Idaho Hydropower jobs: 248 employed (2024)
As of the 2025 U.S. Energy & Employment Report, Idaho employs 248 people in the hydropower sector — about 0.4% of the U.S. total. That makes Idaho the 32nd-largest state for hydropower jobs nationwide.
Hydropower Jobs in Idaho (2024)
National share: 0.43% of all U.S. hydropower jobs.
Typical Median Wage
1. Employment Landscape
Idaho ranks 32nd out of 51 U.S. states in hydropower employment. At 248 workers, the state sits below the 25th-ranked New Jersey’s tally by 73 jobs, and trails the national leader California by 10,385 hydropower workers.
1.1 Idaho’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; Idaho accounts for 248 of them.
1.3 Where Idaho sits in its own mix
| Sector | Jobs (2024) | National rank |
|---|---|---|
| Energy Efficiency | 10,224 | #42 |
| Solar | 1,231 | #42 |
| Wind | 1,061 | #33 |
| Storage & Grid | 1,014 | #28 |
| Electric Vehicles | 379 | #37 |
| Hydropower | 248 | #32 |
| Clean Fuels | 229 | #26 |
| Nuclear | 8 | #45 |
1.4 Sub-sector breakdown in Idaho
Every hydropower-related sub-category reported for Idaho in the USEER workbook, ranked by employment.
2. Pay & Career Roles in Idaho
Idaho contributes 0.43% of the nation’s hydropower workforce. Within Idaho’s own clean-energy economy, hydropower accounts for 1.7% of total clean-energy jobs (248 of 14,393 workers).
Cost-of-living in Idaho is roughly 6.0% lower the U.S. average, so the state-adjusted median wage for hydropower roles in Idaho is shown alongside the national BLS figure.
| Role | National median | Idaho-adjusted | Job Zone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hydrologic / Civil Engineer | $95,890 | $90,137 | 4 |
| Water Treatment Plant Operator (Hydro) | $54,460 | $51,192 | 3 |
See all 2 hydropower occupations with national wages and skills →
4. Hiring Difficulty & Industry Mix
Idaho employers rate 20.9% of clean-energy hires as “very difficult” (plus 29.9% as “somewhat difficult”) — on par with the ~22% national baseline. Combined, 50.8% of Idaho’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) |
|---|---|
| Construction | 9,750 |
| Other Services | 7,735 |
| Professional Services | 6,584 |
| Manufacturing | 4,050 |
| Trade | 3,420 |
| Utilities | 2,850 |
| Agriculture and Forestry | 745 |
| Pipeline Transport & Commodity Flows | 675 |
| Mining and Extraction | 131 |
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.