What kind of career opportunities exist for hydrologists, and what kind of education is required?
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USGS Frequently Asked Questions
Question:
What kind of career opportunities exist for hydrologists, and what kind of education is required?
Answer:
Many agencies (Federal, State, local, and private consulting firms) employ hydrologists, who do a wide variety of work. At the Federal level the U.S. Geological Survey and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency probably employ the greatest number of hydrologists, but land management and regulatory agengies such as the Department of Energy, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Forest Service, National Weather Bureau, Natural Resources Conservation Service, National Park Service, and U.S. Fish &Wildlife; Service also employ people who require knowledge of hydrologic processes. Most States also employ hydrologists in their Department of Natural Resources or Department of Environmental Quality, and more and more counties are employing hydrologists to keep track of water distribution and water use in their districts. The annual salary of hydrologists depends upon experience and acedemic training. Most “hydrologists” hired before about 1990 were actually engineers, geologists, biologists, chemists, or physicists. Today, many universities and colleges offer undergraduate and graduate degrees in hydrology or environmental science. These disciplines require extensive course work in math and science (geology, chemistry, physics, biology, calculus, etc.), but of equal importantance is the ability to communicate your scientific results both orally and in writing.
