Maryland Hydropower jobs: 252 employed (2024)
As of the 2025 U.S. Energy & Employment Report, Maryland employs 252 people in the hydropower sector — about 0.4% of the U.S. total. That makes Maryland the 31st-largest state for hydropower jobs nationwide.
Hydropower Jobs in Maryland (2024)
National share: 0.44% of all U.S. hydropower jobs.
Typical Median Wage
1. Employment Landscape
Maryland ranks 31st out of 51 U.S. states in hydropower employment. At 252 workers, the state sits below the 25th-ranked New Jersey’s tally by 69 jobs, and trails the national leader California by 10,381 hydropower workers.
1.1 Maryland’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; Maryland accounts for 252 of them.
1.3 Where Maryland sits in its own mix
| Sector | Jobs (2024) | National rank |
|---|---|---|
| Energy Efficiency | 69,489 | #12 |
| Solar | 7,284 | #14 |
| Wind | 1,316 | #28 |
| Nuclear | 1,144 | #18 |
| Storage & Grid | 1,092 | #23 |
| Electric Vehicles | 993 | #29 |
| Hydropower | 252 | #31 |
| Clean Fuels | 222 | #27 |
1.4 Sub-sector breakdown in Maryland
Every hydropower-related sub-category reported for Maryland in the USEER workbook, ranked by employment.
2. Pay & Career Roles in Maryland
Maryland contributes 0.44% of the nation’s hydropower workforce. Within Maryland’s own clean-energy economy, hydropower accounts for 0.3% of total clean-energy jobs (252 of 81,793 workers).
Cost-of-living in Maryland is roughly 8.1% higher the U.S. average, so the state-adjusted median wage for hydropower roles in Maryland is shown alongside the national BLS figure.
| Role | National median | Maryland-adjusted | Job Zone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hydrologic / Civil Engineer | $95,890 | $103,657 | 4 |
| Water Treatment Plant Operator (Hydro) | $54,460 | $58,871 | 3 |
See all 2 hydropower occupations with national wages and skills →
4. Hiring Difficulty & Industry Mix
Maryland employers rate 17.0% of clean-energy hires as “very difficult” (plus 28.7% as “somewhat difficult”) — easier than the ~22% national baseline. Combined, 45.7% of Maryland’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 | 63,178 |
| Other Services | 21,086 |
| Professional Services | 17,834 |
| Trade | 10,706 |
| Utilities | 9,099 |
| Manufacturing | 6,169 |
| Pipeline Transport & Commodity Flows | 1,251 |
| Mining and Extraction | 509 |
| Agriculture and Forestry | 134 |
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.