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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2020

19-2043 Hydrologists

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.


National estimates for Hydrologists
Industry profile for Hydrologists
Geographic profile for Hydrologists

National estimates for Hydrologists:

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Hydrologists:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
6,170 3.8 % $ 43.34 $ 90,150 1.4 %

Percentile wage estimates for Hydrologists:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $ 25.44 $ 31.29 $ 40.41 $ 51.26 $ 62.52
Annual Wage (2) $ 52,900 $ 65,080 $ 84,040 $ 106,620 $ 130,030


Industry profile for Hydrologists:

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for Hydrologists are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in Hydrologists, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in Hydrologists:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) 1,610 0.08 $ 43.81 $ 91,130
State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) 1,420 0.06 $ 34.76 $ 72,300
Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services 1,380 0.09 $ 50.68 $ 105,410
Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services 730 0.05 $ 48.34 $ 100,550
Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) 660 0.01 $ 41.00 $ 85,270

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Hydrologists:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services 1,380 0.09 $ 50.68 $ 105,410
Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) 1,610 0.08 $ 43.81 $ 91,130
State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) 1,420 0.06 $ 34.76 $ 72,300
Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services 730 0.05 $ 48.34 $ 100,550
Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) 660 0.01 $ 41.00 $ 85,270

Top paying industries for Hydrologists:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services 1,380 0.09 $ 50.68 $ 105,410
Scientific Research and Development Services (8) (8) $ 50.03 $ 104,060
Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services 730 0.05 $ 48.34 $ 100,550
Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) 1,610 0.08 $ 43.81 $ 91,130
Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) 660 0.01 $ 41.00 $ 85,270


Geographic profile for Hydrologists:

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for Hydrologists are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in Hydrologists, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in Hydrologists:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 910 0.06 1.24 $ 50.33 $ 104,690
Florida 420 0.05 1.12 $ 46.04 $ 95,750
Colorado 380 0.15 3.34 $ 48.63 $ 101,140
Ohio 320 0.06 1.42 $ 41.65 $ 86,630
Minnesota 300 0.11 2.46 $ 38.88 $ 80,880




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Hydrologists:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Montana 180 0.39 8.79 $ 36.43 $ 75,780
New Mexico 160 0.20 4.57 $ 43.01 $ 89,470
Idaho 140 0.19 4.28 $ 32.61 $ 67,830
Alaska 50 0.18 4.09 $ 44.70 $ 92,980
New Hampshire 100 0.16 3.51 (8) (8)




Top paying states for Hydrologists:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New Jersey 140 0.04 0.85 $ 57.76 $ 120,140
Maryland 50 0.02 0.49 $ 53.90 $ 112,110
California 910 0.06 1.24 $ 50.33 $ 104,690
Colorado 380 0.15 3.34 $ 48.63 $ 101,140
Virginia 40 0.01 0.26 $ 48.06 $ 99,970





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Hydrologists:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 210 0.08 1.90 $ 40.98 $ 85,230
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 210 0.11 2.54 $ 39.39 $ 81,930
San Diego-Carlsbad, CA 200 0.15 3.28 $ 51.45 $ 107,020
Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO 200 0.14 3.06 $ 49.98 $ 103,950
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 190 0.02 0.49 $ 49.37 $ 102,690
Columbus, OH 160 0.16 3.61 $ 39.04 $ 81,210
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 150 0.06 1.44 $ 55.47 $ 115,380
Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA 130 0.13 3.00 $ 45.23 $ 94,070
Albuquerque, NM 130 0.34 7.70 $ 44.81 $ 93,200
Tucson, AZ 110 0.30 6.79 $ 38.35 $ 79,780




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Hydrologists:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Olympia-Tumwater, WA 50 0.47 10.53 $ 40.06 $ 83,320
Albuquerque, NM 130 0.34 7.70 $ 44.81 $ 93,200
Tucson, AZ 110 0.30 6.79 $ 38.35 $ 79,780
Kennewick-Richland, WA 30 0.28 6.28 $ 50.62 $ 105,280
Reno, NV 50 0.23 5.23 $ 45.47 $ 94,570
Columbia, SC 90 0.23 5.20 $ 26.88 $ 55,920
Boise City, ID 70 0.21 4.68 $ 33.74 $ 70,190
Fort Collins, CO 30 0.20 4.60 (8) (8)
Lincoln, NE 30 0.20 4.52 $ 32.66 $ 67,930
Madison, WI 70 0.18 4.06 $ 35.59 $ 74,020




Top paying metropolitan areas for Hydrologists:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 30 0.03 0.66 $ 59.43 $ 123,620
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 150 0.06 1.44 $ 55.47 $ 115,380
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 60 0.02 0.43 $ 55.30 $ 115,020
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 50 0.02 0.34 $ 55.27 $ 114,960
San Diego-Carlsbad, CA 200 0.15 3.28 $ 51.45 $ 107,020
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 80 0.01 0.31 $ 50.65 $ 105,350
Kennewick-Richland, WA 30 0.28 6.28 $ 50.62 $ 105,280
Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO 200 0.14 3.06 $ 49.98 $ 103,950
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 190 0.02 0.49 $ 49.37 $ 102,690
Knoxville, TN 40 0.10 2.17 $ 48.32 $ 100,510

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in Hydrologists:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Southwest Montana nonmetropolitan area 120 0.89 19.96 $ 35.33 $ 73,490
Central New Hampshire nonmetropolitan area 50 0.53 12.06 (8) (8)
North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area 40 0.44 9.85 $ 34.21 $ 71,160
Northwest Minnesota nonmetropolitan area 40 0.23 5.26 $ 38.78 $ 80,670

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Hydrologists:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Southwest Montana nonmetropolitan area 120 0.89 19.96 $ 35.33 $ 73,490
Central New Hampshire nonmetropolitan area 50 0.53 12.06 (8) (8)
North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area 40 0.44 9.85 $ 34.21 $ 71,160
Northwest Minnesota nonmetropolitan area 40 0.23 5.26 $ 38.78 $ 80,670

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for Hydrologists:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Southwest Colorado nonmetropolitan area (8) (8) (8) $ 41.39 $ 86,090
Northwest Minnesota nonmetropolitan area 40 0.23 5.26 $ 38.78 $ 80,670
Southwest Montana nonmetropolitan area 120 0.89 19.96 $ 35.33 $ 73,490
North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area 40 0.44 9.85 $ 34.21 $ 71,160


About May 2020 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate—50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(8) Estimate not released.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OEWS estimates and related information:

May 2020 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2020 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2020 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2020 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2020 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 31, 2021