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Forest Hydrology Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Chloeta

Hydrologist Project Manager

Asheville, NC · On-site

Travel up to 75% (Travel required throughout the National Forests in North Carolina) Duration: This ... Advanced knowledge of hydrology, watershed management, and stream restoration principles * Required:

Chloeta

Hydrologist Project Lead

Asheville, NC · On-site

Coordinate with Forest Service staff, partners, and contractors on project execution * Participate ... Strong knowledge of hydrology, watershed management, and stream restoration principles * Required:

Texas Health Institute

WI · On-site

$90 - $120/hr

... hydrology gained through earlier Federal Government employment might have gained that experience in one or more occupational series. Such series include Soil Conservation, GS-457; Forestry, GS-460;

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Forest Hydrology information

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$117K

How much do forest hydrology jobs pay per year?

As of Sep 5, 2026, the average yearly pay for forest hydrology in the United States is $62,774.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $38,000.00 and $88,500.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a forest hydrologist?

A Forest Hydrology job involves studying how water moves through forested ecosystems, including precipitation, runoff, groundwater flow, and evaporation. Professionals in this field assess the impact of land management, climate change, and human activities on water resources. They work with government agencies, conservation organizations, and researchers to develop sustainable water management practices. Tasks may include data collection, modeling watershed processes, and recommending policies to protect water quality and availability.

What does a forest hydrologist do?

As a Forest Hydrologist, your typical day may involve conducting fieldwork to collect water samples, monitoring streamflow and rainfall, and operating data-logging instruments in forested areas. You would also spend time analyzing data using computer models, preparing reports or maps, and presenting your findings to colleagues or stakeholders. Collaboration with foresters, ecologists, and land managers is common, particularly when advising on sustainable land use or watershed management. The workload often varies seasonally, with more fieldwork during wetter months and data analysis occurring year-round. Balancing both outdoor and office-based tasks is key to succeeding in this dynamic role.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a forest hydrologist?

To thrive in Forest Hydrology, you need a strong background in environmental science, hydrology, or forestry, often supported by a relevant degree and field research experience. Familiarity with GIS software, hydrological modeling tools, remote sensing technologies, and potentially certifications like Certified Hydrologist can be highly valuable. Strong analytical thinking, problem-solving, and effective communication are essential soft skills for collaborating with multidisciplinary teams and conveying findings. These abilities are crucial for accurately assessing, modeling, and managing the impacts of water movement in forest ecosystems, which supports environmental sustainability and resource management.

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What states have the most Forest Hydrology jobs?

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What job categories do people searching Forest Hydrology jobs look for?

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Forest Hydrology jobs near you
Infographic showing various Forest Hydrology job openings in the United States as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 85% Full Time, 12% Part Time, 1% Temporary, and 2% Contract. Highlights an 98% Physical, 1% Hybrid, and 1% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $62,774 per year, or $30.2 per hour.

Hydrologist

Recruitment and Hiring | US Forest Service

Mckenzie Bridge, OR • On-site

$61K/yr

Full-time

This job post has expired 4 days ago. Applications are no longer accepted.

Job description

This position is located on a Forest Service Research unit.
The incumbent performs professional work in the field of hydrology, participating as a member of a research team working to evaluate short-and long-term effects of forest management activities on erosion processes and stream functions.
For additional information about the duties of this position, please contact Adam Price at Adam.Price@usda.gov.
Qualifications:In order to qualify, you must meet the eligibility and qualifications requirements as defined below by the closing date of the announcement. For more information on the qualifications for this position, visit the Office of Personnel Management's General Schedule Qualification Standards.
Your application and resume must clearly show that you possess the experience requirements. Transcripts must be provided for qualifications based on education. Provide course descriptions as necessary.
Basic Requirement:
GS-1315 Series:
Degree: physical or natural science, or engineering that included at least 30 semester hours in any combination of courses in hydrology, the physical sciences, geophysics, chemistry, engineering science, soils, mathematics, aquatic biology, atmospheric science, meteorology, geology, oceanography, or the management or conservation of water resources. The course work must have included at least 6 semester hours in calculus (including both differential and integral calculus), and at least 6 semester hours in physics. Calculus and physics, as described above, are requirements for all grade levels.
OR
Combination of education and experience -- course work as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

Evaluation of Experience: Acceptable experience must have included performance of scientific functions related to the study of water resources, based on and requiring a professional knowledge of related sciences and the consistent application of basic scientific principles to the solution of theoretical and practical hydrologic problems. The following is illustrative of acceptable experience: field or laboratory work that would require application of hydrologic theory and related sciences such as geology, geo-chemistry, geophysics, or civil engineering to making observations, taking samples, operating instruments, assembling data from source materials, analyzing and interpreting data, and reporting findings orally and in writing. In some cases, professional scientific experience that is not clearly water resource experience may be acceptable if such experience was preceded by appropriate education in hydrology or by professional hydrology experience.

Applicants with related experience in hydrology gained through earlier Federal Government employment might have gained that experience in one or more occupational series. Such series include Soil Conservation, GS-457; Forestry, GS-460; Soil Science, GS-470; Civil Engineering, GS-810; Chemistry, GS-1320; Meteorology, GS-1340; and Geology, GS-1350. Comparable non-Federal experience may be given similar credit.

In addition to meeting the basic requirement, you must also possess experience and/or directly related education in the amounts listed below.
Specialized Experience Requirement:
For the GS-09 level: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 in the Federal service. Qualifying specialized experience is defined as four or more of the following:
  • Assisting with creating complex databases including full metadata and flagging of questionable data.
  • Manipulating and assisting in analyzing large data sets from a variety of research areas such as forestry, atmospheric sciences, hydrology, socio-economics, wildlife, fisheries - analyses included graphical and text summaries across multiple timesteps, calculations of higher order statistical metrics.
  • Assisting in developing, designing and managing complex databases including data dictionaries, data models, quality assurance, and metadata for multi-disciplinary information and geospatial applications.
  • Presenting analysis of complex and large datasets at local or regional scientific meetings, assisted with national meeting presentations. Integrating datasets with different structural and disciplinary characteristics.
  • Documenting the multiple steps of data acquisition and management of streaming data, starting with raw data on field datalogger to final data available on the web.
OR
a master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.B. or J.D., directly related to the work of this Hydrologist position. Examples of directly related education are: watershed science, forest hydrology, hydrologic engineering, hydrogeology, hydrology, environmental engineering, civil engineering, agricultural engineering, and soil science.
OR
an appropriate combination of specialized experience and education. Only graduate education in excess of 18 semester hours may be used to qualify applicants for this grade level. The education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university and demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work.
Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
TIME IN GRADE REQUIREMENT: If you are a current federal employee in the General Schedule (GS) pay plan and applying for a promotion opportunity, you must meet time-in-grade (TIG) requirements of 52 weeks of service at the next lower grade level in the normal line of progression for the position being filled. This requirement must be met by the closing date of this announcement.Education:See above for education that may be qualifying for the specific grade level.Employment Type: OTHER

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