Hydrologist
What Does a Professional in this Career Do?
Studies water, including underground water and water from ground sources like lakes and streams, and researches various aspects of the water cycle. Collects data used to plan conservation efforts and manage water supply. May advise on groundwater contamination risks or planning for flood management.
Job Outlook
There were 99 Hydrologist job postings in North Carolina in the past year and 1943 in the United States.
In combination with other careers in the Hydrologist industry, which includes the Hydrologist career, the following graph shows the number of people employed for each year since 2012:
Salary
Many new Hydrologist jobs have salaries estimated to be in the following ranges, based on the requirements and responsibilities listed in job postings from the past year.
National
The average estimated salary in the United States for this career, based on job postings in the past year, is $64,828.
State
The average estimated salary in North Carolina for this career, based on job postings in the past year, is $51,635.
Percentiles represent the percentage that is lower than the value. For example, 25% of estimated salaries for Hydrologist postings in the United States in the past year were lower than $53,256.
Education and Experience
Posted Hydrologist jobs typically require the following level of education. The numbers below are based on job postings in the United States from the past year. Not all job postings list education requirements.
| Education Level | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Associate's Degree | 0% |
| Bachelor's Degree | 39% |
| Master's Degree | 58% |
| Doctoral Degree | 3% |
| Other | 0% |
Posted Hydrologist jobs typically require the following number of years of experience. The numbers below are based on job postings in the United States from the past year. Not all job postings list experience requirements.
| Years of Experience | Percentage |
|---|---|
| 0 to 2 years | 30% |
| 3 to 5 years | 42% |
| 6 to 8 years | 10% |
| 9+ years | 19% |
Skills
Below are listings of the most common general and specialized skills Hydrologist positions expect applicants to have as well as the most common skills that distinguish individuals from their peers. The percentage of job postings that specifically mention each skill is also listed.
Baseline Skills
A skill that is required across a broad range of occupations, including this one.
- Communication Skills (43%)
- Writing (30%)
- Planning (28%)
- Research (24%)
- Physical Abilities (20%)
Defining Skills
A core skill for this occupation, it occurs frequently in job postings.
- Hydrogeology (57%)
- Hydrology (50%)
- Geology (32%)
- Project Management (28%)
- Water Quality (22%)
Necessary Skills
A skill that is requested frequently in this occupation but isn’t specific to it.
- Vaccination (18%)
- Biology (18%)
- Budgeting (18%)
- Data Collection (17%)
- Physics (17%)
Distinguishing Skills
A skill that may distinguish a subset of the occupation.
- Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) (6%)
- Watershed Management (6%)
- Groundwater Sampling (6%)
- Well Design (5%)
- Groundwater Remediation (5%)
Salary Boosting Skills
A professional who wishes to excel in this career path may consider developing the following highly valued skills. The percentage of job postings that specifically mention each skill is listed along with the marginal value: the average salary difference between postings that request that skill and those that do not.
- Soil Science (3%) – marginal value $7,191
- Environmental Assessments (4%) – marginal value $6,864
Alternative Job Titles
Sometimes employers post jobs with Hydrologist skills but a different job title. Some common alternative job titles include:
- Hydrogeologist
- Geologist/Hydrogeologist
- Senior Hydrogeologist
- U S Nationals Hydrologist
Similar Occupations
If you are interested in exploring occupations with similar skills, you may want to research the following job titles. Note that we only list occupations that have at least one corresponding NC State Online and Distance Education program.
- Physical Scientist
- Wildlife Biologist
- Environmental Planner / Scientist
- Biologist
- Field Biologist
- Environmental Engineer
Common Employers
Here are the employers that have posted the most Hydrologist jobs in the past year along with how many they have posted.
United States
- Geological Survey (74)
- AECOM Technology Corporation (66)
- United States Geological Survey (40)
- Burns & McDonnell (39)
- Forest Service (35)
North Carolina
- Department Environmental Quality (13)
- State North Carolina (10)
- North Carolina Dept Of Environmental Quality (9)
- Albemarle Corporation (2)
- Forest Service (2)
NC State Programs Relevant to this Career
If you are interested in preparing for a career in this field, the following NC State Online and Distance Education programs offer a great place to start!
- Biological and Agricultural Engineering Master's Degrees
- Climate Adaptation Graduate Certificates
- Watershed Assessment and Restoration Graduate Certificates
All wages, job posting statistics, employment trend projections, and information about skill desirability on this page represents historical data and does not guarantee future conditions. Data is provided by and downloaded regularly from Lightcast. For more information about how Lightcast gathers data and what it represents, see Lightcast Data: Basic Overview on Lightcast's Knowledge Base website.