occupation · 19-2043 · detailed
Hydrologists — wages and employment
Hydrologists earned a median annual wage of $92,060 in the United States in May 2024, with 5,720 people employed, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
What stands out
Hydrologists earned a median annual wage of $92,060 in the United States in May 2024, with 5,720 people employed, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The lowest-paid tenth earned $60,010 or less, the best-paid tenth $139,420 or more. Since May 2023 the median moved from $88,770 to $92,060, +3.7 %. The best-paying state is Maryland at $134,410; the lowest South Carolina at $61,240. Among metropolitan areas, Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV pays the highest median, $138,500. Wages are as published by BLS for May of each year; '≥ $239,200' is BLS's top code. Every value links to its fact record.
United States, year by year
Annual wages at the median, mean and four percentiles; employment is the May estimate.
| Reference | Employment | Median | Mean | 10th | 25th | 75th | 90th | Median hourly | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2024 | 5,720 | $92,060 | $98,130 | $60,010 | $73,330 | $114,940 | $139,420 | $44.26 | evidence → |
| May 2023 | 6,150 | $88,770 | $96,410 | $57,120 | $69,240 | $114,710 | $141,790 | $42.68 | evidence → |
By state
Median annual wage, May 2024, highest first. Each state has its own record with the full series.
| State | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Maryland | $134,410 | 70 |
| Virginia | $125,900 | 40 |
| California | $118,960 | 670 |
| Massachusetts | $116,750 | 110 |
| Colorado | $116,000 | 270 |
| New Jersey | $115,770 | 70 |
| Michigan | $111,860 | 30 |
| Missouri | $109,970 | 60 |
| Oklahoma | $104,330 | 30 |
| Washington | $100,000 | 270 |
| North Dakota | $98,430 | 30 |
| Nevada | $97,430 | 180 |
| New Mexico | $96,660 | 110 |
| Louisiana | $96,180 | — |
| Hawaii | $95,000 | 30 |
| Pennsylvania | $94,310 | 230 |
| Ohio | $93,520 | 260 |
| Oregon | $92,750 | 280 |
| Wyoming | $91,890 | 50 |
| Minnesota | $90,500 | 300 |
| Utah | $89,310 | 100 |
| Alabama | $86,750 | 30 |
| Iowa | $84,880 | 50 |
| New York | $84,320 | 180 |
| Indiana | $82,970 | 50 |
| Vermont | $82,450 | — |
| Montana | $80,690 | 170 |
| Illinois | $79,790 | 90 |
| Wisconsin | $76,460 | 170 |
| Arizona | $76,420 | 320 |
| Texas | $76,360 | 250 |
| Idaho | $74,960 | 170 |
| Florida | $71,290 | 250 |
| South Carolina | $61,240 | 110 |
Highest-paying metropolitan areas
Top 20 by median annual wage.
| Metro area | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $138,500 | 40 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $137,270 | 50 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $137,090 | 40 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $134,410 | 40 |
| Fort Collins-Loveland, CO | $125,670 | 30 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $125,670 | 120 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $123,840 | 40 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $123,450 | 90 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $119,250 | 50 |
| Trenton-Princeton, NJ | $119,180 | 30 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $115,540 | 40 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $114,790 | 90 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | $112,590 | 70 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $107,980 | 70 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $107,440 | 110 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $104,270 | 120 |
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | $101,090 | 30 |
| Reno, NV | $100,790 | 70 |
| Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | $93,910 | 70 |
| Albuquerque, NM | $93,360 | 70 |
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