Colorado Hydropower jobs: 1,006 employed (2024)
As of the 2025 U.S. Energy & Employment Report, Colorado employs 1,006 people in the hydropower sector — about 1.7% of the U.S. total. That makes Colorado the 11th-largest state for hydropower jobs nationwide.
Hydropower Jobs in Colorado (2024)
National share: 1.73% of all U.S. hydropower jobs.
Typical Median Wage
1. Employment Landscape
Colorado ranks 11th out of 51 U.S. states in hydropower employment. At 1,006 workers, the state sits above the 25th-ranked New Jersey’s tally by 684 jobs, and trails the national leader California by 9,628 hydropower workers.
1.1 Colorado’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; Colorado accounts for 1,006 of them.
1.3 Where Colorado sits in its own mix
| Sector | Jobs (2024) | National rank |
|---|---|---|
| Energy Efficiency | 40,318 | #23 |
| Solar | 9,312 | #9 |
| Wind | 7,753 | #4 |
| Storage & Grid | 2,166 | #14 |
| Electric Vehicles | 1,497 | #21 |
| Hydropower | 1,006 | #11 |
| Clean Fuels | 423 | #12 |
| Nuclear | 115 | #35 |
1.4 Sub-sector breakdown in Colorado
Every hydropower-related sub-category reported for Colorado in the USEER workbook, ranked by employment.
2. Pay & Career Roles in Colorado
Colorado contributes 1.73% of the nation’s hydropower workforce. Within Colorado’s own clean-energy economy, hydropower accounts for 1.6% of total clean-energy jobs (1,006 of 62,590 workers).
Cost-of-living in Colorado is roughly 5.4% higher the U.S. average, so the state-adjusted median wage for hydropower roles in Colorado is shown alongside the national BLS figure.
| Role | National median | Colorado-adjusted | Job Zone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hydrologic / Civil Engineer | $95,890 | $101,068 | 4 |
| Water Treatment Plant Operator (Hydro) | $54,460 | $57,401 | 3 |
See all 2 hydropower occupations with national wages and skills →
4. Hiring Difficulty & Industry Mix
Colorado employers rate 19.1% of clean-energy hires as “very difficult” (plus 32.1% as “somewhat difficult”) — on par with the ~22% national baseline. Combined, 51.2% of Colorado’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) |
|---|---|
| Professional Services | 57,079 |
| Construction | 29,797 |
| Other Services | 22,936 |
| Mining and Extraction | 18,621 |
| Utilities | 11,048 |
| Trade | 10,989 |
| Manufacturing | 5,942 |
| Pipeline Transport & Commodity Flows | 4,141 |
| Agriculture and Forestry | 486 |
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.