Hydrologist Job Outlook
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment of hydrologists to grow 1.5% from 2025 to 2035 (about 100 more jobs), with about 400 openings a year, and the May 2025 median pay of $96,600 a year ranks 157th of 825 occupations.
- Projected change
- +1.5%
- Openings a year
- 400
- Median pay
- $96,600
- Pay rank
- 157th of 825
Is employment of hydrologists growing or shrinking?
Growing: BLS projects employment of hydrologists to rise 1.5% (about 100 more jobs) from 2025 to 2035, slower than the 3.5% projected across all occupations. That is slower than the +7.6% summed from BLS's employment levels across the 48 life, physical, and social science occupations with a projection. That change ranks 523rd of 830 projected occupations.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Employment, 2025 | 6,300 |
| Employment, 2035 | 6,400 |
| Projected change | +1.5% |
| Openings a year | 400 |
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035. A projection is a BLS estimate, not a count. The 6,300 jobs here differ from the 5,850 on the salary page because Employment Projections also counts the self-employed and a wider set of workers, while OEWS counts wage and salary jobs in May 2025. BLS published these projections on August 27, 2026; checked November 10, 2026. Confirm any figure in the BLS Employment Projections tables.
BLS's reasons for this projection are at the Occupational Outlook Handbook. State projections are at Projections Central; projections by industry are left to BLS. Education, licensing and work context at O*NET.
How many job openings are there each year?
About 400 openings a year, from job growth and from workers leaving the occupation, the 757th most of 830 occupations. About 98% of them replace workers who change occupations or leave the labor force; the rest come from the 10 jobs added in an average year.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035.
How does pay for hydrologists rank?
The median of $96,600 a year ranks 157th of 825 occupations with a published median. It sits in the upper half of occupations on pay and the lower half on openings.
Source: BLS OEWS national file, May 2025. Wage and salary jobs only; the self-employed are not counted. OEWS pay excludes overtime, shift differentials and non-production bonuses. Ranks count only the occupations with that published figure: 830 for projected change, 830 for openings, 825 for median pay, which is why the totals differ.
What does it take to start?
- Typical entry-level education: bachelor's degree.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035, education and training assignments.
How do related jobs compare on outlook?
| Occupation | Change | Openings a year | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers | +5.1% | 1,800 | $101,920 |
| Hydrologic Technicians | -1.3% | 400 | $64,790 |
| Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health | +6.1% | 7,300 | $82,220 |
| Conservation Scientists | +5.3% | 2,100 | $73,010 |
| Soil and Plant Scientists | +6.7% | 1,400 | $78,850 |
| Geological Technicians, Except Hydrologic Technicians | +3.6% | 1,000 | $53,350 |
| Atmospheric and Space Scientists | +2.6% | 800 | $99,070 |
| Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health | +6.9% | 5,300 | $55,090 |
Related occupations from O*NET; projections from BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035; pay from BLS OEWS, May 2025.