Hydropower · Connecticut

Connecticut Hydropower jobs: 149 employed (2024)

As of the 2025 U.S. Energy & Employment Report, Connecticut employs 149 people in the hydropower sector — about 0.3% of the U.S. total. That makes Connecticut the 38th-largest state for hydropower jobs nationwide.

Hydropower Jobs in Connecticut (2024)

149 Rank #38 of 51

National share: 0.26% of all U.S. hydropower jobs.

Typical Median Wage

$75,175
Sector-wide BLS OES median across 2 tracked occupations.

1. Employment Landscape

Connecticut ranks 38th out of 51 U.S. states in hydropower employment. At 149 workers, the state sits below the 25th-ranked New Jersey’s tally by 172 jobs, and trails the national leader California by 10,484 hydropower workers.

1.1 Connecticut’s position vs. the top 10 and median states

1st · California
10,633
25th · New Jersey
321
38. Connecticut
149
51st · Hawaii
37

1.2 Share of U.S. total

The hydropower sector nationwide employs roughly 58,089 workers; Connecticut accounts for 149 of them.

1.3 Where Connecticut sits in its own mix

Sector Jobs (2024) National rank
Energy Efficiency 36,268 #24
Solar 3,462 #29
Nuclear 1,197 #17
Electric Vehicles 1,070 #27
Storage & Grid 409 #40
Wind 379 #41
Clean Fuels 314 #19
Hydropower 149 #38

1.4 Sub-sector breakdown in Connecticut

Every hydropower-related sub-category reported for Connecticut in the USEER workbook, ranked by employment.

Traditional hydropower
149
Low impact hydropower, marine, and hydrokinetics
138

2. Pay & Career Roles in Connecticut

Connecticut contributes 0.26% of the nation’s hydropower workforce. Within Connecticut’s own clean-energy economy, hydropower accounts for 0.3% of total clean-energy jobs (149 of 43,248 workers).

Cost-of-living in Connecticut is roughly 8.5% higher the U.S. average, so the state-adjusted median wage for hydropower roles in Connecticut is shown alongside the national BLS figure.

RoleNational medianConnecticut-adjustedJob Zone
Hydrologic / Civil Engineer $95,890 $104,041 4
Water Treatment Plant Operator (Hydro) $54,460 $59,089 3

See all 2 hydropower occupations with national wages and skills →

4. Hiring Difficulty & Industry Mix

Connecticut employers rate 23.0% of clean-energy hires as “very difficult” (plus 22.3% as “somewhat difficult”) — on par with the ~22% national baseline. Combined, 45.3% of Connecticut’s clean-energy roles see some level of hiring friction.

4.1 Employer hiring difficulty

Did not hire
50.7%
Very difficult hiring
23.0%
Somewhat difficult hiring
22.3%
Not at all difficult hiring
4.0%

4.2 Jobs by NAICS industry group

Industry (NAICS group)Jobs (2024)
Construction 23,404
Professional Services 15,752
Other Services 12,193
Trade 11,920
Manufacturing 8,067
Utilities 4,589
Pipeline Transport & Commodity Flows 454
Agriculture and Forestry 109
Mining and Extraction 39

Frequently Asked Questions

How many hydropower jobs are there in Connecticut?
As of 2024, Connecticut has approximately 149 hydropower jobs — ranked 38th nationally.
What do these jobs pay?
Median wages across the tracked hydropower occupations range from $54,460 to $95,890 according to BLS OES.
Is Connecticut a good place to take one of these jobs?
Connecticut is currently in line with national norms. Cost-of-living runs 8.5% above the U.S. average, which raises or lowers real take-home on a BLS national median by a similar amount.

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.