Michigan Hydropower jobs: 5,106 employed (2024)
As of the 2025 U.S. Energy & Employment Report, Michigan employs 5,106 people in the hydropower sector — about 8.8% of the U.S. total. That makes Michigan the 5th-largest state for hydropower jobs nationwide.
Hydropower Jobs in Michigan (2024)
National share: 8.79% of all U.S. hydropower jobs.
Typical Median Wage
1. Employment Landscape
Michigan ranks 5th out of 51 U.S. states in hydropower employment. At 5,106 workers, the state sits above the 25th-ranked New Jersey’s tally by 4,785 jobs, and trails the national leader California by 5,527 hydropower workers.
1.1 Michigan’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; Michigan accounts for 5,106 of them.
1.3 Where Michigan sits in its own mix
| Sector | Jobs (2024) | National rank |
|---|---|---|
| Energy Efficiency | 78,442 | #10 |
| Electric Vehicles | 9,414 | #3 |
| Solar | 5,758 | #20 |
| Hydropower | 5,106 | #5 |
| Wind | 5,100 | #7 |
| Nuclear | 3,060 | #7 |
| Storage & Grid | 2,933 | #5 |
| Clean Fuels | 551 | #10 |
1.4 Sub-sector breakdown in Michigan
Every hydropower-related sub-category reported for Michigan in the USEER workbook, ranked by employment.
2. Pay & Career Roles in Michigan
Michigan contributes 8.79% of the nation’s hydropower workforce. Within Michigan’s own clean-energy economy, hydropower accounts for 4.6% of total clean-energy jobs (5,106 of 110,365 workers).
Cost-of-living in Michigan is roughly 6.0% lower the U.S. average, so the state-adjusted median wage for hydropower roles in Michigan is shown alongside the national BLS figure.
| Role | National median | Michigan-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
Michigan employers rate 24.6% of clean-energy hires as “very difficult” (plus 23.8% as “somewhat difficult”) — on par with the ~22% national baseline. Combined, 48.3% of Michigan’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) |
|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 226,497 |
| Construction | 38,349 |
| Trade | 35,253 |
| Other Services | 31,606 |
| Professional Services | 28,467 |
| Utilities | 20,480 |
| Pipeline Transport & Commodity Flows | 11,416 |
| Mining and Extraction | 1,986 |
| Agriculture and Forestry | 792 |
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.