Alaska Hydropower jobs: 448 employed (2024)
As of the 2025 U.S. Energy & Employment Report, Alaska employs 448 people in the hydropower sector — about 0.8% of the U.S. total. That makes Alaska the 20th-largest state for hydropower jobs nationwide.
Hydropower Jobs in Alaska (2024)
National share: 0.77% of all U.S. hydropower jobs.
Typical Median Wage
1. Employment Landscape
Alaska ranks 20th out of 51 U.S. states in hydropower employment. At 448 workers, the state sits above the 25th-ranked New Jersey’s tally by 126 jobs, and trails the national leader California by 10,186 hydropower workers.
1.1 Alaska’s position vs. the top 10 and median states
1.2 Share of U.S. total
The hydropower sector nationwide employs roughly 58,089 workers; Alaska accounts for 448 of them.
1.3 Where Alaska sits in its own mix
| Sector | Jobs (2024) | National rank |
|---|---|---|
| Energy Efficiency | 4,373 | #51 |
| Hydropower | 448 | #20 |
| Storage & Grid | 228 | #47 |
| Solar | 163 | #51 |
| Wind | 111 | #50 |
| Electric Vehicles | 76 | #51 |
| Clean Fuels | 34 | #49 |
| Nuclear | 9 | #43 |
1.4 Sub-sector breakdown in Alaska
Every hydropower-related sub-category reported for Alaska in the USEER workbook, ranked by employment.
2. Pay & Career Roles in Alaska
Alaska contributes 0.77% of the nation’s hydropower workforce. Within Alaska’s own clean-energy economy, hydropower accounts for 8.2% of total clean-energy jobs (448 of 5,442 workers).
Cost-of-living in Alaska is roughly 5.1% higher the U.S. average, so the state-adjusted median wage for hydropower roles in Alaska is shown alongside the national BLS figure.
| Role | National median | Alaska-adjusted | Job Zone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hydrologic / Civil Engineer | $95,890 | $100,780 | 4 |
| Water Treatment Plant Operator (Hydro) | $54,460 | $57,237 | 3 |
See all 2 hydropower occupations with national wages and skills →
4. Hiring Difficulty & Industry Mix
Alaska employers rate 22.3% of clean-energy hires as “very difficult” (plus 26.0% as “somewhat difficult”) — on par with the ~22% national baseline. Combined, 48.2% of Alaska’s clean-energy roles see some level of hiring friction.
4.1 Employer hiring difficulty
4.2 Jobs by NAICS industry group
| Industry (NAICS group) | Jobs (2024) |
|---|---|
| Mining and Extraction | 7,102 |
| Construction | 6,124 |
| Pipeline Transport & Commodity Flows | 2,702 |
| Trade | 2,697 |
| Professional Services | 2,497 |
| Utilities | 2,304 |
| Manufacturing | 2,129 |
| Other Services | 2,112 |
| Agriculture and Forestry | 11 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Data source: U.S. Department of Energy — 2025 U.S. Energy & Employment Report (reflecting 2024 employment); U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics; O*NET Occupation Database 29.1.
Last updated: April 2026.