Career
Hydrologists
Study how water moves across and under the earth.
Here's what you actually need to know.
The work
What people in this job do
- Design and conduct scientific hydrogeological investigations to ensure that accurate and appropriate information is available for use in water resource management decisions.
- Study and document quantities, distribution, disposition, and development of underground and surface waters.
- Prepare reports or presentations describing research results, using illustrations, maps, appendices, and other information.
- Apply research findings to help minimize the environmental impacts of pollution, waterborne diseases, erosion, and sedimentation.
- Measure and graph phenomena such as lake levels, stream flows, and changes in water volumes.
The outlook
How the forecast changed this year
AI
Last year BLS cited AI in this outlook; this year's table does not. That is not evidence the job is unaffected.
The deeper question
What kind of person does this path ask you to become?
What this work centers on
O*NET interest profile, scored 1–7.
The work
Do you want most of your days spent on ideas & analysis, then objects & tools?
Responsibility
Are you willing to be the one responsible for this?
“Design and conduct scientific hydrogeological investigations to ensure that accurate and appropriate information is available for use in water resource management decisions.”
Development
What would you need to build over the next 5–10 years?
Critical Thinking, Active Listening, Reading Comprehension, Science.
Trade-offs
What does it ask of you in exchange?
4 years of education after high school (bachelor's degree), for a median of $96,600 a year and 400 openings nationally each year.
Paths in
Degrees that lead here
- Geology and Earth SciencesSee the degree →
- Earth Systems ScienceCIP 30.3801
- Environmental GeosciencesCIP 30.4101
- Geology/Earth Science, GeneralCIP 40.0601
- Hydrology and Water Resources ScienceCIP 40.0605
- Oceanography, Chemical and PhysicalCIP 40.0607
Paths across
Careers that use similar skills
- Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers$101,920 · +5.1%
- Hydrologic Technicians$64,790 · -1.3%
- Industrial Ecologists
- Water Resource Specialists
- Conservation Scientists$73,010 · +5.3%
Ask anything about this career.
“Would this make sense if I don't want to sit at a desk all day?” Answers will come from the sources on this page, with citations. Coming soon.
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Sources
- BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- BLS Employment Projections, 2024–34 (archived), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- O*NET 31.0 Database (August 2026), National Center for O*NET Development / U.S. Department of Labor. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk, NCES and BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-01.