Minnesota Hydropower jobs: 1,063 employed (2024)
As of the 2025 U.S. Energy & Employment Report, Minnesota employs 1,063 people in the hydropower sector — about 1.8% of the U.S. total. That makes Minnesota the 10th-largest state for hydropower jobs nationwide.
Hydropower Jobs in Minnesota (2024)
National share: 1.83% of all U.S. hydropower jobs.
Typical Median Wage
1. Employment Landscape
Minnesota ranks 10th out of 51 U.S. states in hydropower employment. At 1,063 workers, the state sits above the 25th-ranked New Jersey’s tally by 742 jobs, and trails the national leader California by 9,570 hydropower workers.
1.1 Minnesota’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; Minnesota accounts for 1,063 of them.
1.3 Where Minnesota sits in its own mix
| Sector | Jobs (2024) | National rank |
|---|---|---|
| Energy Efficiency | 46,177 | #19 |
| Solar | 5,390 | #22 |
| Wind | 2,870 | #12 |
| Storage & Grid | 2,210 | #12 |
| Nuclear | 1,761 | #14 |
| Electric Vehicles | 1,341 | #23 |
| Hydropower | 1,063 | #10 |
| Clean Fuels | 377 | #15 |
1.4 Sub-sector breakdown in Minnesota
Every hydropower-related sub-category reported for Minnesota in the USEER workbook, ranked by employment.
2. Pay & Career Roles in Minnesota
Minnesota contributes 1.83% of the nation’s hydropower workforce. Within Minnesota’s own clean-energy economy, hydropower accounts for 1.7% of total clean-energy jobs (1,063 of 61,189 workers).
Cost-of-living in Minnesota is roughly 2.3% lower the U.S. average, so the state-adjusted median wage for hydropower roles in Minnesota is shown alongside the national BLS figure.
| Role | National median | Minnesota-adjusted | Job Zone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hydrologic / Civil Engineer | $95,890 | $93,685 | 4 |
| Water Treatment Plant Operator (Hydro) | $54,460 | $53,207 | 3 |
See all 2 hydropower occupations with national wages and skills →
4. Hiring Difficulty & Industry Mix
Minnesota employers rate 15.4% of clean-energy hires as “very difficult” (plus 34.3% as “somewhat difficult”) — easier than the ~22% national baseline. Combined, 49.8% of Minnesota’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 | 43,201 |
| Trade | 18,589 |
| Other Services | 18,110 |
| Manufacturing | 16,970 |
| Professional Services | 15,203 |
| Utilities | 13,997 |
| Pipeline Transport & Commodity Flows | 3,043 |
| Agriculture and Forestry | 1,707 |
| Mining and Extraction | 205 |
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.