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 670 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual decline is -0.4%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.