Hydrologists pay in the U.S.
$103,600avg. a year
$49.81 an hour · 5,850 employed
Hydrologists in the U.S. earn an average of $103,600 a year and a median of $96,600. Pay is highest in Maryland ($145,970) and lowest in South Carolina ($74,660).
$96,600Median pay
$49.81Average hourly
+15%Avg. pay since 2020
5,850Jobs in the U.S.
Top-paying states for hydrologists
Average pay by state. Swipe to see the top 10.
190 jobs
Maryland
$145,970
$70.18 an hour
2
New Jersey
$127,450
$61.28 an hour
3350 jobs
Washington
$123,510
$59.38 an hour
4540 jobs
California
$122,940
$59.10 an hour
5360 jobs
Colorado
$122,740
$59.01 an hour
630 jobs
Georgia
$122,030
$58.67 an hour
750 jobs
Massachusetts
$119,710
$57.56 an hour
840 jobs
Virginia
$119,240
$57.33 an hour
9170 jobs
Nevada
$116,790
$56.15 an hour
1050 jobs
Missouri
$110,030
$52.90 an hour
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Hydrologists pay, charted
Pay over time
United States, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where the jobs are
Employment by state, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · tap a state
AKMEWIVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILMINYMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTRICAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL
Under $91k$91k–$99k$99k–$117k$117k+
Top-paying metro areas
Average pay, May 2025 (areas with 100+ jobs)
| Metro area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $121,470 | $58.40 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $112,230 | $53.96 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $106,040 | $50.98 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $103,800 | $49.91 |
| Columbus, OH | $97,050 | $46.66 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $95,260 | $45.80 |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | $77,940 | $37.47 |
| Columbia, SC | $73,940 | $35.55 |
Related jobs
- Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health$91,680
- Chemists$100,450
- Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers$116,150
- Physical Scientists, All Other$129,230
- Physicists$171,180
- Atmospheric and Space Scientists$106,110
Average U.S. pay, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Hydrologists pay in every state
States without a figure had too few jobs or too little survey data for BLS to publish.
| State | Avg. pay | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | $108,750 | $108,660 | 60 |
| Arizona | $100,600 | $86,700 | 400 |
| California | $122,940 | $122,110 | 540 |
| Colorado | $122,740 | $100,840 | 360 |
| Florida | $84,130 | $76,850 | 280 |
| Georgia | $122,030 | $121,830 | 30 |
| Idaho | $86,620 | $78,850 | 160 |
| Illinois | $92,640 | $83,720 | 100 |
| Indiana | $83,660 | $80,700 | 50 |
| Iowa | $90,730 | $81,150 | 50 |
| Louisiana | $108,810 | $104,520 | – |
| Maryland | $145,970 | $143,010 | 90 |
| Massachusetts | $119,710 | $119,350 | 50 |
| Michigan | $105,910 | $101,060 | 40 |
| Minnesota | $94,300 | $94,580 | 300 |
| Missouri | $110,030 | $116,100 | 50 |
| Montana | $92,840 | $84,500 | 190 |
| Nevada | $116,790 | $107,930 | 170 |
| New Jersey | $127,450 | $126,680 | – |
| New Mexico | $105,700 | $97,470 | 100 |
| New York | $95,000 | $88,100 | 160 |
| North Carolina | $86,330 | $81,770 | 150 |
| Ohio | $95,570 | $98,200 | 390 |
| Oklahoma | $97,470 | $97,470 | 40 |
| Oregon | $98,910 | $93,690 | 300 |
| Pennsylvania | $93,500 | $91,730 | 160 |
| South Carolina | $74,660 | $65,770 | 100 |
| Texas | $89,530 | $81,080 | 220 |
| Utah | $97,230 | $94,190 | 80 |
| Vermont | $89,120 | $86,140 | 50 |
| Virginia | $119,240 | $132,080 | 40 |
| Washington | $123,510 | $105,600 | 350 |
| Wisconsin | $86,040 | $78,770 | 150 |
| Wyoming | $99,810 | $94,520 | 40 |
Metro areas with the most jobs
Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ
$106,040
260 jobsMinneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI
$95,260
210 jobsColumbus, OH
$97,050
170 jobsDenver-Aurora-Centennial, CO
$121,470
140 jobsNew York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ
$103,800
130 jobsSacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA
$112,230
110 jobsAustin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX
$77,940
100 jobsColumbia, SC
$73,940
100 jobsQuestions and answers
How much do hydrologists make?
The average is $103,600 a year across the U.S. Half earn more than $96,600 and half earn less (the median).
What is the hourly pay?
The average hourly wage is $49.81, and the median is $46.44 an hour.
Which state pays hydrologists the most?
Maryland, with an average of $145,970 a year. The best-paying metro area is Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO at $121,470.
What is the pay range?
The lowest-paid 10% earn under $64,020 a year, and the top 10% earn over $153,130.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 19-2043. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.