How much does a hydrologist make?
a year · about $46 an hour
A typical hydrologist in the United States makes $96,600 a year, about $46 an hour, about 1.9× a typical US worker (median, May 2025, US Bureau of Labor Statistics).
What do they do?
Hydrologists may visit a stream to measure water flow and collect samples. Back in the office, they study the data to help forecast floods and water supplies.
Did you know? USGS researchers estimated that groundwater samples from one U.S. aquifer ranged from 12 to 22,000 years old, using chemical tracers dissolved in the water.
Is that a lot?
Compared with jobs you knowIf 100 people had this job
Most earn between $64,020 and $153,130How do you become one?
Hydrologists typically earn a bachelor’s in hydrology, geology, or a related science and often start in their early 20s. Internships help; some employers prefer a master’s, and some states encourage hydrologists to seek geology licensure.
School needed: Usually a bachelor's degree
Good for people who like figuring things out and building and doing
Why does pay differ?
In the United States, more experience, in-demand skills, or sought-after credentials can help a hydrologist earn more. Pay also differs by employer and location: government, consulting, and engineering jobs—and states—do not all pay alike.
Where does it pay most?
Highest in Maryland ($143,010), lowest in South Carolina ($65,770).
See every state
Top 5 and bottom 3 states, typical (median) yearly pay.
Jobs like this
Data table and sources
| Lower earner (10th from bottom) | Typical person (median) | Higher earner (10th from top) | People in this job |
|---|---|---|---|
| $64,020 | $96,600 | $153,130 | about 6,000 |
| State | Typical person (median) | People in this job |
|---|---|---|
| Maryland | $143,010 | about 90 |
| Virginia | $132,080 | about 40 |
| New Jersey | $126,680 | — |
| California | $122,110 | about 540 |
| Georgia | $121,830 | about 30 |
Official definition: 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.
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (bls.gov); descriptions and related jobs from O*NET 31.0. Figures as of May 2025, full-time yearly pay (hourly × 2,080 hours). bls.gov/oes · O*NET OnLine
Pages used for the text
- www.bls.gov/ooh/life-physical-and-social-science/hydrologists.htm
- www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/2015/article/wage-differences.htm
- www.bls.gov/oes/2023/may/oes192043.htm
- www.noaa.gov/careers/hydrology
- www.onetonline.org/link/details/19-2043.00
- pubs.usgs.gov/publication/sir20245127/full
Data: US BLS OEWS, May 2025 · 1 USD = 150 JPY