Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2003

19-2043 Hydrologists

Research the distribution, circulation, and physical properties of underground and surface waters; study the form and intensity of precipitation, its rate of infiltration into the soil, movement through the earth, and its return to the ocean and atmosphere.

National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
State profile for this occupation
Metropolitan area profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation: Top

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
7,060 6.7 % $28.60 $59,490 1.0 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $17.92 $21.14 $27.43 $34.24 $42.10
Annual Wage (2) $37,280 $43,960 $57,060 $71,220 $87,570

Industry profile for this occupation: Top

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage Employment rank Wage rank
Federal government (OES designation) 2,290 $32.45 $67,490 1 1
Architectural and engineering services 1,540 $25.89 $53,840 2 6
Management and technical consulting services 1,240 $29.46 $61,280 3 4
State government (OES designation) 1,120 $24.47 $50,900 4 9
Local government (OES designation) 400 $25.66 $53,370 5 7

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage Employment rank Wage rank
Federal government (OES designation) 2,290 $32.45 $67,490 1 1
Utility system construction 40 $30.86 $64,190 9 2
Management of companies and enterprises 80 $29.73 $61,840 7 3
Management and technical consulting services 1,240 $29.46 $61,280 3 4
Scientific research and development services 130 $28.86 $60,020 6 5

State profile for this occupation: Top

States with the highest concentration of workers in this occupation:

State Employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage Percent of State employment Wage rank within State
Wyoming 70 $25.32 $52,660 0.029% 59
Montana 110 $24.28 $50,510 0.028% 86
Idaho 130 $27.87 $57,970 0.023% 54
Colorado 460 $33.08 $68,800 0.022% 64
Alaska 60 $32.00 $66,570 0.021% 59

Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage Percent of State employment Wage rank within State
Virginia 210 $35.64 $74,120 0.006% 53
Nevada 150 $34.60 $71,970 0.014% 41
California 750 $33.35 $69,360 0.005% 113
Colorado 460 $33.08 $68,800 0.022% 64
Georgia 70 $32.89 $68,410 0.002% 60

Metropolitan area profile for this occupation: Top

Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of workers in this occupation:

MSA Employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage Percent of MSA employment
Santa Fe, NM MSA 40 $26.14 $54,370 0.054%
Trenton, NJ PMSA 100 $26.66 $55,440 0.048%
Madison, WI MSA 120 $26.86 $55,870 0.043%
Tucson, AZ MSA 140 $26.92 $56,000 0.042%
Boulder-Longmont, CO PMSA 60 $34.76 $72,300 0.039%

Top paying Metropolitan areas for this occupation:

MSA Employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage Percent of MSA employment
San Francisco, CA PMSA 110 $39.22 $81,590 0.011%
Sacramento, CA PMSA 160 $36.65 $76,240 0.021%
Boston, MA-NH PMSA 40 $35.67 $74,200 0.002%
Denver, CO PMSA 220 $34.85 $72,490 0.019%
Boulder-Longmont, CO PMSA 60 $34.76 $72,300 0.039%

About May 2003 National, State, and Metropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

To see profiles of other occupations, select from the major groups below:

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors in metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas in every State and the District of Columbia. The top five employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable Excel files(XLS).

Percentile wage estimates show the percentage of workers in an occupation that earn less than a given wage and the percentage that earn more. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate—50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly mean wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

All Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations

2003 May National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

2003 May State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

2003 May Metropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

2003 May National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

List of Occupations in SOC Code Number Order

List of Occupations in Alphabetical Order

Download May 2003 Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates in Zipped Excel files

Technical notes

 

Last Modified Date: May 7, 2004