Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages O*NET task lead SOC 19-2043

Hydrologists

O*NET task statements lead this Hydrologists card before OEWS pay; neighboring titles include Physicists, Clinical and Counseling Psychologists, Political Scientists, Sociologists.

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Hydrologists: Physicists ($172K) , Clinical and Counseling Psychologists ($101K) , Political Scientists ($142K) , Sociologists ($106K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Hydrologists publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 19-2043 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Prepare written and oral reports describing research results, using illustrations, maps, appendices, and other information
  2. 2. Design and conduct scientific hydrogeological investigations to ensure that accurate and appropriate information is available for use in…
  3. 3. Measure and graph phenomena such as lake levels, stream flows, and changes in water volumes
  4. 4. Conduct research and communicate information to promote the conservation and preservation of water resources
  5. 5. Coordinate and supervise the work of professional and technical staff, including research assistants, technologists, and technicians
  6. 6. Study public water supply issues, including flood and drought risks, water quality, wastewater, and impacts on wetland habitats
  7. 7. Apply research findings to help minimize the environmental impacts of pollution, waterborne diseases, erosion, and sedimentation
  8. 8. Study and document quantities, distribution, disposition, and development of underground and surface waters
  9. 9. Install, maintain, and calibrate instruments such as those that monitor water levels, rainfall, and sediments
  10. 10. Develop computer models for hydrologic predictions
  11. 11. Study and analyze the physical aspects of the earth in terms of hydrological components, including atmosphere, hydrosphere, and interior…
  12. 12. Evaluate research data in terms of its impact on issues such as soil and water conservation, flood control planning, and water supply for…

O*NET skills and knowledge for Hydrologists

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 19-2043 - entity-keyed; sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Critical Thinking 4.0
  2. 2. Reading Comprehension 3.9
  3. 3. Active Listening 3.9
  4. 4. Science 3.9
  5. 5. Speaking 3.8
  6. 6. Mathematics 3.8
  7. 7. Complex Problem Solving 3.8
  8. 8. Writing 3.6

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. Mathematics 4.3
  2. 2. Physics 4.1
  3. 3. Engineering and Technology 4.0
  4. 4. English Language 3.9
  5. 5. Geography 3.9
  6. 6. Computers and Electronics 3.5
National median after O*NET task lead
$96,600
/year · 12 published task lines above
Lead task: Prepare written and oral reports describing research results, using illustrations, maps, appendices, and other information
$97K
National median
↓ -0%
Growth 2024-2034
500
Annual openings
5,850
Estimated US jobs
Physicists
Highest-pay peer · $172K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education Bachelor's degree

Top Paying States for Hydrologists

1. Georgia $121,830
2. Washington $105,600
3. Alaska $108,660
4. Virginia $132,080
5. Massachusetts $119,350
6. Maryland $143,010
7. California $122,110
8. Missouri $116,100
9. Nevada $107,930
10. New Jersey $126,680

Other Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations titles

  1. 1. Political Scientists $142,080
  2. 2. Sociologists $106,030
  3. 3. Physicists $172,250
  4. 4. Clinical and Counseling Psychologists $100,580
  5. 5. Materials Scientists $117,790
  6. 6. Psychologists, All Other $110,840

O*NET publishes 12 leading task statements for Hydrologists (SOC 19-2043). The national OEWS median is $96,600 inside Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations. Same-group neighbors: Physicists, Clinical and Counseling Psychologists, Political Scientists, Sociologists. Lead published task: Prepare written and oral reports describing research results, using illustrations, maps, appendices, and other information.

Employment Projections expect -0% change between 2024 and 2034 (declining vs baseline 3.1%). About 500 annual openings are projected. BLS assigns Bachelor's degree as typical education needed for entry. These are occupation-level assignments, not universal requirements. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific safety rate for this role; its broad SOC-group rate is excluded from this career card's grade.

Highest published state median in this ranking: Georgia at $121,830. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: Physicists at $172,250. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Where Hydrologists sits in Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations

Hydrologists sits at pay-rank #19 of 48 detailed Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations, the middle third of the major-group median table. ROW_NUMBER on median; title breaks ties.

Other mid-table titles · closest medians

Full Salary Details Compare this role

Data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024–2034.

Dive into Hydrologists in more depth or explore nearby career data.

Full Salary Details

State, metro, and percentile breakdown

Jobs in Georgia

Top-paying state for this role

Jobs in Washington

Second-highest state pay

Physicists

Highest-pay peer · $172K

Clinical and Counseling Psychologists

Lower-pay peer · $101K

Compare Side-by-Side

Head-to-head with another role
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Role and task next reads

Hydrologists full salary map

State and metro OEWS after the task lead

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is Hydrologists mid-table among Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations? ▼
Yes: pay-rank #19 of 48 detailed Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations, the middle third. Mid-table neighbors: School Psychologists ($96K), Biological Scientists, All Other ($99K), Atmospheric and Space Scientists ($99K), Life Scientists, All Other ($94K). ROW_NUMBER on median; title breaks ties.
What do hydrologists do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Hydrologists. Leading ones include: Prepare written and oral reports describing research results, using illustrations, maps, appendices, and other information; Design and conduct scientific hydrogeological investigations to ensure that accurate and appropriate information is available for use in…; Measure and graph phenomena such as lake levels, stream flows, and changes in water volumes; Conduct research and communicate information to promote the conservation and preservation of water resources. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for hydrologists? ▼
For SOC 19-2043, O*NET importance scores lead with Critical Thinking (4.0), Reading Comprehension (3.9), Active Listening (3.9), Science (3.9). Knowledge areas emphasize Mathematics, Physics, Engineering and Technology. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
What is the OEWS national median for Hydrologists? ▼
May 2025 OEWS reports $96,600 as the national median for Hydrologists. The published 10th-90th range is $64,020 to $153,130. Beside Physicists ($172,250), this is the occupation-level national figure, not a local offer.
What employment change does BLS publish for Hydrologists? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Hydrologists is -0%. Projected annual openings: about 500. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: declining.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Hydrologists? ▼
BLS assigns Bachelor's degree as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Hydrologists. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Hydrologists? ▼
Georgia ($121,830), Washington ($105,600), Alaska ($108,660) lead this ranking. The table does not identify why those state estimates differ.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Wage and state figures use BLS OEWS May 2025; growth and education use BLS Employment Projections for 2024–2034; safety fields cite BLS CFOI/SOII; task statements cite O*NET where shown. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

Disclaimer: Wage and outlook figures on this page are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute career, financial, or salary-negotiation advice. Actual pay varies by employer, experience, and local conditions; consult a career counselor or the hiring employer for guidance specific to your situation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES Occupational wage estimates by area and industry · 2025

Federal sources on this Hydrologists card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 19-2043. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Hydrologists. onetcenter.org
  • BLS Employment Projections - 2024-2034 change and openings for this occupation. bls.gov/emp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - demographic and labor-force context for state and metro geography. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) - payroll-tax aggregate context for wage comparisons. irs.gov/statistics