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Job outlook for water resource specialists in the United States
Are water resource specialist jobs in demand?
Water resource specialist job and salary trends over time
Water resource specialist jobs over time
Water resource specialist job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 684 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 694 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 619 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 551 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 514 | 0.00% |
Average water resource specialist salary over time
Water resource specialist salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $65,270 | $31.38 | +6.8% |
| 2025 | $61,087 | $29.37 | +4.2% |
| 2024 | $58,608 | $28.18 | +4.1% |
| 2023 | $56,294 | $27.06 | --0.7% |
| 2022 | $56,710 | $27.26 | --0.3% |
Water resource specialist jobs by state
Most common states for water resource specialists
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 145 | 21% |
| 2 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 81 | 14% |
| 3 | Vermont | 623,657 | 76 | 12% |
| 4 | Alaska | 739,795 | 85 | 11% |
| 5 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 80 | 11% |
| 6 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 304 | 10% |
| 7 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 108 | 10% |
| 8 | Delaware | 961,939 | 95 | 10% |
| 9 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 85 | 10% |
| 10 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 181 | 9% |
| 11 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 576 | 7% |
| 12 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 480 | 7% |
| 13 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 407 | 7% |
| 14 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 303 | 7% |
| 15 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 225 | 7% |
| 16 | Kansas | 2,913,123 | 205 | 7% |
| 17 | Nevada | 2,998,039 | 197 | 7% |
| 18 | New Mexico | 2,088,070 | 139 | 7% |
| 19 | Idaho | 1,716,943 | 115 | 7% |
| 20 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 98 | 7% |
Most common cities for water resource specialists
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Morrisville | 1 | 4% | $63,840 |
Water Resource Specialist job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of water resource specialist experts
Water Environment Federation
Rowan University
North Carolina Central University
Lake Carriers’ Association
American Public University System
Forsyth County, Georgia
What type of skills will young Water Resource Specialists need?
Steve Harrison: Virtually any STEM skills are relevant and valuable. Good water quality operators will have an aptitude for subjects that include applied mathematics, instrumentation technology, electronics, geographic information systems, and data analytics and artificial intelligence. Relentless curiosity would be useful too.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Water Resource Specialists to find work opportunities?
Steve Harrison: We expect the job outlook for water quality operators to remain steady in all regions, despite the pandemic. There will always be a need for clean water and sanitation services, and safe water is the most important resource in every community. It is essential to public health and plays a vital role in maintaining hygiene. The sector also contributes to fighting COVID, as more municipalities rely on wastewater sampling to track and even predict outbreaks.
How do you envision technology impacting Water Resource Specialists in the next 5 years?
Steve Harrison: As the water sector moves beyond mere pollution mitigation to resource recovery, the job of the water quality operator will become more complex. We also anticipate a more comprehensive approach to resilience and sustainability, where management and technology enable the integration of planning across the whole natural and engineered water cycle. Future water professionals will be impacted by such trends because they will need to rely not only on education and innate experience but also digital tools and data points for decision making. The use of mobile solutions will be essential for gaining immediate insights to accomplish work.
Dr. Kate Seltzer Ph.D.
Assistant ProfessorRowan University
Department of Language, Literacy and Sociocultural education
How would you rate the starting salaries for Water Resource Specialists, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Dr. Kate Seltzer Ph.D.: Educators are not paid nearly enough. However, working in a state with strong teachers' unions helps to ensure a starting salary that recent graduates can live off of and growth opportunities, albeit modest, over their careers.
Elisha Blankson
Program Director NCCU, Assistant ProfessorNorth Carolina Central University
Communication Disorders Department
What type of skills will young Water Resource Specialists need?
Elisha Blankson: Graduates will need a skill set about the field in which they received training and additional skills useful to the job market. For example, with the changing demographics in the United States, extra skills in information technology and foreign languages will be a plus when entering the job market.
What type of skills will young Water Resource Specialists need?
Eric Peace: A sense of adventure and desire to travel.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Water Resource Specialists to find work opportunities?
Eric Peace: The U.S.-flagged merchant fleet on the Great Lakes has 50 vessels where mariners can be employed. It is a great place to start and finish a maritime career.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Water Resource Specialists?
Eric Peace: No. Maritime workers are considered “essential.” There will always be a need for ships to economically move cargoes.
Dr. Elizabeth Keavney Ph.D.
Associate ProfessorAmerican Public University System
Public Administration Department
How do you envision technology impacting Water Resource Specialists in the next 5 years?
Dr. Elizabeth Keavney Ph.D.: COVID-19 has increased the number of people who are working at home. This means a solid basic knowledge of telecommuting, and the ability to work unsupervised will be necessary. The ability to use remote security protocols, the cloud, and various software platforms will be required.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Water Resource Specialists to find work opportunities?
Donna Kukarola: This one, not so sure of, the southeast continues to see options as well as mid-western states.