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The national median salary for Hydrologic Technicians is $58,573 per year ($28.16/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2024. The middle 50% of earners make between $47,445 and $79,789 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $94,307 per year. There are approximately 2,940 hydrologic technicians employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
Collect and organize data concerning the distribution and circulation of ground and surface water, and data on its physical, chemical, and biological properties. Measure and report on flow rates and ground water levels, maintain field equipment, collect water samples, install and collect sampling equipment, and process samples for shipment to testing laboratories. May collect data on behalf of hydrologists, engineers, developers, government agencies, or agriculture.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
-2.1%
Slower than average
Annual openings
400
per year, on avg
Workforce today
3K
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
Associate's degree
Experience
None
On-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
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
$67,560
Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services
NAICS 541300
260
$46,810
Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)
NAICS 999300
240
$55,940
Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution
NAICS 221100
130
$78,170
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools
NAICS 611300
70
$50,790
Wage range across top 5 industries: $46,810 to $78,170 (67% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$19.39
$40,331
P25
$22.81
$47,445
P50MEDIAN
$28.16
$58,573
P75
$38.36
$79,789
P90
$45.34
$94,307
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 hydrologic technicians salary?
The national median salary for Hydrologic Technicians is $58,573 per year ($28.16/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2024 data. The middle 50% earn between $47,445 and $79,789 annually.
How much do top-earning hydrologic technicians make?
The 90th percentile salary for Hydrologic Technicians is $94,307 per year ($45.34/hr). The 75th percentile is $79,789 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for hydrologic technicians?
Entry-level Hydrologic Technicians (10th percentile) earn approximately $40,331 per year ($19.39/hr). The 25th percentile is $47,445 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2024 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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