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SOC 19-2043
Hydrologists correspond to the specific U.S. occupation O*NET/SOC 19-2043.00, Hydrologists: they research the distribution, circulation, and physical properties of groundwater and surface water, and study precipitation's form and intensity, infiltration into soil, movement through the earth, and return to oceans and the atmosphere. Official scope: Research the distribution, circulation, and physical properties of underground and surface waters; and study the form and intensity of precipitation and its rate of infiltration into the soil, movement through the earth, and return to the ocean and atmosphere. Core tasks include designing and conducting hydrogeologic investigations, studying and documenting water-resource quantities and distribution, developing hydrologic prediction models, writing research reports and applying findings to reduce pollution and erosion, and coordinating and supervising professional and technical personnel. U.S. wages and employment on this page come from BLS OEWS 2025 and BLS 2024—2034 employment projections presented by O*NET (specific occupation 19-2043.00). Precise mainland Chinese occupational wages were not obtained and are recorded as a visible gap; China's qualification and environmental-protection system boundaries are marked separately.
Model impact index for three equally weighted representative core tasks; not a measured share of working time or a job-loss probability. floor((50+25+75)/3+0.5)=50; fermatmind-ai-impact-v1; 2026-10-18.
Responsibility assessment | Genuine fit depends on whether you can accomplish three things within the same study: carry out research and data work thoroughly, defining questions and hypotheses, collecting and analyzing data, developing and validating models, and producing reviewable analyses and reports; maintain standards and safety through data quality control, model assumptions and uncertainty, and field and waterside safety under organizational and regulatory requirements; and accept defined professional responsibilities, taking responsibility for your analyses and conclusions while consulting or referring environmental, engineering, and legal conclusions beyond authority. Test this through a verifiable experience, such as completing a step-by-step research procedure and data-analysis log or quality-checking and modeling simulated data, rather than relying solely on an interest questionnaire.
Caution signals | Official scope and tasks involve research conclusions, data and models, and fieldwork. Insufficient data quality or invalid model assumptions, conclusions exceeding data support, recommendations misread as permits or engineering conclusions, or neglect of field and waterside safety may mislead conclusions, cause decision errors, or endanger people. This page therefore addresses data quality, model assumptions and uncertainty, conclusion and authorization boundaries, and field safety separately. The U.S. occupation itself is not marked Bright Outlook. The O*NET summary and employment trends project little or no change (0%) in 2024—2034, about 500 annual openings, and approximately 6,300 employed in 2024. If sustained data analysis, model uncertainty, or outdoor fieldwork would be difficult for you, treat these as real costs requiring careful consideration.
Hydrologists (O*NET/SOC 19-2043.00, Hydrologists) research groundwater and surface-water distribution, circulation, and physical properties; study precipitation's form and intensity, the rate of infiltration into soil, movement through the earth, and return to oceans and the atmosphere. Official scope: Research the distribution, circulation, and physical properties of underground and surface waters; and study the form and intensity of precipitation and its rate of infiltration into the soil, movement through the earth, and return to the ocean and atmosphere. Core tasks include designing and conducting scientific hydrogeologic investigations; studying and documenting groundwater and surface-water quantities, distribution, disposition, and development; preparing research reports or presentations; applying findings to reduce environmental effects of pollution, waterborne disease, erosion, and sedimentation; measuring and mapping changes in lake levels, river flow, and water volumes; researching and disseminating information to promote water-resource protection and conservation; developing computer models for hydrologic prediction; and coordinating and supervising research assistants, technical specialists, technicians, and other professional and technical personnel. Common titles include Hydrogeologist, Groundwater Consultant, Research Hydrologist, and Source Water Protection Specialist. U.S. data cover specific occupation 19-2043.00; mainland China's qualification and environmental-protection systems are marked separately using sources from their respective jurisdictions and are not interchangeable.
Career direction comparison
The following comparison helps distinguish directions. Each row addresses the same dimensions: core work and outputs, key differences from this occupation, and preferences it may suit. Table evidence links lead to official U.S. occupation pages.
| Career direction | Core work and outputs | Key differences | Preferences it may suit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hydrologists (this occupation) | Research hydrologic processes, analyze and model, and provide professional conclusions | Centers on research design and professional interpretation, producing research reports and recommendations | People willing to rigorously analyze and interpret research questions |
| Hydrologic technicians (adjacent) | Measure water levels and flow on site, collect samples, maintain equipment, and organize data |
AI's impact on occupations
Insufficient evidence: no generative AI adoption rate, net employment effect, or replacement timetable was obtained for hydrologists. Editorial analysis: information retrieval, data and model code, and report drafting are candidates for trials; responsible personnel must check research design, data and model validation, and interpretation of conclusions. AI Impact Score 50% is an editorial estimate. Model impact index for three equally weighted representative core tasks; not a measured share of working time or a job-loss probability. floor((50+25+75)/3+0.5)=50; fermatmind-ai-impact-v1; 2026-10-18.The three tasks, ratings and sources are listed in the FermatMind method source record on this page.
FermatMind AI Impact Score estimation method v1
FermatMind / 费马测试 · 2026-10-18
Editorial ratings use the existing occupational responsibilities and AI task analysis on this page. They are not adoption rates, measured effects, job-disappearance or personal-unemployment probabilities, or official scores from Stanford or another external institution. No measured time weights or future robot deployment are assumed.
Mainland China pay reference
Classification comparison | U.S. SOC 19-2043.00 identifies Hydrologists within life, physical, and social science occupations, distinct from Hydrologic Technicians (19-4044.00), Environmental Science and Protection Technicians (19-4042.00), Geological Technicians (19-4043.00), Environmental Engineers (17-2081.00), and Water/Wastewater Engineers (17-2051.02). International classifications such as ISCO-08 indicate only the broad placement of hydrologic research roles and cannot replace U.S. SOC or mainland Chinese occupational classifications and statistical scopes.
Occupational definition | Hydrologists on this page correspond to U.S. SOC 19-2043.00, Hydrologists. The official scope is researching groundwater and surface-water distribution, circulation, and physical properties, and studying precipitation's form and intensity, the rate of infiltration into soil, movement through the earth, and return to oceans and the atmosphere. Mainland Chinese hydrologic research and monitoring roles have similar tasks, but qualification and environmental-protection systems belong to different jurisdictions; no numerical conversion is made between them.
U.S. pay reference
BLS2025 national median for this occupation is 96,600 USD/year, with 10 / 90 percentile pay of 64,020 / 153,130 USD/year; O*NET hourly pay is 46.44 USD. The asset's 25 / 75 percentile values of 77,210 / 122,830 USD were not independently verified this round. Current BLS 2025—2035 Hydrologists SOC19-2043 projects employment rising from 6,300 to 6,400, growth of 1%, with 400 annual openings, mostly from occupational transfers and labor-force exits. Openings are not net new jobs or actual recruitment; the overall projection does not establish generative AI causality.
| Wage-distribution position | Annual wage reference | Conversion boundaries | How to interpret this position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bottom 10% | 10th-percentile annual pay: 64,020 USD (2025, BLS OEWS, specific occupation 19-2043.00) | Official annual wages, not individual monthly income | The 10th percentile is a distribution threshold, not minimum pay, starting pay, or a designation of less-educated workers. |
| Median (50%) | Median annual pay: 96,600 USD (2025, BLS OEWS, specific occupation 19-2043.00) |
Career fit guide
Direct answer | Fit signals for hydrologists concern rigorous data analysis around research questions, building and validating models, and reaching conclusions within uncertainty and authorization boundaries, rather than personality labels. The IRC interest code (Investigative—Realistic—Conventional) is only directional guidance; preferences do not equal talent or hiring conclusions.
You may be better suited： Signal one | Can you design and complete data collection and analysis around a research question?
These circumstances require caution： Signal two | Can you ensure usable conclusions through data quality control and model validation?
Try an entry exercise： Signal three | Can you state conclusions within uncertainty and authorization boundaries and consult or refer matters beyond scope?
Work pressures, risks, and professional boundaries
Direct answer | Hydrologists' main risks fall into four categories: conclusions exceeding data support, data and model quality defects, misuse of findings, and field and waterside safety. Priorities are traceable data, assumption, and review records, and appropriate wording and escalation when uncertainty or authority limits arise.
Evidence scope | Risk items draw on O*NET 19-2043.00 tasks—investigation design, water-resource research, modeling, applying findings, reporting and dissemination, and coordination and supervision—and work activities, plus relevant safety and environmental-quality requirements. China-related system boundaries are editorial synthesis, subject to current regulations and organizational systems.
Typical scenario：Research conclusions exceed data support
Main roles：Hydrologists, research lead
Possible consequences：Misleading conclusions or decision errors
Entry, qualifications, and career development
Direct answer | Entry typically combines a relevant bachelor's or master's degree with research training. First gain data-collection, analysis, and modeling experience, then gradually undertake specialized research and support publication of findings. Water-based and fieldwork activities must meet safety and work requirements. Both paths require verifiable research records and reports to demonstrate capabilities, rather than certificates alone.
Career outlook and transitions to related occupations
Current BLS 2025—2035 Hydrologists SOC19-2043: employment rises from 6,300 to 6,400, growth of 1%, with 400 annual openings, mostly from occupational transfers and labor-force exits. Openings are not net new jobs or actual recruitment, and the overall projection does not establish generative AI causality. Precise Chinese occupational wages remain unavailable; transitions are editorial comparisons, with target education, methods, and authorization requirements checked separately.
United States · Specific occupation 19-2043.00
1%
Employment growth
The overall projection does not establish AI causality; growth rates measure total employment change, while openings include growth and replacements rather than net new jobs.
What it cannot show：National projections do not equal actual recruitment or individual employment outcomes; distinguish growth rates from replacement openings.
According to O*NET 19-2043.00, this occupation researches groundwater and surface-water distribution, circulation, and physical properties, and the full precipitation process: form and intensity, infiltration into soil, movement through the earth, and return to oceans and the atmosphere. Typical tasks include designing and conducting scientific hydrogeologic investigations, studying and documenting water-resource quantities and distribution, developing hydrologic prediction models, writing research reports, applying findings to reduce pollution and erosion, and coordinating and supervising professional and technical personnel.
Hydrologic technicians focus on field measurements, sampling, and data organization; water resource specialists produce plans and policy; environmental engineers focus on environmental engineering design and remediation; water/wastewater engineers handle water-supply and drainage engineering and water-treatment systems; environmental restoration planners focus on contaminated-site restoration plans and planning; and conservation scientists focus on ecological conservation. Work objects, qualifications, and responsibility boundaries differ; titles are not interchangeable.
Choose a real task from this page for a small practice project or a conversation with someone in the field. Use the planning guides to set a date, an output and feedback questions before deciding whether to continue.
Fit signals | U.S. O*NET 19-2043.00 tasks and activities center on designing and conducting hydrologic investigations, collecting and analyzing hydrologic data, developing prediction models, preparing research reports and presentations, applying findings to reduce pollution and erosion, and coordinating and supervising professional and technical personnel. Work combines indoor data analysis and outdoor fieldwork. The interest code is IRC (Investigative—Realistic—Conventional); work styles and skills emphasize critical thinking, mathematics, reading comprehension, active learning, and complex problem solving. If you are willing to rigorously analyze data and build models around research questions, handle uncertainty according to scientific standards, and take responsibility for conclusions, these daily demands may align with your working style.
This checklist is for self-reflection only, not a hiring standard, ability score, or assessment of job competence, and does not constitute environmental, engineering, safety, compliance, or investment advice. This page covers the specific U.S. occupation O*NET/SOC 19-2043.00, Hydrologists: researching groundwater and surface-water distribution, circulation, and physical properties, and studying precipitation's form and intensity, infiltration into soil, movement through the earth, and return to oceans and the atmosphere. Official scope: Research the distribution, circulation, and physical properties of underground and surface waters; and study the form and intensity of precipitation and its rate of infiltration into the soil, movement through the earth, and return to the ocean and atmosphere. U.S. wages and employment come from BLS OEWS 2025 and BLS 2024—2034 employment projections presented by O*NET (specific occupation 19-2043.00). Precise mainland Chinese occupational wages were not obtained and are recorded as a visible gap. The jurisdictions and environmental-protection systems are not interchangeable.
To assess your fit for hydrologist work, first complete a verifiable research exercise using public or simulated materials. Set a fictional research question, such as changes in the relationship between groundwater recharge and surface runoff in a watershed and their effects on water supply. Write a step-by-step process from defining the question and hypotheses, designing data collection and monitoring, organizing and analyzing hydrologic data and building models, and interpreting results and uncertainty, through writing a research report with actionable recommendations. Mark each checkpoint and possible problem: insufficient or missing data quality, invalid model assumptions, conclusions beyond data support, field and water-based work safety, and recommendations misread as permits or engineering conclusions. Check whether data quality control, model assumptions and uncertainty, and authorization boundaries for professional conclusions are mandatory; whether environmental, engineering, and legal conclusions beyond your personal or professional scope require consultation or referral; and whether data and analysis form reviewable records. Assess yourself through actual deliverables rather than an interest questionnaire alone.
Hydrologists' daily work can be divided into three strands: (1) research and data—designing and conducting hydrologic investigations, collecting and analyzing groundwater and surface-water data, and conducting data quality control; (2) modeling and prediction—developing hydrologic prediction models, measuring and mapping water-level and flow changes, and interpreting results and uncertainty; (3) reporting and application—preparing research reports and presentations, applying findings to reduce effects of pollution, erosion, and sedimentation, and coordinating and supervising technical teams. All three share scientific and quality requirements but produce different outputs: research and data concern evidence, modeling and prediction concern explanation, and reporting and application concern decisions and communication.
Work centers on research, data analysis, and modeling, combining indoor work with outdoor investigations; conclusions must stay within the limits of data and assumptions.
Research roles involving water-resource decisions and pollution control use this as a basis and have greater requirements for data quality and conclusion boundaries.
Key boundaries: this page covers only specific occupation O*NET/SOC 19-2043.00, Hydrologists, centered on hydrologic research and data analysis. Adjacent occupations—hydrologic technicians, water resource specialists, environmental engineers, water/wastewater engineers, environmental restoration planners, and conservation scientists—differ in work objects, qualifications, and responsibilities and cannot be treated as interchangeable based on titles alone. Environmental conclusions, engineering judgments, and legal documents involve authorization or responsibility boundaries and must be decided by qualified personnel under organizational systems and applicable regulations.
| Dimension | Main direction | Comparison direction |
|---|---|---|
| Core purpose | Turn research questions and data into reviewable hydrologic analyses and reports, with conclusions and recommendations bounded by data and assumptions. | Hydrologic technicians perform basic field measurements, sampling, and equipment maintenance and usually do not hold final responsibility for research design and professional interpretation. |
| Main objects and basis | The work concerns groundwater and surface water, data and models; it is based on research questions, quality standards, and professional norms. | Water resource specialists focus on water-resource planning and policy and usually do not perform daily hydrologic data collection and modeling. |
Design and conduct scientific hydrogeologic investigations to ensure accurate, appropriate information for water-resource management decisions (O*NET task: design and conduct investigations).
Study and document groundwater and surface-water quantities, distribution, disposition, and development (O*NET task: study and document water resources).
Develop computer models for hydrologic prediction and measure and map phenomena such as changes in lake levels, river flow, and water volumes (O*NET tasks: develop models; measure and map).
Apply research findings to help reduce environmental effects of pollution, waterborne disease, erosion, and sedimentation (O*NET task: apply research findings).
Prepare research reports or presentations using illustrations, maps, and appendices to describe findings; conduct research and disseminate information to promote water-resource protection and conservation (O*NET tasks: prepare reports; disseminate information).
Coordinate and supervise professional and technical personnel, including research assistants, technical specialists, and technicians (O*NET task: coordinate and supervise personnel).
Before joining, check each of the following items relating to O*NET/SOC 19-2043.00 and mainland China's qualification and environmental-protection systems. Treat every unverified item as pending verification; recruitment publicity cannot replace these checks.
Basis: O*NET 19-2043.00 official definition and task list.
Basis: O*NET Job Zone Four and education information.
Basis: qualification and environmental-protection rules in the job's jurisdiction and organizational systems.
Basis: job posting and organizational research and duty systems.
| Centers on field monitoring and data quality control, usually without research design |
| People interested in field measurement and sampling |
| Water resource specialists (adjacent) | Participate in water-resource planning, policy, and project assessment | Produces plans and policy, usually without hydrologic research and modeling | People interested in water-resource planning and policy |
|---|
| Environmental engineers (adjacent) | Design environmental-remediation and pollution-control works | Produces engineering designs, with higher professional-qualification requirements | People interested in environmental engineering design and remediation |
|---|
| Water/wastewater engineers (adjacent) | Design water-treatment systems and water-supply and drainage works | Produces engineering designs and systems, with higher professional-qualification requirements | People interested in water-treatment engineering design and construction |
|---|
| Environmental restoration planners (adjacent) | Develop contaminated-site restoration plans and planning | Produces restoration plans and planning, with different monitoring and analysis priorities | People interested in restoration plans and planning |
|---|
Conclusion | Hydrologists differ from adjacent occupations in work objects and outputs: this occupation centers on hydrologic research design, data analysis and modeling, and professional conclusions; hydrologic technicians focus on field measurements, sampling, and data organization; water resource specialists focus on planning and policy; environmental engineers focus on environmental engineering design and remediation; water/wastewater engineers handle water-supply and drainage engineering and water-treatment systems; and environmental restoration planners focus on contaminated-site restoration plans and planning. Treating titles as interchangeable can misrepresent methods and responsibility boundaries.
Transition note | Methods, qualifications, and responsibilities differ across these directions. Transitions require corresponding training and experience; authority for environmental conclusions and engineering judgments cannot be carried over between roles.
Editorial analysis: information retrieval, data processing, model code, and report drafting are candidates for trials. Check data, units, model assumptions, and methods; technology demonstrations do not establish research reliability or authorization.
No measurements of generative AI adoption or productivity were obtained for this occupation. The NIST risk-governance framework does not establish emerging implementation standards or widespread adoption in research and environmental industries.
Current BLS 2025—2035 Hydrologists SOC19-2043: employment rises from 6,300 to 6,400, growth of 1%, with 400 annual openings, mostly from occupational transfers and labor-force exits. Openings are not net new jobs or actual recruitment; the overall projection does not establish generative AI causality. No causal research on generative AI's net employment effects for this occupation was obtained.
| Work direction | Task | Current changes | Human control points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Design and conduct hydrologic investigations | Research design | Editorial trial recommendation: tools may assist with retrieving methods, templates, and literature. Adoption rates or effects in this occupation have not been verified. | Responsibility for defining research questions, selecting methods, and designing research. |
| Collect and organize water-resource data | Data collection | Editorial trial recommendation: tools may help organize data and record templates. Adoption rates or effects in this occupation have not been verified. | Data quality control and assessment of representativeness. |
| Develop hydrologic prediction models | Data analysis and modeling | Editorial trial recommendation: tools may assist with statistical analysis and code drafting. Adoption rates or effects in this occupation have not been verified. | Setting model assumptions, validation, and result interpretation. |
| Apply findings to reduce pollution and erosion | Applying findings | Editorial trial recommendation: tools may help organize application scopes and supporting grounds. Adoption rates or effects in this occupation have not been verified. | Assess applicability and take responsibility for recommendations. |
| Prepare research reports and materials | Reporting and dissemination | Editorial trial recommendation: try assistance with drafting reports and charts. Adoption rates or effects in this occupation have not been verified. | Verify data and take responsibility for report conclusions. |
| Coordinate professional and technical teams | Coordination and supervision | Editorial trial recommendation: tools may help organize responsibilities and progress. Adoption rates or effects in this occupation have not been verified. | Responsibility for guidance, review, and team outputs. |
| Provide information to institutions and the public | Communication and consultation | Editorial trial recommendation: tools may help organize explanatory materials. Adoption rates or effects in this occupation have not been verified. | Clarify definitions and take responsibility for professional interpretation. |
Why can employment evidence produce different conclusions? Task exposure, organizational adoption, productivity changes, and job counts are four different measures with different samples, methods, and periods; they cannot be inferred from one another.
The following is an editorial comparison of research tasks. Information, code, and report drafting are candidates for trials; research design, assumptions, models, and results require checks. No occupation-specific measurements of relative acceleration or adoption sequence were obtained.
What AI mainly changesTools may assist with information and method retrieval and literature organization.
Still a human responsibilityDefining research questions, selecting methods, and designing research.
What AI mainly changesEditorial trial recommendation: try assistance with data processing, statistics, and code drafting; verify effects in practice.
Still a human responsibilityData quality control, model-assumption setting, and validation.
What AI mainly changesTools may assist with drafting reports, charts, and presentations.
Still a human responsibilityProfessional responsibility for result interpretation, conclusions, and recommendations.
Accountability must remain intact when digital tools enter research workflows. Every stage—question confirmation, tool processing, human review, recordkeeping, and authorization—needs a clearly responsible person and traceable evidence.
Define research questions, data and conclusion boundaries, permitted tools, and content that must not be sent externally: research data, water-site and sample information, and unpublished reports.
Limit tools to data organization and statistics, code and modeling assistance, drafting reports and charts, and information retrieval. Do not let tools directly produce environmental conclusions, methodological determinations, or professional recommendations.
Responsible personnel must check data, models, and results item by item, confirm consistency with field conditions and analysis, and assess compliance with research standards and quality requirements.
Record tools and versions, key inputs, changes, and their basis so results are reproducible and traceable for later checking and peer review.
Identify who authorizes final environmental conclusions, professional judgments, and publication of findings; submit relevant matters to qualified personnel or competent authorities for decisions under organizational systems.
Tool-generated analyses or conclusions are treated as confirmed results, carrying errors into research or decisions
Control method:Label generated content as provisional and check data and models item by item before use
Research data, water-site and sample information are sent externally, creating data and compliance risks
Control method:Follow organizational information requirements and confirm authorization and the minimum necessary scope before use
Tool versions and inputs are not recorded, making the basis difficult to reconstruct in disputes
Control method:Consistently record tools, versions, and key inputs, and retain change histories
Incorrect statistical or modeling suggestions lead to erroneous data interpretation
Control method:Check results against data and model assumptions; tool conclusions must not replace validation
Missing review leaves research responsibilities unclear, making accountability difficult when problems occur
Control method:Define tool-use boundaries and responsible personnel in research systems; qualified personnel decide conclusions and releases
Use AI for information retrieval, code, and data processing, but do not treat generated content as data or conclusions. First build solid hydrologic research, data-analysis, and modeling skills.
Use tools to reduce time spent processing data, assisting with model code, and drafting reports, while remaining responsible for research design, method selection, interpretation, and conclusions.
Define digital-tool boundaries in research standards, including whether tools may support data processing, code, and drafting, the data rules, and mechanisms for reviewing outputs and reverting when necessary.
Use tools for organization and preliminary analysis, but do not replace data checks, model validation, or professional judgment with automated conclusions.
Insufficient evidence: no generative AI adoption rate, net employment effect, or replacement timetable was obtained for hydrologists. Editorial analysis: information retrieval, data and model code, and report drafting are candidates for trials; responsible personnel must check research design, data and model validation, and interpretation of conclusions.
Source:ILO limitations and editorial analysisOriginal material ↗
O*NET includes hydrologic prediction-model development and lists analytical and scientific software. Interest codes cannot establish that all roles have no coding requirement. Check the target institution's modeling and programming requirements; tool use does not replace research methods and interpretation capabilities.
Source:O*NET modeling tasks; check employer requirements separatelyOriginal material ↗
Editorial analysis: information retrieval, data processing, model code, and report drafting may be trialed. Adoption sequence and relative acceleration have not been verified; textual content does not determine which tasks will be replaced first.
Source:O*NET tasks; trial judgments are editorial analysisOriginal material ↗
Current BLS 2025—2035 Hydrologists SOC19-2043: employment rises from 6,300 to 6,400, growth of 1%, with 400 annual openings, mostly from occupational transfers and labor-force exits. Openings are not net new jobs or actual recruitment; the overall projection does not establish generative AI causality.
Source:Current BLS projections for this occupationOriginal material ↗
Model outputs do not themselves confer authority to publish research conclusions, issue permits, or sign engineering documents. Check the authorized party by specific matter, organizational responsibility, and jurisdiction; do not broadly assign all research conclusions to competent authorities.
Source:O*NET tasks and editorial authorization recommendationsOriginal material ↗
No evidence on disappearance years or replacement probabilities was obtained; the ILO task-exposure index is not a replacement timetable for this occupation.
Source:ILO task-exposure measurement limitationsOriginal material ↗
Editorial recommendation: first check research-design, methods, data quality-control, model-validation, and interpretation requirements, then trial information and code tools in an authorized environment. No evidence establishes that any capability is irreplaceable or that tools universally improve efficiency.
Source:O*NET tasks and editorial learning recommendationsOriginal material ↗
Editorial recommendation: first check research-design, methods, data quality-control, model-validation, and interpretation requirements, then trial information and code tools in an authorized environment. No evidence establishes that any capability is irreplaceable or that tools universally improve efficiency.
Insufficient evidence: no national wages specific to this occupation were obtained; the National Bureau of Statistics reports industry-category average wages without distinguishing occupations. This page does not substitute industry data.
Insufficient evidence: no national wages specific to this occupation were obtained; private-unit data are also reported by industry category and cannot be treated as hydrologist wages.
Insufficient evidence: mainland China's public occupational statistics do not establish a national wage distribution precisely matching U.S. O*NET/SOC 19-2043.00, Hydrologists. The National Bureau of Statistics publishes industry-category average wages without distinguishing occupations; this page does not substitute industry averages, advertised pay, or U.S. data.
Mainland China section | Mainland Chinese hydrologic research and monitoring roles have tasks similar to hydrologists; qualification and environmental-protection systems follow relevant regulations and organizational systems. Public occupational statistics do not separately list a national wage distribution for this occupation: the National Bureau of Statistics publishes average urban-unit wages by industry category without distinguishing occupations. Under the evidence policy, this page records only statistical scope and visible gaps and does not substitute industry averages, advertised pay, or U.S. wages for exact occupational values.
| Educational background | Common roles | Notes and checking recommendations |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree (hydrology, geology, environmental, or related field) | Hydrologic-research assistance and data analysis | O*NET education-survey figures of 64% bachelor's and 36% master's degrees are respondents' reports of education requirements for new hires. Job Zone Four preparation and experience describe an occupational group, not a uniform duration for this occupation. Check Chinese requirements in target postings. |
| Relevant education plus research and field training | Hydrogeologist, groundwater consultant | Editorial recommendation: check the target institution's education, research, and field-training requirements; no uniform sample covering most Chinese roles was obtained. |
| Master's degree and modeling or specialized research capabilities | Hydrologic-modeling, groundwater, or water-quality research direction | Check whether specialized research postings require a master's degree, methodological experience, or modeling training; no uniform higher-education threshold in China was obtained. Publication of findings follows organizational authorization. |
| Water-based and fieldwork safety qualifications (depending on role and activities) | Research roles involving water-based and fieldwork activities | Water-based or field activities do not automatically correspond to one personal certificate; check training, organizational authorization, and applicable permits by activity. |
Broad reference: if the target employer belongs to scientific research and technical services, NBS2025 tables 2 / 5 give average annual wages of 182,064 / 83,560 yuan for non-private / private units, reported separately, pretax, nationwide across all occupations in the industry. Verify the employer's classification rather than inferring it from the hydrologist title. These are not occupational medians, entry-level pay, or take-home income; the precise occupational distribution remains unavailable.
The O*NET industry page identifies government and professional, scientific, and technical services as this occupation's main U.S. industries. National Bureau of Statistics average wages use industry categories without distinguishing occupations; this page does not substitute them for occupational wages.
Some roles are in engineering consulting and energy; staffing scale and assessment criteria differ, and this page does not supply substitute values.
Classifications and statistical scopes differ; no numerical conversion is made.
Insufficient evidence: no generative AI adoption rate, net employment effect, or replacement timetable was obtained for hydrologists. Editorial analysis: information retrieval, data and model code, and report drafting are candidates for trials; responsible personnel must check research design, data and model validation, and interpretation of conclusions.
| Official annual wages, not individual take-home pay |
| The median is the distribution's midpoint, not starting pay, typical experience, or an individual pay-growth path. |
| Top 10% | 90th-percentile annual pay: 153,130 USD (2025, BLS OEWS, specific occupation 19-2043.00) | Official annual wages, not individual take-home pay | The 90th percentile is a distribution threshold and does not establish workers' education, experience, or specialized-task composition. |
|---|
Pay · 10th percentile：10th-percentile annual pay: 64,020 USD (2025, BLS OEWS, specific occupation 19-2043.00)；Scope | U.S. 19-2043.00 national 10th-percentile annual pay (2025, presented by O*NET). Boundary | Lower distribution position, not starting pay or representative of any employer or region.
Pay · 25th percentile：25th-percentile annual pay: 77,210 USD (2025, BLS OEWS, specific occupation 19-2043.00)；The asset's 2025 percentiles are retained. The localwages entry point was inaccessible this round, and OOH does not list these percentiles； 25 / 75 percentile values were not independently verified. Percentiles do not identify years of experience.
Pay · Median：Median annual pay: 96,600 USD (2025, BLS OEWS, specific occupation 19-2043.00)；2025 national median pay is 96,600 USD/year and 46.44 USD/hour, not starting pay. OEWS includes incentive payments such as production bonuses but excludes overtime premiums, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses, and employer benefit costs.
Pay · 75th percentile：75th-percentile annual pay: 122,830 USD (2025, BLS OEWS, specific occupation 19-2043.00)；The asset's 2025 percentiles are retained. The localwages entry point was inaccessible this round, and OOH does not list these percentiles； 25 / 75 percentile values were not independently verified. Percentiles do not identify years of experience.
Pay · 90th percentile：90th-percentile annual pay: 153,130 USD (2025, BLS OEWS, specific occupation 19-2043.00)；Scope | U.S. 90th-percentile annual pay for this occupation (2025, presented by O*NET). Boundary | Upper distribution position, strongly affected by industry, region, and responsibilities； it does not represent most workers.
The median is the distribution's midpoint, not starting pay; percentiles do not identify experience or education.
BLS OEWS2025, presented by O*NET; pretax straight-time wages include incentive payments such as production bonuses but exclude overtime premiums, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses, and employer benefit costs.
Check the target region, employer, actual duties, and pay-quotation scope; this page has not estimated the pay effects of education or modeling capabilities.
Use wages, employment, and openings separately. Industry wages cover this occupation within that industry; national percentiles cannot establish individual offers.
| Industry | Median wage for this occupation within the industry | How to interpret it |
|---|---|---|
| Management, scientific, and technical consulting services | 106,950 USD/year, 2025 median wage for hydrologists within this industry | BLS OOH 2025 industry median for hydrologists, not an average across all occupations in the industry or an individual offer. State government (excluding education and hospitals) is separately 84,500 USD/year. |
| Federal government (excluding postal service) | 104,770 USD/year, 2025 median wage for hydrologists within this industry | BLS OOH 2025 industry median for hydrologists, not an average across all occupations in the industry or an individual offer. State government (excluding education and hospitals) is separately 84,500 USD/year. |
| Engineering services | 104,160 USD/year, 2025 median wage for hydrologists within this industry | BLS OOH 2025 industry median for hydrologists, not an average across all occupations in the industry or an individual offer. State government (excluding education and hospitals) is separately 84,500 USD/year. |
| Local government (excluding education and hospitals) | 98,470 USD/year, 2025 median wage for hydrologists within this industry | BLS OOH 2025 industry median for hydrologists, not an average across all occupations in the industry or an individual offer. State government (excluding education and hospitals) is separately 84,500 USD/year. |
Organization type—government, research institutes, or professional and technical services—region, and project funding affect income levels and stability; education and specialized capabilities also matter.
A master's or higher degree and responsibility for modeling or specialized research affect earnings potential and growth paths.
Region, living costs, research funding, and project cycles affect workload and income. Regional median wages were not obtained and are recorded as a visible gap.
Current period: current BLS 2025—2035 Hydrologists SOC19-2043 projects employment rising from 6,300 to 6,400, growth of 1%, with 400 annual openings, mostly from occupational transfers and labor-force exits. Openings are not net new jobs or actual recruitment, and the overall projection does not establish generative AI causality. The old shared fact above has unselected consumers； the conflict is retained.
Current period: current BLS 2025—2035 Hydrologists SOC19-2043 projects employment rising from 6,300 to 6,400, growth of 1%, with 400 annual openings, mostly from occupational transfers and labor-force exits. Openings are not net new jobs or actual recruitment, and the overall projection does not establish generative AI causality. The old shared fact above has unselected consumers； the conflict is retained.
Current period: current BLS 2025—2035 Hydrologists SOC19-2043 projects employment rising from 6,300 to 6,400, growth of 1%, with 400 annual openings, mostly from occupational transfers and labor-force exits. Openings are not net new jobs or actual recruitment, and the overall projection does not establish generative AI causality. The old shared fact above has unselected consumers； the conflict is retained.
O*NET occupational-interest baseline
Interest code IRCThe O*NET 19-2043.00 interest code is IRC (Investigative—Realistic—Conventional).
Understanding this interest code: IRC means Investigative (a preference for researching and analyzing natural and physical phenomena), Realistic (a preference for field observation, tools, and outdoor work), and Conventional (a preference for processing data through established procedures). It suggests a combination of investigation, field observation, and data processing rather than labeling people.
Which Holland interest types are closer to hydrologist work?
The O*NET 19-2043.00 interest code is IRC (Investigative—Realistic—Conventional); this assessment explores preferences for investigation, field observation, and data processing.
Do not use it this way:Interest codes offer directional guidance, not ability or hiring conclusions; high preference scores alone cannot replace actual research experience.
Test my Holland career interestsWhich Big Five traits are more relevant to this work?
Observe rigorous, thorough, honest, and proactive research behavior. O*NET work styles do not establish this page's Big Five test as a valid performance predictor.
Do not use it this way:Work styles are descriptive clues; actual task experience can help check preferences. No measurements of the magnitude of reduced fit were obtained.
View my Big Five personality traitsCan MBTI determine whether hydrologist work suits me?
No validation studies showing MBTI types predict competence or performance in this occupation were obtained; types cannot substitute for observing research methods and data and modeling behavior.
Do not use it this way:The skills list offers directional guidance, not an assessment of your current abilities; verify it through actual work evidence.
Understand my MBTI preferencesCan the Enneagram show whether this occupation suits me?
No validation studies linking the Enneagram to performance in this occupation were obtained; data-analysis and activity lists are not evidence of Enneagram matching.
Do not use it this way:Frequent activities do not necessarily mean monotonous work; together, they form the main flow of hydrologic research.
Explore my Enneagram patternsCan I become a hydrologist if I struggle with mathematics?
This occupation involves mathematics, statistics, and models. Assess foundations through tasks involving units, calculations, assumptions, and uncertainty, then train to address gaps. This page has no IQ or mathematics-grade hiring threshold; work-context proportions cannot establish a mathematics entry requirement.
Do not use it this way:Work-context data are proportions reported by respondents, not predictions about an individual's work.
Understand my intelligence and reasoning performanceDo hydrologists need high emotional intelligence?
Clear explanation of research methods and uncertainty and collaboration are needed. This page has no validated universal emotional-intelligence hiring threshold or performance-prediction evidence.
Do not use it this way:This self-assessment is editorially designed, not a hiring standard or ability score.
Understand my emotional intelligence abilitiesCloser fit:Fit signals: to assess suitability for hydrologist work (this occupation), examine whether you can consistently perform its core operations in actual tasks, describe anomalies and uncertainties as actionable problems, and accept its methods and recordkeeping requirements.
Note:People who find sustained data analysis, writing, or model uncertainty difficult to tolerate.
View related occupations:Hydrologists (this occupation)Closer fit:Fit signals: to assess suitability for hydrologic technician work, examine whether you can consistently perform its core operations in actual tasks, describe anomalies and uncertainties as actionable problems, and accept its methods and recordkeeping requirements.
Note:People who prefer research and interpretation to fieldwork.
View related occupations:Hydrologic TechniciansCloser fit:Fit signals: to assess suitability for water resource specialist work, examine whether you can consistently perform its core operations in actual tasks, describe anomalies and uncertainties as actionable problems, and accept its methods and recordkeeping requirements.
Note:People who prefer data analysis and modeling to planning.
View related occupations:Water Resource SpecialistsCloser fit:Fit signals: to assess suitability for environmental engineering, examine whether you can consistently perform its core operations in actual tasks, describe anomalies and uncertainties as actionable problems, and accept its methods and recordkeeping requirements.
Note:People unwilling to meet engineering-design qualification requirements and accept responsibility.
View related occupations:Environmental EngineersCloser fit:Fit signals: to assess suitability for water/wastewater engineering, examine whether you can consistently perform its core operations in actual tasks, describe anomalies and uncertainties as actionable problems, and accept its methods and recordkeeping requirements.
Note:People unwilling to accept engineering-design responsibility.
View related occupations:Water/Wastewater EngineersCloser fit:Fit signals: to assess suitability for environmental restoration planning, examine whether you can consistently perform its core operations in actual tasks, describe anomalies and uncertainties as actionable problems, and accept its methods and recordkeeping requirements.
Note:People who prefer hydrologic research to restoration planning.
View related occupations:Environmental Restoration PlannersNo personality label guarantees suitability; observe willingness to design research around questions, test data and models, and explain uncertainty.
Introversion is not disqualifying; clear reporting of methods and conclusions and collaboration with technical teams are needed.
Extraversion does not guarantee performance; check rigorous handling of assumptions, data, and peer feedback.
No validation studies establishing a particular MBTI type as best suited to this occupation were obtained.
O*NET interests IRC: Investigative, Realistic, Conventional; not an individual ability or hiring judgment.
No validation studies showing personality tests predict performance in this occupation were obtained; work styles do not establish this page's test validity.
This occupation involves mathematics, statistics, and models. Assess foundations through tasks involving units, calculations, assumptions, and uncertainty, then train to address gaps. This page has no IQ or mathematics-grade hiring threshold; work-context proportions cannot establish a mathematics entry requirement.
Clear explanation of research methods and uncertainty and collaboration are needed. This page has no validated universal emotional-intelligence hiring threshold or performance-prediction evidence.
No validation studies linking the Enneagram to performance in this occupation were obtained; data-analysis and activity lists are not evidence of Enneagram matching.
Editorial recommendation: use public or simulated data to write a research question, methods, model validation, and uncertainty explanation, comparing your preferences for research, field monitoring, and policy planning.
Reduce risk：State conclusions within data and assumption boundaries and label uncertainty
Basis：O*NET 19-2043.00 occupational profile and task list · FermatMind rules for career-content fields and evidence scope
Typical scenario：Data or model quality defects
Main roles：Hydrologists, methods lead
Possible consequences：Unreliable analysis results
Reduce risk：Conduct data quality control, model validation, and result review
Basis：O*NET 19-2043.00 occupational profile and task list · FermatMind rules for career-content fields and evidence scope
Typical scenario：Reports or recommendations misused as permits or engineering conclusions
Main roles：Hydrologists, supervisors
Possible consequences：Conclusions beyond authority create accountability problems
Reduce risk：Define research-conclusion boundaries; submit engineering signatures, permits, and legal matters to authorized parties according to specific authorization and jurisdiction.
Basis：O*NET 19-2043.00 occupational profile and task list · FermatMind rules for career-content fields and evidence scope
Typical scenario：Fieldwork or water-based work safety risks
Main roles：Hydrologists, safety lead
Possible consequences：Injury or drowning
Reduce risk：Follow safety requirements, use protective and lifesaving equipment, and work with companions
Basis：Work Safety Law of the People's Republic of China (current text) · O*NET 19-2043.00 occupational profile and task list
Typical scenario：Improper handling of research data and water-site information
Main roles：Hydrologists, information-security lead
Possible consequences：Data or privacy breaches
Reduce risk：Follow organizational information requirements and confirm authorization and the minimum necessary scope before use
Basis：O*NET 19-2043.00 occupational profile and task list · FermatMind rules for career-content fields and evidence scope
Typical scenario：Inadequate coordination or supervision
Main roles：Hydrologists, project lead
Possible consequences：Damage to team outputs and schedules
Reduce risk：Define responsibilities, review, and records, and take responsibility for team outputs
Basis：O*NET 19-2043.00 occupational profile and task list · FermatMind rules for career-content fields and evidence scope
| Career direction | Starting tasks | Evidence you can prepare | Work samples you can show without experience | Difference from this occupation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hydrologists (this occupation) | Organize hydrologic data and assist with analysis and report writing under guidance | Research-training and course records, data-analysis and report samples | A step-by-step research procedure and data-analysis log | Centers on research design, data analysis, and professional interpretation |
| Hydrologic technicians (adjacent) | Measure water levels and flow on site, collect samples, and organize data | Monitoring and sampling training records | A monitoring procedure and data log | Mainly field monitoring and data quality control, potentially including model development; research and technical tasks overlap, so check responsibilities and requirements for each role |
| Water resource specialists (adjacent) | Participate in water-resource planning, policy, and project assessment | Planning and project materials | A water-resource assessment explanation | Mainly water-resource planning, policy, and management, potentially using hydrologic models; research and modeling cannot be categorically excluded |
| Environmental engineers (adjacent) | Assist with designing environmental-remediation and pollution-control works | Engineering-design training records | An environmental-remediation plan explanation | Mainly engineering design; check specific permits, signing authority, and practice requirements by activity and jurisdiction |
| Environmental restoration planners (adjacent) | Assist with contaminated-site investigations and restoration-plan preparation | Restoration-technology training records | A restoration-plan explanation | Produces restoration plans and planning, with different monitoring and analysis priorities |
Check the target Chinese institution's major, research-experience, and field requirements in postings; no sample covering most roles was obtained.
Check education, training, research methods, and authorization separately; do not assert that education affects only the starting point or rank capabilities' relative importance.
Related U.S. roles follow employer and project requirements; mainland Chinese qualification and safety requirements follow local rules and organizational systems.
Research data, water-site and sample information, and unpublished reports must be processed and retained within the minimum necessary scope under organizational requirements.
Relevant work styles emphasize analytical thinking, attention to detail, integrity, and initiative; these explain working styles, not hiring standards.
Core skills are critical thinking, mathematics, reading comprehension, and active learning; transferable skills include complex problem solving, judgment and decision-making, systems analysis, and coordination.
Entry commonly occurs through government agencies, research institutes, and professional and technical services; project-based work and field investigations are common.
Mainland Chinese roles vary by region, organization type, and project funding; assessment criteria follow organizational announcements.
A simulated hydrologic dataset with normal, missing, and anomalous examples.
A blank data quality-control and analysis-log template.
A blank model-assumption and uncertainty checklist.
For three supplied problems—missing or out-of-range data, invalid model assumptions, and conclusions exceeding data support—describe identifying features and responses.
Specify what exceeds your personal authority: environmental conclusions, engineering judgments, and publication of findings.
For each problem, explain the identification basis and response consequences; describe risks of compressed or omitted steps.
Finish with a reflection: how would you stop and reassess if data and model conclusions contradicted each other?
Do not involve real watersheds, real water sites, or identifiable data.
Mark whether each step was completed independently or under someone else's guidance.
Mark steps involving data quality and conclusion boundaries that must follow standards rather than personal decisions.
Record review comments, timing, and basis for later reflection.
Show the full chain from question definition through data analysis and model validation to report recommendations, not only conclusions.
Exclude identifiable information about real watersheds or water sites and state the basis and assumptions.
Explain which data or methodological check tool outputs underwent before use; label illustrative values as examples.
| Stage | Points that may be checked | Observable evidence | Boundary note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Resume and initial screening | Research or data-analysis experience, course and methods training, and writing capabilities | Research-report and data-analysis samples, training records | Self-assessments and course records cannot replace organizational assessments and job authorization |
| Interview and scenario questions | Research design, data analysis, model validation, and conclusion wording | Scenario responses and on-site questions and answers | One scenario interview cannot replace a complete research and data-capability assessment |
| Research-method and capability assessment | Method selection, data processing, model validation, and writing | Analysis and report samples | One assessment does not establish the ability to independently take responsibility for research conclusions and publication |
| Onboarding and probation | Compliance with research standards and safety systems, records, and review | Research and review records, documented anomalies and reports | Field and water-based work authorization follow organizational systems and announcements |
Record observed data-quality, model-assumption, conclusion-boundary, and information requirements.
Write the real-world cost you find hardest to accept and assess whether you can tolerate it.
List key requirements according to standards: data quality control, model assumptions and validation, conclusions and uncertainty wording, and publication boundaries.
Write response and escalation plans for two typical risks: field and water-based work safety, and conclusions beyond authority.
Identify at least two deviations against research standards and record corrective actions.
Record their objections and your responses; do not avoid uncertainty or counterexamples.
Use this to decide whether to continue investing in this direction and write the specific question to verify next.
| Qualification or preparation item | Applicable group | Role in this occupation | Is it generally required? | Requirements for obtaining it | Approximate investment | Limitations |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's or master's degree (hydrology, geology, environmental, or related field) | Entry-level and research roles | Check the target employer's education screening requirements | Check Chinese requirements in postings; U.S. education-survey data are listed separately | Complete relevant specialized studies | According to program duration | Education does not guarantee job authorization or authority to publish findings |
| Hydrologic-data collection and analysis training | Research roles | Provides data-analysis and quality-control foundations | Relatively common | Take courses or practice in projects | Insufficient evidence: target-course duration and fees were not verified | Training does not replace research-method and standards requirements |
| Modeling and statistical-method training | Roles performing modeling tasks | Develops modeling, validation, and uncertainty-analysis capabilities | Depends on the role | Take courses or practice in actual projects | Insufficient evidence: target-course duration and fees were not verified | Tool use does not replace method selection or interpretation responsibility |
| Safety training, authorization, and applicable credentials for specific field activities | Roles involving water-based and fieldwork activities | Check by specific activity and jurisdiction; no uniform water-based or fieldwork credential is specified | Depends on the work category | Check current competent-authority requirements and organizational task authorization | According to assessment arrangements | Certification does not confer a specific role or permission to publish findings |
| Academic writing and communication training | Research and reporting roles | Develops report-writing and research-communication capabilities | Relatively common | Practice through project writing and peer review | Insufficient evidence: target-course duration and fees were not verified | Writing ability does not replace data and conclusion quality |
| Environmental and data-law training | Research and publication-related roles | Clarifies environmental-protection and data-management regulatory boundaries | Relatively common | Attend organizational training on regulations and systems | Insufficient evidence: target-course duration and fees were not verified | Training does not replace current regulations and competent-authority requirements |
Typical responsibilities：Organize data and assist with analysis and report writing under guidance.
Evidence for advancement：Submit data-analysis and report samples and obtain mentor feedback.
Qualification boundaries：Depends on organizational requirements; research and data foundations are needed.
Next step：Work toward independently completing research analysis and modeling.
Typical responsibilities：Independently collect and analyze data, build models, and write reports.
Evidence for advancement：Submit research reports and model-validation records.
Qualification boundaries：Check training, organizational authorization, and applicable credentials for specific field activities; water-based activities do not universally correspond to one qualification.
Next step：Learn to lead specialized research and cross-department projects.
Typical responsibilities：Lead specialized research and mentor newcomers.
Evidence for advancement：Submit complex-research cases and records.
Qualification boundaries：Depends on organizational requirements; experience and specialized training are usually needed.
Next step：Turn experience into reusable methods and standards.
Typical responsibilities：Coordinate research directions and methodological systems.
Evidence for advancement：Submit research-direction and assessment records.
Qualification boundaries：Determined by organizational governance requirements.
Next step：Participate in institutional or regional research strategy.
Typical responsibilities：Assist with organizing water-resource data and planning materials.
Evidence for advancement：Submit data-organization and planning-material samples.
Qualification boundaries：Depends on organizational requirements; water-resource foundations are needed.
Next step：Learn to independently assess water resources.
Typical responsibilities：Analyze supply, demand, and water-resource conditions and prepare assessments.
Evidence for advancement：Submit assessment and recommendation records.
Qualification boundaries：Depends on organizational requirements; hydrologic foundations are usually needed.
Next step：Participate in planning and policy analysis.
Typical responsibilities：Participate in plan preparation, policy assessment, and public communication.
Evidence for advancement：Submit planning and policy materials.
Qualification boundaries：Determined by organizational systems.
Typical responsibilities：Assist with collecting and organizing environmental data.
Evidence for advancement：Submit data-organization and quality-control records.
Qualification boundaries：Depends on organizational requirements; environmental and data foundations are needed.
Next step：Learn to independently analyze environmental data.
Typical responsibilities：Analyze environmental data and identify pollution and anomalies.
Evidence for advancement：Submit analysis records and reports.
Qualification boundaries：Depends on organizational and laboratory requirements.
Next step：Participate in pollution assessment and restoration support.
Typical responsibilities：Conduct environmental assessments and exposure analyses.
Evidence for advancement：Submit assessment and recommendation records.
Qualification boundaries：Determined by organizational systems and professional-capability requirements.
Can organize hydrologic data and assist with analysis and report writing under guidance, following standards and accepting feedback.
Can independently collect and analyze data, build and validate models, and write research reports.
Can lead specialized research or cross-department projects, mentor newcomers, and produce verifiable research records.
Responsible at organizational level for research directions, methodological systems, and professional conclusions, accepting accountability.
United States · Specific occupation 19-2043.00
400/year
Annual job openings
The overall projection does not establish AI causality; growth rates measure total employment change, while openings include growth and replacements rather than net new jobs.
What it cannot show：National projections do not equal actual recruitment or individual employment outcomes; distinguish growth rates from replacement openings.
Mainland China · No precise occupational scope available; only industry-category average wages (industry proxy)
Insufficient evidence
Mainland China occupational wages
The National Bureau of Statistics reports industry-category average wages without distinguishing occupations, so hydrologist occupational values cannot be derived.
What it cannot show：Industry proxy; no substitution using industry averages, advertised pay, or U.S. data.
These are relationships between adjacent capabilities, not automatic promotions or transitions without additional learning.
Transferable：Hydrologic-data and field-monitoring experience.
Needs development：Needs development: field measurements, sampling, and equipment maintenance.
View occupation detailsTransferable：Water-environment and data foundations.
Needs development：Needs development: water-resource planning and policy methods.
View occupation detailsTransferable：Environmental-data and analysis foundations.
Needs development：Develop target engineering-design methods; check specific permits, signing authority, and practice requirements by activity and jurisdiction.
View occupation detailsTransferable：Water-environment and water-quality knowledge.
Needs development：Develop target engineering-design methods; check specific permits, signing authority, and practice requirements by activity and jurisdiction.
View occupation detailsTransferable：Ecological and environmental-data foundations.
Needs development：Needs development: ecological conservation and resource-management methods.
View occupation detailsTransferable：Environmental-monitoring and data foundations.
Needs development：Needs development: restoration plans and planning methods.
View occupation detailsTransferable：Geological and fieldwork foundations.
Needs development：Needs development: geological processes and exploration methods.
View occupation detailsTransferable：Environmental-data and systems-analysis foundations.
Needs development：Needs development: material-flow and industrial-ecology methods.
View occupation detailsBLS OEWS 2025 (presented by O*NET on the 19-2043.00 page, specific-occupation scope): median annual pay of 96,600 USD and median hourly pay of 46.44 USD; 10 / 25 / 75 / 90 percentile pay of 64,020 / 77,210 / 122,830 / 153,130 USD/year. The 2024—2034 employment outlook projects little or no change (0%), about 500 annual openings, and approximately 6,300 employed in 2024 and 6,300 in 2034. All figures cover specific occupation 19-2043.00.
No national wages precisely specific to this occupation are available. The National Bureau of Statistics publishes average urban-unit wages by industry category without distinguishing occupations, so hydrologist occupational values cannot be derived. This page records the gap under the evidence policy rather than filling it with substitutes.
O*NET work-context responses report email daily, 86%; some decision freedom, 68%; exactness or accuracy rated extremely important, 45%; teamwork rated very important, 52%; face-to-face discussions more than once a week, 52%; telephone conversations daily, 38%; outdoor weather exposure more than once a month, 43%; and a typical 40-hour week, 68%. Main risks include conclusions exceeding data support, data or model quality defects, misuse of reports or recommendations, field and water-based work safety, improper research-data and water-site information handling, and inadequate coordination or supervision.
It will affect information-processing tasks rather than replace research design, model validation, and professional interpretation. Generative AI may assist with data processing and statistics, code and models, drafting reports and charts, and retrieving information and methods. People remain responsible for defining research questions, selecting methods, data quality control, model validation, and result interpretation. This page provides no replacement probability, adoption rate, or timetable.
O*NET places this occupation (19-2043.00) in Job Zone Four (considerable preparation), with an SVP range of 7.0 to below 8.0. The education survey reports 64% requiring a bachelor's and 36% a master's degree, typically with several years of related work experience or on-the-job training. Related mainland Chinese roles generally require hydrology, geology, environmental, or related education plus data-analysis and fieldwork capabilities.
This page does not invent a universal certificate list. Education, training, field and water-based work qualifications, job authorization, and publication authority are different statuses. Training does not equal certification, and certification does not authorize environmental conclusions, engineering judgments, or publication of findings. Mainland China follows current regulations and competent-authority requirements.
Main risks include conclusions exceeding data support, data or model quality defects, reports or recommendations misused as permits or engineering conclusions, field and water-based work safety risks, improper research-data and water-site information handling, and inadequate coordination or supervision. Priorities are traceable data, assumption, and review records, and appropriate wording and escalation when uncertainty or authority limits arise.
U.S. specific occupation 19-2043.00 is projected to show little or no change (0%) in 2024—2034, with about 500 annual openings; the mainland China section records the wage gap. Possible directions include hydrologic monitoring, water-resource planning, environmental engineering, water-treatment engineering, conservation, environmental restoration planning, geoscience, and industrial ecology. Each requires corresponding training or qualifications; transferable capabilities do not mean automatic promotion.
Author verification in this round: O*NET 19-2043.00 definition, tasks, interests, and actually available fields; wages and employment checked separately against current official periods. 2025 median wages for this specific occupation are 96,600 USD/year and 46.44 USD/hour; 25 / 75 percentile values were not independently verified this round. BLS2025—2035 employment rises from 6,300 to 6,400, growth of 1%, with 400 annual openings including growth and replacements. China's NBS2025 is only a conditional industry reference; AI adoption effects, test validity, and recruitment conditions were not obtained. Historical registrations and old shared facts in unselected modules are separately listed as scope conflicts.
This round checked O*NET Updated2026, BLS2025 wages and industry medians, 2025—2035 projections, NBS2025, and OEWS definitions on 2026-10-11. The localwages entry point failed twice; 25 / 75 percentile values were not verified this round. Historical shared metadata retain conflicts.
Source card | Source register: this page registers the O*NET 19-2043.00 occupational profile, details, national wages, industry distribution, hot technologies, certification directory, and national training entries; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS 2025), employment projections, and methodology; National Bureau of Statistics average annual wages of employees in urban units; the Environmental Protection Law, Work Safety Law, and Personal Information Protection Law of the People's Republic of China; the ILO generative AI and jobs occupational exposure index; the NIST Artificial Intelligence Risk Management Framework; and entries for adjacent occupations such as hydrologic technicians, environmental engineers, and water/wastewater engineers.
Usage limitations：U.S. occupational description, without mainland China's qualification and environmental-protection systems.
Usage limitations：Specific-occupation scope, not individual employment conclusions.
Usage limitations：Specific-occupation scope; cannot be attributed to generative AI.
Usage limitations：Refer to the original methodology document.
Usage limitations：Industry-category scope without occupational distinctions; this occupation is not listed separately.
Usage limitations：Current regulatory texts and competent-authority requirements apply.
Usage limitations：Refer to the original law and competent-authority interpretations.
Usage limitations：Current regulatory texts and competent-authority requirements apply.
Usage limitations：U.S. industry distribution; does not establish a mainland China mapping.
Usage limitations：Occupational description, not research methodology or environmental-protection standards.
Usage limitations：The certification directory does not replace organizational and competent-authority requirements for job authorization and work permits.
Usage limitations：Task exposure does not mean automatic job disappearance or a specific adoption rate.
Usage limitations：Internal scope rules, not an external factual source.
Usage limitations：Not research methodology or environmental-protection standards.
Usage limitations：Technology mentions do not establish capability, adoption, or automation levels.
Usage limitations：A training search entry point does not replace education and work-authorization requirements.
Usage limitations：Editorial design, not universal employer requirements or hiring standards.
Usage limitations：Occupational description, not a prediction of an individual's work.
Usage limitations：Adjacent-occupation scope, not this occupation.
Usage limitations：Adjacent-occupation scope, not this occupation.
Usage limitations：Adjacent-occupation scope, not this occupation.
Usage limitations：Database and classification information do not constitute authorization.
Usage limitations：Maps titles to SOC codes; does not establish permission.
Usage limitations：Specific-occupation scope; excludes benefits and bonuses; percentiles do not equal starting pay or experience levels.
Usage limitations：Employment trends cover the specific U.S. occupation; this page's employment outlook uses the same scope.
Usage limitations：Editorial ratings use the existing occupational responsibilities and AI task analysis on this page. They are not adoption rates, measured effects, job-disappearance or personal-unemployment probabilities, or official scores from Stanford or another external institution. No measured time weights or future robot deployment are assumed.
Current scope: 2025 median wages for this specific occupation are 96,600 USD/year and 46.44 USD/hour; 25 / 75 percentile values were not independently verified this round. BLS2025—2035 employment rises from 6,300 to 6,400, growth of 1%, with 400 annual openings including growth and replacements. U.S. statistical subjects and China's industry proxy are separate; wage percentiles are not starting pay, and openings are not net new jobs. Shared old-period facts still have unselected consumers; the entire page cannot be claimed to use one period. Precise Chinese occupational wages, generative AI adoption and causality, and personality-test validity were not obtained.
Big Five Personality · MBTI · Intelligence and Reasoning · Emotional Intelligence
| Core process | Define question—design collection—organize and analyze—model—interpret uncertainty—report and recommend, alongside supervision of technical personnel. | Environmental engineers focus on engineering design and water-treatment systems and usually do not carry out hydrologic-process research and prediction. |
|---|
| Main outputs | Research data and analysis records, models and validation records, maps, charts and reports, recommendations and communication materials, and coordination and supervision records. | Environmental restoration planners focus on restoration plans and planning; this cannot be treated as interchangeable with this occupation's research and analysis. |
|---|
| Responsible party | Individuals are responsible for the accuracy of research design, data, models, and conclusions and must consult or refer conclusions beyond authority under organizational systems. | Water/wastewater engineers are responsible for engineering design and system operation and usually do not carry out hydrologic research design and prediction. |
|---|
| Authority and approval | Environmental conclusions, engineering judgments, and handling of legal documents require decisions by qualified personnel or competent authorities under organizational systems. | Conclusions beyond an individual's professional or responsibility scope cannot be made unilaterally. |
|---|
| Limits of conclusions | This page does not promise any organization's recruitment, licensing, or hiring outcomes. | Qualification and environmental-protection systems differ between the United States and mainland China and must be checked separately; they are not interchangeable. |
|---|
Basis: organizational safety and environmental-quality systems.
Basis: organizational occupational-health and protection requirements.
Next step：Promote improvements in planning and policy proposals.
Typical responsibilities：Coordinate water-resource planning and policymaking.
Evidence for advancement：Submit planning documents and assessment records.
Qualification boundaries：Determined by organizational governance requirements.
Next step：Participate in regional water-resource governance.
Next step：Promote improvements in environmental-assessment methods.
Typical responsibilities：Coordinate environmental-data and assessment systems.
Evidence for advancement：Submit system and assessment records.
Qualification boundaries：Determined by organizational governance requirements.
Next step：Participate in developing environmental standards and remediation plans.
