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The national median salary for Hydrologists is $96,595 per year ($46.44/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $77,210 and $122,845 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $153,130 per year. There are approximately 5,850 hydrologists employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
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.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
-0.1%
Little or no change
Annual openings
500
per year, on avg
Workforce today
6K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
0% from new growth100% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
Bachelor's degree
Experience
None
On-the-job training
None
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation)
NAICS 999100
2K
$104,770
State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)
NAICS 999200
2K
$84,500
Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services
NAICS 541600
1K
$106,950
Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)
NAICS 999300
730
$98,470
Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services
NAICS 541300
520
$99,990
Wage range across top 5 industries: $84,500 to $106,950 (27% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$30.78
$64,022
P25
$37.12
$77,210
P50MEDIAN
$46.44
$96,595
P75
$59.06
$122,845
P90
$73.62
$153,130
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · professional sector
Cooling
Openings Rate
4.2%
Quits Rate
2.0%
Professional & Business Services openings tumbled 318K in March -- the largest single-sector drop in this release. Openings rate fell from 5.5% to 4.2%. Layoffs jumped to 527K (+99K). White-collar demand has cooled abruptly.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average hydrologists salary?
The national median salary for Hydrologists is $96,595 per year ($46.44/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $77,210 and $122,845 annually.
How much do top-earning hydrologists make?
The 90th percentile salary for Hydrologists is $153,130 per year ($73.62/hr). The 75th percentile is $122,845 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for hydrologists?
Entry-level Hydrologists (10th percentile) earn approximately $64,022 per year ($30.78/hr). The 25th percentile is $77,210 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
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