Hydrologists
SOC Code: 19-2043
Hydrologists carries a 37% AI exposure score (Medium automation risk), with a median annual wage of $92,060 and -0.1% projected employment growth from 2024 to 2034 (BLS), affecting approximately 6,300 workers. Full task breakdown, skills, and employer data are below.
Proportion of tasks susceptible to AI automation (O*NET analysis)
At 37% AI exposure, Hydrologists sits 0 points above the 37.2% average across 832 U.S. occupations - more exposed than 59% of them. Most of its core tasks still require human judgment.
Career outlook score
51/100
Hydrologists, weighted across 3 of 3 tracked dimensions
A weighted composite of median wage, projected growth, and AI-automation security (inverted exposure), each benchmarked against every other tracked occupation. It describes this occupation's standing across those three dimensions, not a guarantee of future outcomes.
- Median wage A- $92,060
Annual median wage, percentile rank vs all tracked occupations
- Projected growth F -0.1%
Projected employment change, 2024-2034, BLS Employment Projections
- AI exposure (inverted) D 37% exposure
Lower O*NET task-automability scores lower risk; this dimension scores security, not exposure
Home health and personal care aides is #1 of 832 occupations by employment (4.3M, AI exposure rank #392 at 35%) vs. Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks #1 by AI task exposure (95%, employment rank #17 at 1.6M).
Automation-risk inventory
Exclusive cut of 832 occupations by PlainWorkforce automation-risk band. Orthogonal to the continuous AI-exposure distribution chart below and to this occupation's single risk badge, this is the corpus band mix, with Hydrologists in the Medium band.
Credential × growth standing
Bachelor's band with mid-pack BLS pace
Hydrologists shares the Bachelor's gate with 178 peer occupations and lands in Slow growth (245 of 832). Neither the rarest nor the most crowded growth shelf - use wage and AI desks on this page for the differentiator.
Where Hydrologists sits among all occupations
AI-exposure score distribution across 832 U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis). This occupation is marked in rose.
Where Hydrologists sits by AI exposure
AI-exposure score distribution across U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis)
37% Around the middle lower than 41% of 832 occupations
Occupations, banded by AI-exposure score
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor) · BLS 2024–2034
Source: O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor); AI-exposure scores are PlainWorkforce's analysis. As of BLS 2024–2034.
Hydrologists vs. its occupational neighbors
AI exposure (horizontal) vs projected 2024–2034 growth (vertical) for occupations in the same SOC group. Hydrologists is marked in rose; the top-left corner is the most future-proof.
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 (growth) and O*NET (AI-exposure analysis by PlainWorkforce).
Employment Projections
Where This Score Comes From
Hydrologists's Medium automation-risk tier is computed from O*NET Database 30.0 task-level analysis, where each documented task the occupation performs is evaluated against current generative AI, robotic process automation, and machine-learning capabilities. A score below 40% reflects tasks anchored in physical dexterity, unstructured environments, or high-touch human interaction that current AI cannot reliably replicate.
The employment, wage, and education figures above come from a second, separate federal source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034, matched to the O*NET task data by Standard Occupational Classification (SOC 19-2043) code, with the wage figure cross-validated against the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024 survey. BLS figures are presented exactly as published, with no adjustment on our part; the SOC-code match is what lets Hydrologists be compared directly against every other tracked occupation on the same basis, not just roles that happen to share a job title.
For career planners, this profile should be read alongside the task, skill, and knowledge breakdowns below and the list of employers whose workforce composition includes Hydrologists. Adjacent occupations shown further down offer lateral moves that preserve industry knowledge while potentially reducing exposure.
Education & Entry Requirements
Top Tasks (O*NET)
- 1. Prepare written and oral reports describing research results, using illustrations, maps, appendices, and other information.
- 2. Design and conduct scientific hydrogeological investigations to ensure that accurate and appropriate information is available for use in water resource management decisions.
- 3. Measure and graph phenomena such as lake levels, stream flows, and changes in water volumes.
- 4. Conduct research and communicate information to promote the conservation and preservation of water resources.
- 5. Coordinate and supervise the work of professional and technical staff, including research assistants, technologists, and technicians.
- 6. Study public water supply issues, including flood and drought risks, water quality, wastewater, and impacts on wetland habitats.
- 7. Apply research findings to help minimize the environmental impacts of pollution, waterborne diseases, erosion, and sedimentation.
- 8. Study and document quantities, distribution, disposition, and development of underground and surface waters.
- 9. Install, maintain, and calibrate instruments such as those that monitor water levels, rainfall, and sediments.
- 10. Develop computer models for hydrologic predictions.
Key Skills Required
- Critical Thinking
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Science
- Speaking
- Mathematics
- Complex Problem Solving
- Writing
- Active Learning
- Monitoring
Knowledge Areas
- Mathematics
- Physics
- Engineering and Technology
- English Language
- Geography
- Computers and Electronics
- Chemistry
- Biology
- Customer and Personal Service
- Administration and Management
Frequently Asked Questions
Will AI replace Hydrologists?
Hydrologists has an AI exposure score of 37%, indicating a medium level of automation risk. The majority of tasks in this role require human judgment, creativity, or physical presence that AI cannot easily replicate.
What is the job outlook for Hydrologists?
According to BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034, Hydrologists is projected to decline by 0.1% over the decade. Current employment stands at approximately 6,300 workers.
What skills are needed for Hydrologists?
Key skills for Hydrologists include Critical Thinking, Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, and others. Typical entry-level education is Bachelor's degree.
How much do Hydrologists earn?
The median annual wage for Hydrologists is $92,060, according to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2024). Actual earnings vary by location, experience, industry, and employer. The BLS publishes detailed wage percentiles by region in its Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program.
What education is required for Hydrologists?
The typical entry-level education for Hydrologists is Bachelor's degree. Employers generally expect None of related work experience. On-the-job training typically involves None. Requirements can vary by employer and specialization.
Which companies employ Hydrologists?
Hydrologists roles exist across many industries and employers. Workforce composition is estimated from BLS industry-occupation employment distributions matched to SEC-registered public companies.
AI Exposure Rating
Medium automation risk based on 10 analyzed tasks. Most tasks require human judgment and are resistant to automation.
Nationwide occupations with similar workforce profiles
Two data-derived peer sets for Hydrologists: AI-exposure neighbors and BLS 2034 growth neighbors (distinct comparison neighborhoods, cross-occupation).
Similar AI exposure score
Nearest O*NET task-automability scores nationwide (37% here).
- Aircraft cargo handling supervisors · AI exposure 37%
- Bakers · AI exposure 37%
- Cleaning, washing, and metal pickling equipment operators and tenders · AI exposure 37%
- Construction and building inspectors · AI exposure 37%
Similar projected growth (2024–2034)
Nearest BLS employment change rates nationwide (-0.1% here).
- Demonstrators and product promoters · growth -0.1%
- Labor relations specialists · growth -0.1%
- Miscellaneous assemblers and fabricators · growth -0.1%
- Pharmacy aides · growth -0.1%
Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on published BLS + O*NET metrics among occupations with ≥10,000 workers in 2024; corpus ranks above sort the full tracked set.
Related Occupations
Showing 6 of 30 occupations with a comparable automation-risk profile.
What to do with this
Use Hydrologists' numbers above to compare, not just read in isolation.
- Compare Hydrologists side by side against another occupation on wage, growth, and AI exposure. Workforce comparison tool
- Understand how the AI exposure score above is actually calculated before treating it as a verdict. Reading AI exposure scores
- See the full ranked list of occupations with the lowest automation exposure nationwide. Safest occupations from AI
AI exposure scores estimate task automatability from O*NET data; they are not a certainty of job loss, and BLS growth projections are estimates, not guarantees.
Data sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2024–2034 and O*NET Database 30.0. Employment figures are rounded. Wage data from BLS Occupational Employment Statistics (OES).