Maine Hydropower jobs: 293 employed (2024)
As of the 2025 U.S. Energy & Employment Report, Maine employs 293 people in the hydropower sector — about 0.5% of the U.S. total. That makes Maine the 28th-largest state for hydropower jobs nationwide.
Hydropower Jobs in Maine (2024)
National share: 0.50% of all U.S. hydropower jobs.
Typical Median Wage
1. Employment Landscape
Maine ranks 28th out of 51 U.S. states in hydropower employment. At 293 workers, the state sits below the 25th-ranked New Jersey’s tally by 29 jobs, and trails the national leader California by 10,340 hydropower workers.
1.1 Maine’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; Maine accounts for 293 of them.
1.3 Where Maine sits in its own mix
| Sector | Jobs (2024) | National rank |
|---|---|---|
| Energy Efficiency | 9,492 | #43 |
| Wind | 1,315 | #29 |
| Solar | 1,062 | #43 |
| Storage & Grid | 383 | #41 |
| Hydropower | 293 | #28 |
| Electric Vehicles | 261 | #43 |
| Clean Fuels | 184 | #30 |
1.4 Sub-sector breakdown in Maine
Every hydropower-related sub-category reported for Maine in the USEER workbook, ranked by employment.
2. Pay & Career Roles in Maine
Maine contributes 0.50% of the nation’s hydropower workforce. Within Maine’s own clean-energy economy, hydropower accounts for 2.3% of total clean-energy jobs (293 of 12,991 workers).
Cost-of-living in Maine is roughly 2.7% lower the U.S. average, so the state-adjusted median wage for hydropower roles in Maine is shown alongside the national BLS figure.
| Role | National median | Maine-adjusted | Job Zone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hydrologic / Civil Engineer | $95,890 | $93,301 | 4 |
| Water Treatment Plant Operator (Hydro) | $54,460 | $52,990 | 3 |
See all 2 hydropower occupations with national wages and skills →
4. Hiring Difficulty & Industry Mix
Maine employers rate 25.7% of clean-energy hires as “very difficult” (plus 26.8% as “somewhat difficult”) — tighter than the ~22% national baseline. Combined, 52.6% of Maine’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 | 9,142 |
| Other Services | 5,557 |
| Trade | 3,865 |
| Professional Services | 3,812 |
| Manufacturing | 2,634 |
| Utilities | 1,761 |
| Pipeline Transport & Commodity Flows | 649 |
| Agriculture and Forestry | 391 |
| Mining and Extraction | 3 |
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.