Measure how much water flows
Clock the water's speed with a current meter, then pair it with channel measurements to get flow volume.
Career profile
Hydrologic Technician
Hydrologic technicians track how water moves and changes, then turn field data into usable records.
Every river-height chart starts at the water's edge, where you might check instruments, sample water, test sensors against hand readings and help explain suspect numbers.
A day in the life
Collect water samples for testing
Fill sample bottles, note where each came from and get them ready to ship to a testing lab.
Check the sensor by hand
Read the fixed gage beside the stream, compare it with the sensor and look into any difference.
Tune a water-level recorder
Calibrate the water-level recorder and handle small repairs so it keeps collecting data.
Check the data, then tabulate
Plot water levels, check them against field notes and verify the math before you build tables.
Quick facts
Associate's degree
United States · 2025–2035
$64,790/year
United States · May 2025
1.3% decline
United States · 2025–2035
Quick orientation
Preparation, pay & outlook
Preparation
Associate's degreeTypical entry education; some employers also accept qualifying experience.
Pay
$64,790/yearNational median for hydrologic technicians, equivalent to $31.15 an hour.
Outlook
1.3% declineEmployment is projected to edge down, with about 400 openings a year on average.
Fit, tradeoffs & changing tools
You might like this if…
- You like taking measurements carefully enough that someone else can use them.
- You enjoy figuring out why a piece of equipment stopped working.
- You want outdoor work that also includes checking numbers at a desk.
Things to weigh
- Field jobs can mean lifting equipment, slippery footing, and working in heat, cold, or rain.
- The field visit is only part of the work. Checking records takes patience after you return indoors.
Where AI may help
Sensors can record water levels automatically and transmit readings, reducing repeated manual collection.
What people still lead
You still compare readings with field measurements, troubleshoot instruments, and notice conditions that affect the record.
What we can’t predict yet
How much record checking can be automated remains uncertain, especially when equipment fails or water conditions change unexpectedly.
Pay in context
Earnings
The national median was $64,790 a year, or $31.15 an hour, in May 2025. Treat it as a reference point when comparing offers.
The national spread
The 10th-percentile wage was $44,950 and the 90th-percentile wage was $100,480 a year. These describe the wage distribution across hydrologic technicians, not starting and senior salaries.
Openings despite a small decline
Employment is projected to decline 1.3% from 2025 to 2035, while averaging about 400 openings annually. Openings include replacements for people who leave the occupation; they do not all represent new jobs.
Getting started
Complete qualifying college study
- What the route involves
- Complete two full years of college study, including at least 12 semester hours in qualifying subjects such as physical science, biology, mathematics, or surveying.
- What it can lead to
- This meets the education alternative for General Schedule grade 4 (GS-04) hydrologic technician positions at USGS.
Build qualifying work experience
- What the route involves
- Build six months of general experience plus six months of relevant specialized experience equivalent to GS-03, such as qualifying science-technician or surveying work.
- What it can lead to
- This can meet the USGS GS-04 experience requirement. A full year of qualifying specialized experience can also satisfy it.
Education and relevant experience can both count. These U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) routes illustrate federal eligibility; check each vacancy's requirements.
After entry
Career paths
This starts where the entry routes leave off: early work, growing capability, and advancement or specialization.
Get established
Make routine measurements consistently and keep clear field notes. Learn when an unexpected result needs your supervisor's help.
Handle harder problems
Build skill in instrument calibration and investigating questionable records. Learn how equipment faults and changing field conditions affect the numbers.
Become a technical specialist
Senior USGS technicians may audit complex records, train coworkers, or specialize in water quality, streamflow, or monitoring instruments.
Where you can work
Field stations beside streams and wells
You work around water and monitoring equipment. Some assignments involve wading or boats, with weather and footing shaping the day's work.
- Outdoors
- Field work
- Physical demands
- Safety-sensitive
Water-science offices and laboratories
Some positions concentrate on sample processing, limited laboratory tests, and checking records indoors. They involve less physical exertion than field assignments.
- Indoors
- Office
- Lab
Try it
See whether the job clicks before you commit to the path.
Open a stream's graph in USGS Water Data for the Nation. Record the units, highest reading, and one sudden change. Write one question you would ask before trusting that change. Notice whether checking the record interests you as much as seeing the river.
Sources
- O*NET OnLine. Hydrologic Technicians — 19-4044.00. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. May 2025 OEWS national estimates — SOC 19-4044; supplied facts binding. Accessed 2026-09-29.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Employment Projections, Table 1.2, 2025–2035 — SOC 19-4044; supplied facts binding. Accessed 2026-09-29.
- U.S. Geological Survey. Hydrologic Technician, GS-1316. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- U.S. Geological Survey. Streamgaging Basics. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- U.S. Geological Survey. Standard Position Description: Hydrologic Technician, GS-04. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- U.S. Geological Survey. Standard Position Description: Hydrologic Technician, GS-11. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- U.S. Geological Survey. Water Data for the Nation. Accessed 2026-10-09.