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Job outlook for water resource managers in the United States
Are water resource manager jobs in demand?
Water resource manager job and salary trends over time
Water resource manager jobs over time
Water resource manager job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 51 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 48 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 47 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 44 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 42 | 0.00% |
Average water resource manager salary over time
Water resource manager salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $81,009 | $38.95 | +3.9% |
| 2024 | $78,002 | $37.50 | +3.0% |
| 2023 | $75,716 | $36.40 | +2.9% |
| 2022 | $73,591 | $35.38 | +3.0% |
| 2021 | $71,446 | $34.35 | +2.4% |
Water resource manager jobs by state
Most common states for water resource managers
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 135 | 19% |
| 2 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 46 | 8% |
| 3 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 69 | 7% |
| 4 | Alaska | 739,795 | 52 | 7% |
| 5 | Vermont | 623,657 | 46 | 7% |
| 6 | Delaware | 961,939 | 54 | 6% |
| 7 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 48 | 6% |
| 8 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 434 | 5% |
| 9 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 308 | 5% |
| 10 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 275 | 5% |
| 11 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 187 | 5% |
| 12 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 65 | 5% |
| 13 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 42 | 5% |
| 14 | Illinois | 12,802,023 | 471 | 4% |
| 15 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 305 | 4% |
| 16 | Arizona | 7,016,270 | 301 | 4% |
| 17 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 143 | 4% |
| 18 | Nevada | 2,998,039 | 132 | 4% |
| 19 | Maine | 1,335,907 | 50 | 4% |
| 20 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 39 | 4% |
Most common cities for water resource managers
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Grapevine | 1 | 2% | $86,535 |
| 2 | Greenville | 1 | 1% | $68,154 |
| 3 | Overland Park | 1 | 1% | $68,303 |
| 4 | Topeka | 1 | 1% | $67,968 |
| 5 | Denver | 1 | 0% | $73,031 |
Water Resource Manager job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of water resource manager experts
Kansas State University
Hawaii Pacific University
University of South Carolina - Columbia
What general advice would you give to a Water Resource Manager?
Dr. Lincoln Larson Ph.D.: The most important skills in natural resource management are communication skills (both speaking and writing), and that's unlikely to change at any point in the future. There's a common misunderstanding that natural resource management professions don't involve people, but humans are both the cause and the solution to every natural resource management challenge we face today - from climate change to human-wildlife conflict. If you can't effectively communicate with diverse audiences including scientists, practitioners, policy-makers, and the general public, you will struggle. Honing those communication skills earlier and often is the key to a successful career. Another skill that is increasingly important is data management and analysis, especially GIS and spatial data.
What Water Resource Manager skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Lincoln Larson Ph.D.: Natural resource management is an applied field, so gaining real-world experience is critical. Try out a few temporary jobs or internships to get a better sense of what you enjoy doing. Whether it's field work, analysis and reporting, outreach and engagement, or something else, you might not discover your strengths and preferences until you get your feet wet or get your boots muddy. Be flexible. Your dream job is unlikely to emerge right away, but gaining experience in a variety of places/contexts and building a professional network of connections will ultimately help you find it. Embrace the unexpected, as that's one of the most exciting and rewarding aspects of working outdoors.
What will help Water Resource Managers increase their earning potential?
Dr. Lincoln Larson Ph.D.: Few people enter the field of natural resource management for the money, but if you want to earn more in this field, it's important to think about when/how to pursue an advanced degree (e.g., MS or PhD). That increases your potential for upward mobility within an agency or organization. Building leadership skills, including communication, is also important. Many natural resource professionals are not trained to interact with and lead people, but those are the skills required in a managerial role. Taking courses or adding a minor in a field like parks, recreation and tourism management can help build skills in these areas.
What general advice would you give to a Water Resource Manager?
Nathan Hendricks: Look for a position that has opportunities for upward mobility.
What Water Resource Manager skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Nathan Hendricks: Data analytics and interdisciplinary training will become increasingly important. Decisions are increasingly being informed by data and natural resource management requires knowledge across a broad range of disciplines.
What will help Water Resource Managers increase their earning potential?
Nathan Hendricks: This field is constantly evolving, so keep looking for opportunities to learn and grow.
What general advice would you give to a Water Resource Manager?
Charles Martin PhD: A career in Natural Resources Management can seem like a daunting task at first, but preparation is key. Our MS program at the University of South Alabama in Marine Conservation and Resource Management emphasizes relevant coursework, the development of technical and applied skills, and networking opportunities through internships and professional meetings. We’ve found this to dramatically enhance a student's success in joining a workforce immediately out of a graduate degree and have a near-100% placement after graduating from our program.
What Water Resource Manager skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Charles Martin PhD: Marketable skills are critical for finding the right job. We offer several certifications in our MS degree that make our students’ resumes stand out in the crowd - including GIS training and quantitative skills. Prospective employees that can work with large datasets, analyze them, and communicate results always have a leg up on the competition. These skills will be imperative over the next 3-5 years and even beyond that.
What will help Water Resource Managers increase their earning potential?
Charles Martin PhD: The key starting out is not staying in graduate school longer than necessary. Our MS in Marine Conservation and Resource Management is designed so that students are in and graduated within two years. The faster a student gets into the workforce, the better their long-term salary prospects are.
What general advice would you give to a Water Resource Manager?
Brenden Holland: For professional biologists starting out in this career, field-work often takes up a substantial portion of most days. As a field technician, staff will engage in a wide variety of important tasks, ranging from physical removal of invasive weeds and planting beneficial vegetation, use instrumentation to measure, document and monitor environmental parameters such as point source pollution in waterways, conducting surveys of the spread of invasive plants and animals, observing and documenting endangered species movement and behavior, and even assisting in field rescue of injured or stranded wildlife. In many cases these jobs will take place in beautiful natural reserves and areas of concern such as state and national parks. The job will often entail office and laboratory tasks as well, including data entry and analysis, writing reports, and technical tasks such a use of GIS (Geographic Information Systems) software to record spatial information and possibly use of chemical, genetic and taxonomic analyses in the lab.
What Water Resource Manager skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Brenden Holland: Professional Resource Managers can enjoy a sense of gratification that accompanies careers that focus on 'making a difference'. Namely, striving for the overarching objectives of understanding causes of environmental challenges, and doing something about this damage, by improving and restoring our natural ecosystems for future generations. There is a somewhat pervasive feeling of helplessness in our society in the face of many large-scale challenges that are incessantly portrayed in the media. But the sense of satisfaction that comes from engaging in work that seeks positive change is a definite perk. The only associated negative aspect I am aware of in this field is two-fold, on the one hand, the lack of public awareness of the dire consequences of 'business as usual' in terms of environmental degradation and loss of biodiversity; and the lack of sufficient resources and available funding for science-based solutions to address these challenges can be frustrating!
What will help Water Resource Managers increase their earning potential?
Brenden Holland: This is an industry that is undergoing massive growth, and there is an unprecedented need for expansion of this workforce. There is broad consensus that environmental degradation and loss of biodiversity on a global scale has reached a crisis point. One term used for the era we are living in is the Anthropocene, defining our current geological age as an era where human activity is having an unprecedented, massive impact on climate and the environment. Now is the best time in history to enter this field!
Dr. Melissa Price
Associate ProfessorWhat general advice would you give to a Water Resource Manager?
Dr. Melissa Price: If you can identify a need and start a nonprofit or for profit business to fill that need, there is huge salary potential. For example, in natural resource management much of the work is contracted out to various sectors. If you live in a rural or remote island area such as Hawai'i, many of these contractors need to be flown in from outside the area, dramatically increasing costs. If you can develop a local business model to meet these needs, you essentially will have a corner on the market. Examples include heavy machinery, genetic analysis services, water testing services, certification training, decision analysis and facilitation, native plant nurseries, biosecurity, and helicopter services for transportation and materials delivery to remote work sites. Any preparation that demonstrates capacity for leadership positions will help you obtain positions beyond entry level technicians. Specialized skills will also help you negotiate salaries. While a solid understanding of the scientific aspects of the job are important, many higher level positions require an understanding of project management. Coursework or internships that include use of spreadsheets, preparation of reports, or team management will demonstrate that you can quickly move into project management positions.
What will help Water Resource Managers increase their earning potential?
Dr. Melissa Price: As the human population grows from 8 billion to 12 billion people during your lifetime, your choice of working in the natural resource management sector will be in high demand and critical to thriving communities. Given the high needs in this area, creative integration of your passions and skills will be particularly helpful in driving innovation in this field. More than ever, we need people with strong communication and engagement skills, alongside technical and social innovation. While in school, seek out diverse internships that help you develop skills and networks. While maximizing salary potential is important, as you begin your career choose positions that build skills and/or make a difference on issues you care about. Even with a good salary, solving real problems can be emotionally and mentally challenging. Development of healthy life skills, time management, and social networks are as important to your success as skills developed in the academic sector.
Anthony Nyberg
Department Chair and Professor, Program Director, Master of Human ResourcesUniversity of South Carolina - Columbia
Management Department
What skills will help Water Resource Managers earn the most?
Anthony Nyberg: The skills that lead, in the short term, to the highest earnings involve analytical skills. The skills that lead to the highest earnings over time include professionalism and strong interpersonal skills. If you can master both, you have created the foundation for a very strong career in HR.