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Date: 07/17/2025

Hydrologists

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.

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    Work Activities

    Work Activities

    • Conduct short- and long-term climate assessments and study storm occurrences.
    • Conduct research and communicate information to promote the conservation and preservation of water resources.
    • Install, maintain, and calibrate instruments such as those that monitor water levels, rainfall, and sediments.
    • Study public water supply issues, including flood and drought risks, water quality, wastewater, and impacts on wetland habitats.
    • Coordinate and supervise the work of professional and technical staff, including research assistants, technologists, and technicians.
    • Prepare hydrogeologic evaluations of known or suspected hazardous waste sites and land treatment and feedlot facilities.
    • Develop computer models for hydrologic predictions.
    • Study and document quantities, distribution, disposition, and development of underground and surface waters.
    • Review applications for site plans and permits and recommend approval, denial, modification, or further investigative action.
    • Compile and evaluate hydrologic information to prepare navigational charts and maps and to predict atmospheric conditions.
    • Measure and graph phenomena such as lake levels, stream flows, and changes in water volumes.
    • Design and conduct scientific hydrogeological investigations to ensure that accurate and appropriate information is available for use in water resource management decisions.
    • Evaluate research data in terms of its impact on issues such as soil and water conservation, flood control planning, and water supply forecasting.
    • Monitor the work of well contractors, exploratory borers, and engineers and enforce rules regarding their activities.
    • Develop or modify methods for conducting hydrologic studies.
    • Compile and evaluate hydrologic information to prepare navigational charts and maps and to predict atmospheric conditions.
    • Answer questions and provide technical assistance and information to contractors or the public regarding issues such as well drilling, code requirements, hydrology, and geology.
    • Apply research findings to help minimize the environmental impacts of pollution, waterborne diseases, erosion, and sedimentation.
    • Study and document quantities, distribution, disposition, and development of underground and surface waters.
    • Administer programs designed to ensure the proper sealing of abandoned wells.
    • Design and conduct scientific hydrogeological investigations to ensure that accurate and appropriate information is available for use in water resource management decisions.
    • Conduct research and communicate information to promote the conservation and preservation of water resources.
    • Prepare written and oral reports describing research results, using illustrations, maps, appendices, and other information.
    • Investigate properties, origins, and activities of glaciers, ice, snow, and permafrost.
    • Install, maintain, and calibrate instruments such as those that monitor water levels, rainfall, and sediments.
    • Collect and analyze water samples as part of field investigations or to validate data from automatic monitors.
    • Evaluate data and provide recommendations regarding the feasibility of municipal projects, such as hydroelectric power plants, irrigation systems, flood warning systems, and waste treatment facilities.
    • Study and analyze the physical aspects of the earth in terms of hydrological components, including atmosphere, hydrosphere, and interior structure.
    • Measure and graph phenomena such as lake levels, stream flows, and changes in water volumes.

    Skills

    • Science

      Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.

    • Judgment and Decision Making

      Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.

    • Repairing

      Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.

    • Critical Thinking

      Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.

    • Negotiation

      Bringing people together to solve differences.

    • Social Perceptiveness

      Understanding people's reactions.

    • Operations Monitoring

      Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.

    • Speaking

      Talking to others.

    • Technology Design

      Making equipment and technology useful for customers.

    • Instructing

      Teaching people how to do something.

    • Management of Personnel Resources

      Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.

    • Troubleshooting

      Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.

    • Management of Financial Resources

      Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.

    • Systems Evaluation

      Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.

    • Installation

      Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.

    • Writing

      Writing things for co-workers or customers.

    • Equipment Maintenance

      Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.

    • Active Learning

      Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.

    • Complex Problem Solving

      Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.

    • Learning Strategies

      Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.

    • Service Orientation

      Looking for ways to help people.

    • Operations Analysis

      Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.

    • Equipment Selection

      Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.

    • Persuasion

      Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.

    • Coordination

      Changing what is done based on other people's actions.

    • Reading Comprehension

      Reading work-related information.

    • Monitoring

      Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.

    • Operation and Control

      Using equipment or systems.

    • Time Management

      Managing your time and the time of other people.

    • Quality Control Analysis

      Testing how well a product or service works.

    • Systems Analysis

      Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.

    • Management of Material Resources

      Managing equipment and materials.

    • Programming

      Writing computer programs.

    • Active Listening

      Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.

    • Mathematics

      Using math to solve problems.

    WorkKeys®

    Applied Math
    6
    Workplace Documents
    6
    Graphic Literacy
    5

    Abilities

    • Night Vision

      Seeing at night or under low light.

    • Explosive Strength

      Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.

    • Flexibility of Closure

      Seeing hidden patterns.

    • Gross Body Equilibrium

      Keeping your balance or staying upright.

    • Oral Expression

      Communicating by speaking.

    • Memorization

      Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.

    • Information Ordering

      Ordering or arranging things.

    • Arm-Hand Steadiness

      Keeping your arm or hand steady.

    • Dynamic Flexibility

      Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.

    • Far Vision

      Seeing details that are far away.

    • Oral Comprehension

      Listening and understanding what people say.

    • Speech Recognition

      Recognizing spoken words.

    • Perceptual Speed

      Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.

    • Extent Flexibility

      Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.

    • Dynamic Strength

      Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.

    • Originality

      Creating new and original ideas.

    • Speed of Limb Movement

      Quickly moving your arms and legs.

    • Depth Perception

      Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.

    • Category Flexibility

      Grouping things in different ways.

    • Rate Control

      Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.

    • Written Comprehension

      Reading and understanding what is written.

    • Deductive Reasoning

      Using rules to solve problems.

    • Speed of Closure

      Quickly knowing what you are looking at.

    • Spatial Orientation

      Knowing where things are around you.

    • Sound Localization

      Noticing the direction that a sound came from.

    • Mathematical Reasoning

      Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.

    • Fluency of Ideas

      Coming up with lots of ideas.

    • Wrist-Finger Speed

      Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.

    • Finger Dexterity

      Putting together small parts with your fingers.

    • Gross Body Coordination

      Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.

    • Glare Sensitivity

      Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.

    • Speech Clarity

      Speaking clearly.

    • Time Sharing

      Doing two or more things at the same time.

    • Selective Attention

      Paying attention to something without being distracted.

    • Manual Dexterity

      Holding or moving items with your hands.

    • Number Facility

      Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.

    • Response Orientation

      Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.

    • Peripheral Vision

      Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.

    • Control Precision

      Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.

    • Stamina

      Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.

    • Static Strength

      Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.

    • Trunk Strength

      Using your lower back and stomach.

    • Multilimb Coordination

      Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.

    • Visual Color Discrimination

      Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.

    • Reaction Time

      Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.

    • Near Vision

      Seeing details up close.

    • Written Expression

      Communicating by writing.

    • Problem Sensitivity

      Noticing when problems happen.

    • Hearing Sensitivity

      Telling the difference between sounds.

    • Auditory Attention

      Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.

    • Visualization

      Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.

    • Inductive Reasoning

      Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.

    Knowledge

    • Economics and Accounting

      Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.

    • Food Production

      Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.

    • Law and Government

      Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.

    • Medicine and Dentistry

      Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.

    • Therapy and Counseling

      Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.

    • Administrative

      Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.

    • Sales and Marketing

      Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

    • Telecommunications

      Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.

    • Engineering and Technology

      Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.

    • Biology

      Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.

    • Mathematics

      Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

    • Sociology and Anthropology

      Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.

    • Chemistry

      Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.

    • Production and Processing

      Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.

    • Building and Construction

      Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.

    • English Language

      Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

    • Communications and Media

      Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.

    • Psychology

      Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.

    • Foreign Language

      Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.

    • Computers and Electronics

      Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

    • Public Safety and Security

      Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.

    • Philosophy and Theology

      Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.

    • Fine Arts

      Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.

    • Physics

      Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.

    • Education and Training

      Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

    • Customer and Personal Service

      Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

    • Personnel and Human Resources

      Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.

    • Mechanical

      Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

    • Design

      Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

    • History and Archeology

      Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.

    • Geography

      Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.

    • Administration and Management

      Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

    • Transportation

      Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.

    Career Video

    Additional videos and more information available on CareerOneStop

    Pay

    • Ohio Annual Salary 93520/yr
    • Typical Salary
    • Ohio Hourly Wage 44.96/hr
    • Typical Hourly Wage

    Ohio Employment Trends

    • Currently Employed 330
    • Yearly Projected Openings 30

    Typical Education

    Personality

    Investigative: People interested in this work like activities that include ideas, thinking, and figuring things out.They do well at jobs that need:
    • Integrity
    • Analytical Thinking
    • Attention to Detail
    • Dependability
    • Initiative
    • Achievement/Effort

    Tools

    • Calipers
    • Clinometers
    • Commercial fishing nets
    • Conductivity meters
    • Desktop computers
    • Dissolution or disintegration testers
    • Dissolved oxygen meters
    • Dropping pipettes
    • Extensometers
    • Filters or other spare parts for samplers
    • Flowmeters
    • Global positioning system GPS receiver
    • Heating or drying equipment or accessories
    • Hydrometers
    • Laboratory bailers
    • Laboratory flasks
    • Laboratory mechanical convection ovens
    • Laboratory sifting equipment
    • Laboratory vacuum pumps
    • Laser printers
    • Levels
    • Logging instruments for water wells
    • Lux or light meter
    • Mainframe computers
    • Micrometers
    • Notebook computers
    • Oil content monitors analyzers
    • Open stream current meters
    • Open stream water level recorders
    • Peristaltic pumps
    • Personal computers
    • Pitch measuring instruments
    • Portable data input terminals
    • Portable seismic apparatus
    • Pressure sensors
    • Pull spring balances
    • Radarbased surveillance systems
    • Radiation detectors
    • Remote reading thermometers
    • Respirators
    • Salinity meter
    • Sampling pumps
    • Soil core sampling apparatus
    • Sonars
    • Spectrofluorimeters or fluorimeters
    • Surface data logging sensors
    • Surface data logging units
    • Templates
    • Theodolites
    • Thickness measuring devices
    • Turbidimeters
    • Two way radios
    • Underwater cameras
    • Water analyzers
    • Water samplers
    • Well logging downhole test equipment
    • pH meters

    Technology

    • Analytical or scientific software
    • Categorization or classification software
    • Compliance software
    • Computer aided design CAD software
    • Data base user interface and query software
    • Development environment software
    • Electronic mail software
    • Geographic information system
    • Graphics or photo imaging software
    • Internet browser software
    • Map creation software
    • Object or component oriented development software
    • Office suite software
    • Operating system software
    • Presentation software
    • Spreadsheet software
    • Web platform development software
    • Word processing software

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