Average Salary for Geological and Hydrologic Technicians
SOC 19-4045 · Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations · 2020 data
The median annual wage for Geological and Hydrologic Technicians in the United States is $50,630 ($24.34/hr), based on 2020 BLS OEWS data. Wages range from $28,210 at the 10th percentile to $109,300 at the 90th percentile nationally. An estimated 15,580 people work in this occupation across the country. The national median wage has declined 1% since 2019.
Median Annual
$50,630
Mean Annual
$61,130
10th Pct
$28,210
75th Pct
$76,650
Employment
15,580
Salary Distribution
$28k
10th
$35k
25th
$51k
Median
$77k
75th
$109k
90th
Highest Paying Metro Areas
| Metro Area | Median Annual |
|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $96,830 |
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | $80,500 |
| Tulsa, OK | $76,880 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $76,030 |
| Anchorage, AK | $75,860 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $75,520 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $73,110 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $72,440 |
| Lafayette, LA | $71,960 |
| Billings, MT | $71,880 |
| Cleveland-Elyria, OH | $69,930 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $67,310 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $61,790 |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | $61,430 |
| Corvallis, OR | $60,720 |
Salary by State
| State | Median Annual |
|---|---|
| Colorado | $70,230 |
| Montana | $67,610 |
| Oklahoma | $65,460 |
| Ohio | $64,400 |
| Alaska | $63,790 |
| California | $61,190 |
| Missouri | $59,950 |
| Washington | $59,890 |
| Georgia | $58,400 |
| Wisconsin | $58,180 |
| Louisiana | $57,930 |
| Michigan | $57,120 |
| Minnesota | $56,650 |
| Tennessee | $53,420 |
| Utah | $53,130 |
| Oregon | $53,090 |
| Nebraska | $52,280 |
| West Virginia | $52,240 |
| New York | $50,510 |
| Nevada | $50,370 |
| Mississippi | $50,340 |
| Virginia | $50,030 |
| New Mexico | $49,800 |
| Kansas | $48,690 |
| Illinois | $48,370 |
| South Carolina | $47,590 |
| Iowa | $47,200 |
| Idaho | $46,770 |
| Pennsylvania | $46,730 |
| New Hampshire | $46,650 |
| Massachusetts | $46,220 |
| North Dakota | $45,040 |
| Kentucky | $44,700 |
| Maryland | $43,800 |
| Alabama | $43,260 |
| Puerto Rico | $41,510 |
| Arizona | $41,090 |
| Indiana | $40,860 |
| Texas | $40,850 |
| Florida | $40,530 |
| North Carolina | $40,220 |
| South Dakota | $40,120 |
| Connecticut | $38,980 |
Salary by Industry
National median wage for Geological and Hydrologic Technicians broken down by industry sector, 2020 data.
| Industry | Median Annual |
|---|---|
| Chemical Manufacturing | $125,060 |
| Chemical Manufacturing (3251, 3252, 3253, and 3259 only) | $125,060 |
| Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences | $93,260 |
| Scientific Research and Development Services | $90,660 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | $85,530 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | $85,530 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | $85,530 |
| Manufacturing | $83,730 |
| Oil and Gas Extraction | $76,120 |
| Oil and Gas Extraction | $76,120 |
| Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing | $75,200 |
| Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing | $75,200 |
| Nonmetallic Mineral Mining and Quarrying | $71,430 |
| Pipeline Transportation of Crude Oil | $69,880 |
| Temporary Help Services | $66,960 |
| Employment Services | $66,900 |
| Natural Gas Distribution | $66,490 |
| Pipeline Transportation | $65,690 |
| Transportation and Warehousing | $65,690 |
| Mining (except Oil and Gas) | $62,940 |
| Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution | $62,840 |
| Pipeline Transportation of Natural Gas | $61,840 |
| Utilities | $61,800 |
| Utilities | $61,800 |
| Metal Ore Mining | $61,410 |
| Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) | $56,440 |
| Federal government, including the US Postal Service | $56,440 |
| Local government, including schools and hospitals | $55,970 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | $55,590 |
| Administrative and Support Services | $55,260 |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding state and local schools and hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | $54,770 |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding state and local schools and hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | $54,770 |
| Federal, state, and local government, including government-owned schools and hospitals, and the U.S. Postal Service | $53,900 |
| Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $52,520 |
| Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services | $52,400 |
| Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction | $52,210 |
| Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | $51,880 |
| Educational Services | $50,030 |
| Cross-industry, private ownership only | $49,880 |
| Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools | $49,270 |
| Educational Services | $49,270 |
| Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction | $48,200 |
| Construction | $46,870 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | $46,530 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | $46,530 |
| Engineering Services | $45,610 |
| State government, including schools and hospitals | $45,380 |
| Machinery Manufacturing | $43,250 |
| Machinery Manufacturing (3331, 3332, 3334, and 3339 only) | $43,250 |
| Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services | $43,110 |
| State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $42,400 |
| Testing Laboratories | $41,510 |
| Wholesale Trade | $39,620 |
| Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods (4242 and 4246 only) | $39,340 |
| Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods | $39,340 |
| Support Activities for Mining | $36,120 |
| Support Activities for Mining | $36,120 |
National Wage Trend
View data table
| Year | Median Annual |
|---|---|
| 2020 | $50,630 |
| 2019 | $51,130 |