Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Water resource specialist salary
Average water resource specialist salary
$65,270
Understanding Water Resource Specialist Salaries
A Water Resource Specialist plays a vital role in ensuring sustainable management of water resources. As of October 2025, the average salary for this position is approximately $65,270 annually, translating to about $31 per hour. Salary levels can vary significantly based on factors such as geographic location, years of experience, and the specific sector of employment.
Salary by State and Industry
In states like California and Texas, water resource specialists often command higher salaries due to the demand for water management in agricultural and urban settings. For example, specialists in California can earn upwards of $75,000 annually. The highest-paying industries for these professionals include environmental consulting, government agencies, and non-profit organizations, where the focus is on conservation and regulatory compliance.
Career Opportunities
For aspiring water resource specialists, job opportunities span across various sectors, including public utilities, environmental NGOs, and private consulting firms. Gaining experience through internships or related positions can significantly enhance job prospects. Additionally, certifications in water management can further improve earning potential and career advancement.
Let Zippia find your next water resource specialist job
Let Zippia find your next water resource specialist job
Where can a Water Resource Specialist earn more?
Water resource specialist salary estimates from across the web
Average water resource specialist salary by state
The highest-paying states for water resource specialists are Rhode Island, Connecticut, and New York. The lowest average water resource specialist salary states are Louisiana, Georgia, and Arkansas.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for water resource specialists
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nevada | $80,503 | $38.70 |
| 2 | Vermont | $81,847 | $39.35 |
| 3 | Alaska | $79,063 | $38.01 |
| 4 | Delaware | $83,243 | $40.02 |
| 5 | Rhode Island | $85,063 | $40.90 |
| 6 | New York | $84,580 | $40.66 |
| 7 | District of Columbia | $81,921 | $39.39 |
| 8 | Iowa | $70,202 | $33.75 |
| 9 | New Hampshire | $83,806 | $40.29 |
| 10 | Massachusetts | $84,551 | $40.65 |
| 11 | Connecticut | $84,956 | $40.84 |
| 12 | North Dakota | $65,965 | $31.71 |
| 13 | New Jersey | $84,410 | $40.58 |
| 14 | West Virginia | $66,097 | $31.78 |
| 15 | Ohio | $77,469 | $37.24 |
| 16 | Utah | $67,370 | $32.39 |
| 17 | Kansas | $67,109 | $32.26 |
| 18 | Nebraska | $64,261 | $30.89 |
| 19 | Pennsylvania | $69,247 | $33.29 |
| 20 | California | $80,513 | $38.71 |
| 21 | Oregon | $65,910 | $31.69 |
| 22 | Mississippi | $62,322 | $29.96 |
| 23 | Washington | $73,422 | $35.30 |
| 24 | Maryland | $68,497 | $32.93 |
| 25 | North Carolina | $62,255 | $29.93 |
| 26 | Wyoming | $56,002 | $26.92 |
| 27 | Kentucky | $60,405 | $29.04 |
| 28 | Arizona | $56,324 | $27.08 |
| 29 | Virginia | $61,696 | $29.66 |
| 30 | Oklahoma | $57,860 | $27.82 |
| 31 | Maine | $60,508 | $29.09 |
| 32 | Wisconsin | $61,889 | $29.75 |
| 33 | Michigan | $58,462 | $28.11 |
| 34 | New Mexico | $53,704 | $25.82 |
| 35 | Minnesota | $60,792 | $29.23 |
| 36 | Idaho | $53,640 | $25.79 |
| 37 | South Dakota | $50,982 | $24.51 |
| 38 | Montana | $50,625 | $24.34 |
| 39 | Hawaii | $45,479 | $21.86 |
| 40 | Indiana | $54,096 | $26.01 |
| 41 | Tennessee | $50,187 | $24.13 |
| 42 | Colorado | $52,572 | $25.27 |
| 43 | Texas | $51,363 | $24.69 |
| 44 | Illinois | $55,407 | $26.64 |
| 45 | Louisiana | $49,895 | $23.99 |
| 46 | Florida | $48,587 | $23.36 |
| 47 | Arkansas | $49,084 | $23.60 |
| 48 | Missouri | $51,869 | $24.94 |
| 49 | Alabama | $48,853 | $23.49 |
| 50 | South Carolina | $50,344 | $24.20 |
| 51 | Georgia | $49,170 | $23.64 |
Highest paying cities for water resource specialists
The highest-paying cities for water resource specialists are White Plains, NY, San Francisco, CA, and Carson City, NV.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | White Plains, NY | $84,831 | $40.78 |
| 2 | San Francisco, CA | $84,695 | $40.72 |
| 3 | Carson City, NV | $82,926 | $39.87 |
| 4 | Columbus, OH | $76,831 | $36.94 |
| 5 | Lacey, WA | $74,673 | $35.90 |
| 6 | Owings Mills, MD | $68,653 | $33.01 |
| 7 | Kansas City, KS | $67,508 | $32.46 |
| 8 | Arlington, VA | $62,935 | $30.26 |
| 9 | Plymouth, MN | $60,693 | $29.18 |
| 10 | Oklahoma City, OK | $57,849 | $27.81 |
| 11 | Phoenix, AZ | $56,445 | $27.14 |
| 12 | Albuquerque, NM | $53,820 | $25.88 |
| 13 | Indianapolis, IN | $53,726 | $25.83 |
| 14 | Coeur dAlene, ID | $53,585 | $25.76 |
| 15 | Bristol, TN | $53,300 | $25.63 |
| 16 | Boulder, CO | $52,592 | $25.28 |
| 17 | Houston, TX | $51,398 | $24.71 |
| 18 | Atlanta, GA | $49,394 | $23.75 |
| 19 | Birmingham, AL | $48,946 | $23.53 |
| 20 | Deerfield Beach, FL | $47,993 | $23.07 |
Water resource specialist salary details
A water resource specialist's salary ranges from $40,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $103,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a water resource specialist's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $103,000 | $8,583 | $50 |
| 75th Percentile | $83,000 | $6,917 | $40 |
| Average | $65,270 | $5,439 | $31 |
| 25th Percentile | $51,000 | $4,250 | $25 |
| 10th Percentile | $40,000 | $3,333 | $19 |
Highest paying water resource specialist jobs
The highest paying types of water resource specialists are senior hydrogeologist, water resource project manager, and research hydraulic engineer.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water Technician | $38,723 | $3,227 | $18.62 | 34,702 |
| Water Resource Project Manager | $88,678 | $7,390 | $42.63 | 51,322 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for water resource specialists, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Dr. Kate Seltzer Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Rowan University
Top companies hiring water resource specialists now:
Which companies pay water resource specialists the most?
Water resource specialist salaries at Santa Clara Valley Water District and San Diego County Water Authority are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average water resource specialist salary at companies like Jacobs Engineering Group and STV Group are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Santa Clara Valley Water District | $110,731 | $53.24 |
| 2 | San Diego County Water Authority | $96,978 | $46.62 |
| 3 | Jacobs Engineering Group | $84,051 | $40.41 |
| 4 | STV Group | $77,869 | $37.44 |
| 5 | HDR | $77,688 | $37.35 |
| 6 | Arcadis | $76,515 | $36.79 |
| 7 | MWH Americas Inc | $76,463 | $36.76 |
| 8 | Environmental Design Group | $76,302 | $36.68 |
| 9 | AECOM | $72,433 | $34.82 |
| 10 | BELFOR Property Restoration | $69,296 | $33.32 |
| 11 | Boulder County | $64,220 | $30.88 |
| 12 | BELFOR Franchise Group | $58,802 | $28.27 |
| 13 | Encinitas Community Park | $49,601 | $23.85 |
| 14 | Albuquerque Academy | $48,024 | $23.09 |
| 15 | State of Arizona | $42,635 | $20.50 |
| 16 | City of Aurora | $42,119 | $20.25 |
| 17 | Carson City Nevada | $41,739 | $20.07 |
| 18 | City of Mesa | $41,421 | $19.91 |
| 19 | Ymca Of Greater St. Louis | $24,713 | $11.88 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Water Resource Specialist salary by industry
The average water resource specialist salary varies across industries:
- The average water resource specialist salary in the technology industry is $76,574, the highest of any industry.
- The average water resource specialist salary in the finance industry is $68,253.
- Water resource specialists in the government industry earn an average salary of $51,219, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for water resource specialists
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Technology | $76,574 | $36.81 |
| 2 | Construction | $68,253 | $32.81 |
| 3 | Internet | $68,060 | $32.72 |
| 4 | Manufacturing | $54,725 | $26.31 |
| 5 | Government | $51,219 | $24.62 |
High paying water resource specialist jobs
Water resource specialist salary trends
The average water resource specialist salary has risen by $10,963 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average water resource specialist earned $54,307 annually, but today, they earn $65,270 a year. That works out to a 15% change in pay for water resource specialists over the last decade.
Compare water resource specialist salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average water resource specialist salary over time
Compare water resource specialist salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Water resource specialist salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $65,300 | $31.38 | +6.4% |
| 2024 | $61,100 | $29.37 | +4.1% |
| 2023 | $58,600 | $28.18 | +3.9% |
| 2022 | $56,300 | $27.06 | -0.7% |
| 2021 | $56,700 | $27.26 | -0.3% |
Recently added water resource specialist salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stvinc | Water Resources Engineering Specialist | Owings Mills, MD | 06/28/2025 | $61,761 |
| State of North Dakota | Water Resource Project Specialist | Bismarck, ND | 06/27/2025 | $66,000 |
| Jefferson County (Al | Storm Water Specialist-City of Birmingham | Birmingham, AL | 06/23/2025 | $54,308 |
| Jefferson County (Al | Storm Water Specialist-City of Birmingham | Alabama | 06/23/2025 | $54,308 |
| State of Arizona | Water Resources Specialist 1 (Agricultural Data Specialist) | Phoenix, AZ | 06/12/2025 | $50,000 |
| Arizona Department of Administration | Water Resources Specialist 3 (Municipal Conservation Program Lead) | Ione, WA | 06/12/2025 | $55,000 |
| Stvinc | Water Resources Engineering Specialist | Owings Mills, MD | 05/27/2025 | $61,761 |
| Idaho Power | Departmental Specialist-Environmental Affairs and Water Resources & Merchant | Boise, ID | 05/25/2025 | $62,193 |
| Oregon | Integrated Water Resources Specialist (Natural Resource Specialist 3) | The Dalles, OR | 05/25/2025 | $63,840 |
| Department of Environmental Quality | Integrated Water Resources Specialist (Natural Resource Specialist 3) | Bend, OR | 05/22/2025 | $40,834 |
Water resource specialist salary FAQs
Search for water resource specialist jobs