Hydrologist

Earnings (Yearly Median): $85,990 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2022

Employment and Outlook: 1% (Little or no change)

O*NET-SOC Code: 19-2043.00

Related Career Clusters: Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources; Government & Public Administration; Architecture & Construction

Scope of Work

Hydrologists study all facets of the hydrologic cycle, from rainfall patterns, to the distribution of water through the environment, and its eventual return to the atmosphere. Of central importance is the hydrologist's role in ensuring that the earth's population has access to fresh drinking water, a task that has become increasingly challenging as the global population expands. Mixing mathematics and science, hydrologists play a crucial role in any project taking place on or near waterways. Whether building a bridge over a river or planning a subdivision on former pasture land, construction crews must first consult hydrologists to ascertain how such activity will affect local drainage and water quality. All entities, public or private, that do any form of work in which water plays a role will need to retain the services of a hydrologist.

Education and Coursework

Students interested in becoming a hydrologist need to be aware that few institutions of higher learning offer a direct degree in the field. Rather, most universities have concentrations in the discipline as part of a broader environmental science, geology, or engineering program. Although a bachelor of science degree might lead to entry-level employment in the field, an advanced degree is the gateway to broader placement. Students should seek guidance from a faculty member who is either an active hydrologist or connected with active hydrologists in order to acquire fieldwork experience. Many hydrologists conduct research outside the laboratory and must possess a considerable degree of stamina to reach sites in relatively remote locations accessible primarily by foot. A master's degree is preferred by most employers, and for certain posts, such as a university professor or advanced researcher, a doctorate is required. Extensive training in mathematics; the sciences broadly defined, including chemistry, physics, and biology; and computer technology are all expected.

Scholars in the field must also be familiar with a host of other disciplines that intersect with the work of a hydrologist, such as environmental law, local construction ordinances, and an array of other concerns. Admission to graduate programs in the field is very competitive owing to the limited number of existing programs. Scores on the quantitative portion of the Graduate Records Exam (GRE) are carefully scrutinized in the application process. An additional two years on top of the already committed four years of undergraduate training can be expected after high school. During this time, students will gain a more detailed understanding of the discipline and secure critical field experience that will enhance their marketability. Most graduate programs encourage students to develop a broad awareness of and familiarity with the technology that governs hydrologic research. Expertise in computer modeling and mapping are increasingly common criteria for employers, as is familiarity with other research tools such as remote sensing and global positioning equipment.

Career Enhancement and Training

Advanced graduate students are encouraged to join organizations such as the International Association of Hydrological Sciences, the International Association of Environmental Hydrology, and the American Institute of Hydrology (AIH) for access to the latest research in the field as well as for potential job listings. Membership in such associations remains an essential means of continuing professional education, regardless of the discipline. Associations hold annual conferences that provide excellent networking opportunities. Also valuable are scholarly journals and newsletters that keep job seekers informed of openings and the latest technological advances that shape the field. Prudent professionals, regardless of the discipline, recognize the value of membership in professional organizations.

Licensing is required in some states before a hydrologist can practice within its borders. The AIH offers a certification program for its members. State licensing criteria generally consist of a minimum educational attainment or work experience under the guidance of an accredited hydrologist, which is often a prerequisite for taking a licensing exam that tests basic subject knowledge. Periodic renewal of the license is required and certain criminal convictions directly related to employment might preclude future licensing. As with most professions, continuing education, along with the procurement of multiple additional certifications, serves as the only surefire way to ensure advancement and higher compensation.

Daily Tasks and Technology

The daily tasks of a hydrologist are difficult to generalize, as the field is remarkably varied. A hydrologist may study water in the soil, its path to local waterways, or its return to earth in the form of precipitation. A hydrologist will use complex computer software to record, track, and plot that particular subset of the water cycle he or she is responsible for on a given project. Data collection remains the most critical as well as the most physically demanding component of the job. Data sampling must be done for each individual project, as the circumstances surrounding a given work zone are different and will even change over time. For example, a hydrologist studying the water depth of the Mississippi River to assess the suitability of barge traffic must take new samples rather than rely on old data, owing to a host of mitigating conditions including rainfall patterns and drought conditions. In this sense, the task of scientists in the field is constantly changing, because the environment in which the water cycle unfolds is always evolving.

Flooding, for example, is often not the result of heavy local rainfall, but the byproduct of conditions hundreds of miles upriver. Hydrologists must account for factors near and far when modeling flood or erosion conditions. Since scientists cannot be in two places at once, they must rely on electronic sensors to capture water levels and conditions from a distance. Hydrologists who study the suitability of the water contained in large reservoirs that provide drinking water to metropolitan centers are often required to gather samples in remote, isolated locations. Extensive walking and sample gathering make above-average levels of fitness essential for certain jobs that take place outside the laboratory. After collecting field data, the hydrologist must bring his study samples to the lab for analysis and plug it into computers where the process of mapping and modeling takes center stage. A typical day thus may begin in a mountain reservoir and end at a keyboard.

Earnings and Employment Outlook

Few things are certain in forecasting future employment trends, but the field of hydrology offers a future with bright prospects. One of the great dilemmas facing humanity across the globe is securing sufficient clean drinking water. In industrialized nations such as the United States, hydrologists are being called upon to find means of providing water to ever-growing urban and suburban populations as they strain existing supplies. They must also assess the impact of new construction projects on local wells, runoff conditions, and a host of related factors. So long as population growth continues, hydrologists will be called on to provide their expertise. In less industrialized locales, the nature of employment might differ, but the demand for water remains the same. Hydrologists assist drought- and poverty-stricken regions to become more effective stewards of the limited resources available to them, just as they offer critical guidance to ensure that local waste runoff does not contaminate water supplies. Water remains a critical component for sustaining human life. Its availability following centuries of waste dumping and mismanagement is as limited today as it has ever been. A bright future exists for hydrologists who offer innovative methods for protecting the globe's most precious resource: water.

The United States Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics estimated that the need for hydrologists would increase between 2018 and 2028 by as much as 7 percent. Population expansion in conjunction with increased concerns regarding pollution will help drive the growth of the profession. As water shortages become more widespread and more acute, it is logical to expect that the financial incentives driving solutions to the crisis will grow as well. Future hydrologists are positioned to make a critical contribution to the world's future while earning ample compensation for their efforts.

Related Occupations

• Geoscientists: Geoscientists study all facets of the earth, from its processes to its structure. Water, which covers 75 percent of the earth's surface, is an essential component of this field.

• Meteorologists:Meteorology, the study of weather patterns, often requires an understanding of the evolution of phenomena directly connected to the water cycle. Blizzards, hurricanes, and related weather events are all central to the work performed by hydrologists.

• Geophysicists:Geophysicists study the earth using a variety of methods, testing such things as seismic activity. They are often enlisted to assess the suitability of water-related construction projects such as dam or levee building.

• Geologists: Geologists examine all aspects of the earth, including the impact of water-driven environmental hazards such as hurricanes and tsunamis.

• Physicists:Physicists study all aspects of the movement of matter, from subatomic particles on up. Water movement patterns are essential concerns for the physicist as well as the hydrologist.

Future Applications

As the earth's population grows and awareness of the deleterious consequences of human exploitation of the environment expands, the need for more effective stewardship of the earth's limited and fragile resources becomes greater. In many parts of the globe, water rights assume the same priority as human rights do in others. Any future projections regarding population growth must inevitably factor in the availability of water to sustain that growth. Aside from the most obvious manifestations of water in daily life, water is critical to many other basic needs. For example, all the agricultural products that sustain society require water. Indeed, few human processes exist independently of one or more aspects of the water cycle.

Despite the necessity of water, it is a resource that remains continually under assault in the modern world. At least in industrialized nations, environmental preservation has become an important social and political issue. At the heart of many efforts to preserve the earth's ecosystem is the drive to keep waterways clean and free of pollutants, while still making those same aquatic environments usable by the humans who rely on them. Hydrologists play the critical role of ensuring that past and present environmental pollution do not prohibit the continued use of water systems. Disasters such as the 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and other events that highlight the risks associated with fueling and provisioning an ever-expanding populace serve to highlight the importance of balancing the material demands of civilization while at the same time safeguarding the resources that make human life sustainable. Hydrologists will no doubt figure prominently in any future initiatives that require the balancing of population growth, environmental preservation, and natural resource stewardship. Hydrology is a profession that in many ways holds the key to continued and sustainable human development.

Bibliography

"Hydrologists." Occupational Outlook Handbook, Bureau of Labor Statistics, United States Department of Labor, 6 Sept. 2023, www.bls.gov/ooh/life-physical-and-social-science/chemists-and-materials-scientists.htm. Accessed 20 Sept. 2023..

"Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2022: 19-2043 Hydrologists." Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment Statistics, United States Department of Labor, 26 Apr. 2023, www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes192043.htm. Accessed 20 Sept. 2023.

"Summary Report for: 19-2043.00 - Hydrologists." O*NET OnLine, National Center for O*NET Development, 29 Aug. 2023, www.onetonline.org/link/summary/19-2043.00. Accessed 20 Sept. 2023.