How To Become A Hydraulic Engineer: What It Is and Career Path

What is a hydraulic engineer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted expert

Esber Andiroglu PhD, PE, LEED AP

A hydraulic engineer is an individual who specializes in the maintenance and repair of dams, bridges, and canals and may work with machines and equipment that utilize hydraulic power. These professionals may also work with water and sewage services and help design projects that are related to the movement and control of water and other liquids. Hydraulic engineers must have a strong understanding of water systems and are responsible for designing dams, drainage systems, and levees for governments and communities.

Hydraulic engineers assist in water resources and flood control planning and must be sure to adhere to environmental regulations and standards. They also create deep foundation and flood control structure designs and communicate with clients and governing bodies to address their concerns about stormwater, sewage, and soil erosion. These professionals work in an office environment but will frequently travel to worksites to supervise construction, maintenance, and repairs.

Most hydraulic engineers have a degree in engineering or a related field, and most career opportunities are available in government and private companies. These professionals can make up to $81,000 annually in the US, and the job field is expected to grow 5% by 2028.

What general advice would you give to a hydraulic engineer?

Esber Andiroglu PhD, PE, LEED AP

Associate Professor of Practice, Dept. of Civil & Architectural Engineering, Director of Construction Management Programs, University of Miami

Interdisciplinary and transformative design and construction approaches; integration of emerging technological innovations into practice; integration of software tools into everyday problem solving; solid knowledge about smart systems and AI applications; good understanding and ability to use data analytics

ScoreHydraulic EngineerUS Average

Salary

6.6

Avg. Salary $84,440

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

7.4

Growth rate 2%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

6.4

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.11%

Asian 14.88%

Black or African American 3.20%

Hispanic or Latino 8.39%

Unknown 4.54%

White 68.88%

Gender

female 15.44%

male 84.56%

Age - 39

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 39

Stress level

7.4

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.6

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

5.1

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a hydraulic engineer

Explore hydraulic engineer education requirements

Most common hydraulic engineer degrees

Bachelor's

66.8 %

Master's

20.5 %

Associate

5.4 %

Start to develop specific hydraulic engineer skills

Skills	Percentages
Hec Ras	18.10%
Civil Engineering	11.37%
HEC-RAS	8.94%
Project Management	6.17%
Cost Estimates	6.03%

Complete relevant hydraulic engineer training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-2 years on post-employment, on-the-job training. New hydraulic engineers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a hydraulic engineer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real hydraulic engineer resumes.

Research hydraulic engineer duties and responsibilities

Manage Jenkins security by providing specific access to authorize developers/testers using project base matrix authorization strategy.
Used HEC-HMS to generate hydrographs of design floods.
Assist the work of less experience engineers and technical assistants in GIS matters.
Compile spatial data using raster and vector layers in GIS to facilitate design changes.

Prepare your hydraulic engineer resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your hydraulic engineer resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a hydraulic engineer resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable hydraulic engineer resume templates

Build a professional hydraulic engineer resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your hydraulic engineer resume.