District of Columbia Hydropower jobs: 120 employed (2024)
As of the 2025 U.S. Energy & Employment Report, District of Columbia employs 120 people in the hydropower sector — about 0.2% of the U.S. total. That makes District of Columbia the 42nd-largest state for hydropower jobs nationwide.
Hydropower Jobs in District of Columbia (2024)
National share: 0.21% of all U.S. hydropower jobs.
Typical Median Wage
1. Employment Landscape
District of Columbia ranks 42nd out of 51 U.S. states in hydropower employment. At 120 workers, the state sits below the 25th-ranked New Jersey’s tally by 201 jobs, and trails the national leader California by 10,513 hydropower workers.
1.1 District of Columbia’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; District of Columbia accounts for 120 of them.
1.3 Where District of Columbia sits in its own mix
| Sector | Jobs (2024) | National rank |
|---|---|---|
| Energy Efficiency | 12,625 | #37 |
| Solar | 1,677 | #36 |
| Wind | 349 | #43 |
| Electric Vehicles | 167 | #45 |
| Storage & Grid | 147 | #50 |
| Hydropower | 120 | #42 |
| Nuclear | 119 | #34 |
| Clean Fuels | 27 | #51 |
1.4 Sub-sector breakdown in District of Columbia
Every hydropower-related sub-category reported for District of Columbia in the USEER workbook, ranked by employment.
2. Pay & Career Roles in District of Columbia
District of Columbia contributes 0.21% of the nation’s hydropower workforce. Within District of Columbia’s own clean-energy economy, hydropower accounts for 0.8% of total clean-energy jobs (120 of 15,231 workers).
Cost-of-living in District of Columbia is roughly 18.7% higher the U.S. average, so the state-adjusted median wage for hydropower roles in District of Columbia is shown alongside the national BLS figure.
| Role | National median | District of Columbia-adjusted | Job Zone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hydrologic / Civil Engineer | $95,890 | $113,821 | 4 |
| Water Treatment Plant Operator (Hydro) | $54,460 | $64,644 | 3 |
See all 2 hydropower occupations with national wages and skills →
4. Hiring Difficulty & Industry Mix
District of Columbia employers rate 16.6% of clean-energy hires as “very difficult” (plus 35.2% as “somewhat difficult”) — easier than the ~22% national baseline. Combined, 51.8% of District of Columbia’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 | 10,078 |
| Construction | 5,954 |
| Other Services | 1,496 |
| Utilities | 1,307 |
| Trade | 1,223 |
| Manufacturing | 20 |
| Pipeline Transport & Commodity Flows | 4 |
| Mining and Extraction | 1 |
| Agriculture and Forestry | 0 |
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.