Water Resource Specialists: Career Overview
Design or implement programs and strategies related to water resource issues such as supply, quality, and regulatory compliance issues.
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The Daily Work of Water Resource Specialists Do?
The core tasks performed by water resource specialists cover:
- Perform hydrologic, hydraulic, or water quality modeling.
- Analyze storm water systems to identify opportunities for water resource improvements.
- Conduct, or oversee the conduct of, investigations on matters such as water storage, wastewater discharge, pollutants, permits, or other compliance and regulatory issues.
- Develop strategies for watershed operations to meet water supply and conservation goals or to ensure regulatory compliance with clean water laws or regulations.
- Conduct technical studies for water resources on topics such as pollutants and water treatment options.
- Review or evaluate designs for water detention facilities, storm drains, flood control facilities, or other hydraulic structures.
- Present water resource proposals to government, public interest groups, or community groups.
- Develop plans to protect watershed health or rehabilitate watersheds.
Key Skills and Knowledge
Top water resource specialists combine a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Key Skills
These are the skills most important for this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Core Knowledge
Related Job Titles
Common job titles for this role include:
- Community Resource Consultant
- Environmental Resource Specialist
- Hydrotechnical Specialist
- Hydrotechnician
- Power Supply Engineer
- Resource Specialist
- Water Quality Specialist
- Water Resource Agent
Job Outlook
There are roughly 79,327 water resource specialists working in the United States today. This occupation is expected to decline by -0.4% over the projection horizon.
How Much Do Water Resource Specialists Make?
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $179,716 |
| Hourly median | $86.40 |
| 10th percentile | $114,710 |
| 25th percentile | $147,213 |
| 75th percentile | $212,219 |
| 90th percentile | $244,723 |
Pay can vary substantially based on experience, location, and industry.
Water Resource Specialists Salary by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| Massachusetts | $218,800 |
| California | $204,100 |
| New Jersey | $202,310 |
| Connecticut | $179,170 |
| Washington | $178,270 |
| North Carolina | $167,430 |
| District of Columbia | $164,650 |
| Maryland | $162,610 |
| Illinois | $158,690 |
| Kansas | $158,100 |
| Missouri | $143,730 |
| Colorado | $143,150 |
| South Carolina | $143,150 |
| Rhode Island | $141,380 |
| Tennessee | $140,430 |
| Virginia | $139,220 |
| Oregon | $136,840 |
| Pennsylvania | $136,700 |
| New Hampshire | $136,200 |
| Ohio | $135,990 |
| Maine | $135,900 |
| Michigan | $135,180 |
| Arkansas | $134,430 |
| West Virginia | $134,410 |
| North Dakota | $133,540 |
| Kentucky | $131,780 |
| Minnesota | $131,410 |
| New York | $131,180 |
| Texas | $130,140 |
| Alaska | $128,480 |
| Alabama | $127,210 |
| Arizona | $126,320 |
| Wisconsin | $125,050 |
| Idaho | $120,640 |
| South Dakota | $120,310 |
| New Mexico | $118,600 |
| Utah | $117,190 |
| Montana | $117,140 |
| Georgia | $116,560 |
| Puerto Rico | $115,270 |
| Mississippi | $113,730 |
| Nebraska | $113,730 |
| Guam | $111,270 |
| Wyoming | $109,600 |
| Hawaii | $106,580 |
| Nevada | $103,500 |
| Iowa | $102,880 |
| Oklahoma | $100,990 |
| Florida | $100,640 |
| Indiana | $88,610 |
Where Water Resource Specialists Earn the Most
Earnings for water resource specialists differ across the country. These regions lead on median pay:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| New England | $204,301 | 10.9% | 3.20 |
| Far Western US | $188,481 | 20.3% | 1.26 |
| Middle Atlantic | $161,559 | 27.6% | 2.36 |
| Great Lakes | $135,087 | 8.2% | 0.63 |
| Southeast | $134,493 | 16.7% | 1.18 |
| Plains States | $134,244 | 3.4% | 0.62 |
| Southwest | $128,246 | 9.0% | 0.77 |
| Rocky Mountains | $127,754 | 3.7% | 0.92 |
Highest-Paying Metro Areas for Water Resource Specialists
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $222,840 | 5,160 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $221,480 | 1,100 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | MA | $219,380 | 7,670 |
| Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR | AR | $211,880 | 100 |
| Worcester, MA | MA | $211,400 | 340 |
| Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT | CT | $210,890 | 140 |
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | WA | $209,260 | 110 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | WA | $208,230 | 2,260 |
Top Industries Employing Water Resource Specialists
The bulk of water resource specialists are concentrated in the following sectors:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 49,690 | $180,800 |
| Manufacturing | 8,090 | $176,600 |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 6,670 | $101,730 |
| Educational Services | 5,200 | $84,360 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 4,340 | $178,300 |
| Wholesale Trade | 3,930 | $207,590 |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 1,200 | $120,890 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 900 | $139,840 |
Water Resource Specialists work in the following industries:
Software Water Resource Specialists Use
- Computer aided design CAD software: Autodesk AutoCAD (hot technology)
- Geographic information system: ESRI ArcGIS software (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- Data base user interface and query software: Structured query language SQL (hot technology)
- Geographic information system: Geographic information system GIS systems (in demand)
What the Workplace Is Like
The work environment for water resource specialists reflects the following characteristics:
- Telephone Conversations
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
- Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team
Education and Training
Typical water resource specialists positions require a bachelor’s degree as the typical entry-level education. This career aligns with Considerable Preparation Needed (Job Zone 4), signaling the level of preparation typically expected.
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Top Programs to Study For This Career
Aspiring water resource specialists often complete programs in:
Biological and Biomedical Sciences
57 programs across 15 majors
- General Biology
- Biochemistry & Biophysics
- Neurobiology & Neurosciences
- Cell Biology & Anatomical Sciences
- Ecology & Systematics Biology
- Other Biological Sciences
- Microbiology Science & Immunology
- Biotechnology
- Zoology
- Biomathematics & Bioinformatics
- Botany/Plant Biology
- Pharmacology & Toxicology
- Genetics
- Physiology & Pathology Sciences
- Molecular Medicine
Physical Sciences
44 programs across 9 majors
- Chemistry
- Physics
- Geological & Earth Sciences
- General Physical Sciences
- Astronomy & Astrophysics
- Atmospheric Sciences
- Other Physical Science
- Physics and Astronomy
- Materials Sciences
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
22 programs across 20 majors
- Biological & Physical Science
- Data Science
- Nutrition Science
- Sustainability Science
- Cognitive Science
- Natural Sciences
- Computational Science
- Human Biology
- Mathematics & Computer Science
- Geography and Environmental Studies
- Science, Technology & Society
- Marine Science
- Biopsychology
- Mathematical Economics
- Climate Science
- Environmental Geosciences
- Anthrozoology
- Earth Systems Science
- Geobiology
- Mathematics and Atmospheric/Oceanic Science
Mathematics and Statistics
17 programs across 5 majors
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services
3 programs across 1 majors
Engineering
2 programs across 2 majors
About the Data
Statistics shown above are sourced from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 11-9121.02 (Natural Sciences Managers).
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