Hydrologists

Median salary

$96,600

Average salary

$103,600

Employment

5,850

Projected growth

0.1% decline

Annual openings

500

Typical entry education

Bachelor's degree

What Hydrologists Do

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.

See full salary breakdown & percentiles →

Career Outlook

National employment outlook, 2024–2034.

Related work experience: None
On-the-job training: None
Self-employed: 3.1%

Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.

How Much Preparation Does This Take?

Job Zone 5 of 5

Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed

Experience: Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience.
Education: Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
Job training: Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.

Source: O*NET Job Zones.

Key Knowledge Areas

Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.

Mathematicsimportance 4.3/5
Physicsimportance 4.1/5
Engineering and Technologyimportance 4.0/5
English Languageimportance 3.9/5
Geographyimportance 3.9/5
Computers and Electronicsimportance 3.5/5
Chemistryimportance 3.4/5
Biologyimportance 3.2/5

Work Environment

What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.

E-Mail5.0/5
Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.5/5
Telephone Conversations4.4/5
Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team4.2/5
Importance of Being Exact or Accurate4.2/5
Freedom to Make Decisions4.1/5

Careers With Similar Skills

Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.

Financial Examiners91% skill match
Architectural and Civil Drafters91% skill match
Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers90% skill match
Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists90% skill match
Economists89% skill match
Mathematicians88% skill match
Cartographers and Photogrammetrists87% skill match
Survey Researchers87% skill match

Transferable Skills

Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.

Complex Problem Solvingimportance 3.8/5
Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 3.5/5
Systems Analysisimportance 3.4/5
Coordinationimportance 3.1/5
Social Perceptivenessimportance 3.0/5
Persuasionimportance 3.0/5
Instructingimportance 3.0/5
Systems Evaluationimportance 3.0/5

Software & Technologies

Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.

Hot Technologies

In-Demand Technologies

Geographic information system GIS systems
HEC-HMS
HEC-RAS
RockWare MODFLOW

Other Software Used

Advanced Logic Technology WellCAD
Amtec Engineering Tecplot
Argus ONE Open Numerical Environments
Autodesk AutoCAD Map 3D
Autodesk Land Desktop
BOSS International Visual Groundwater
Bentley Systems gINT
Biodegration flow and transport modeling software

Work Style

Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.

Attention to Detail
Intellectual Curiosity
Dependability
Integrity
Innovation
Cautiousness
Achievement Orientation

Career Interests

This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.

InvestigativeHigh
RealisticHigh
ConventionalMedium
EnterprisingLow
SocialLow
ArtisticLow

This page includes information from the O*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.