Montana Hydropower jobs: 429 employed (2024)
As of the 2025 U.S. Energy & Employment Report, Montana employs 429 people in the hydropower sector — about 0.7% of the U.S. total. That makes Montana the 23rd-largest state for hydropower jobs nationwide.
Hydropower Jobs in Montana (2024)
National share: 0.74% of all U.S. hydropower jobs.
Typical Median Wage
1. Employment Landscape
Montana ranks 23rd out of 51 U.S. states in hydropower employment. At 429 workers, the state sits above the 25th-ranked New Jersey’s tally by 107 jobs, and trails the national leader California by 10,205 hydropower workers.
1.1 Montana’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; Montana accounts for 429 of them.
1.3 Where Montana sits in its own mix
| Sector | Jobs (2024) | National rank |
|---|---|---|
| Energy Efficiency | 8,832 | #44 |
| Solar | 555 | #48 |
| Hydropower | 429 | #23 |
| Storage & Grid | 296 | #45 |
| Electric Vehicles | 213 | #44 |
| Wind | 200 | #49 |
| Clean Fuels | 54 | #45 |
| Nuclear | 9 | #44 |
1.4 Sub-sector breakdown in Montana
Every hydropower-related sub-category reported for Montana in the USEER workbook, ranked by employment.
2. Pay & Career Roles in Montana
Montana contributes 0.74% of the nation’s hydropower workforce. Within Montana’s own clean-energy economy, hydropower accounts for 4.0% of total clean-energy jobs (429 of 10,588 workers).
Cost-of-living in Montana is roughly 5.8% lower the U.S. average, so the state-adjusted median wage for hydropower roles in Montana is shown alongside the national BLS figure.
| Role | National median | Montana-adjusted | Job Zone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hydrologic / Civil Engineer | $95,890 | $90,328 | 4 |
| Water Treatment Plant Operator (Hydro) | $54,460 | $51,301 | 3 |
See all 2 hydropower occupations with national wages and skills →
4. Hiring Difficulty & Industry Mix
Montana employers rate 17.9% of clean-energy hires as “very difficult” (plus 28.4% as “somewhat difficult”) — easier than the ~22% national baseline. Combined, 46.3% of Montana’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 | 9,848 |
| Other Services | 4,488 |
| Professional Services | 4,386 |
| Trade | 3,149 |
| Mining and Extraction | 2,951 |
| Utilities | 2,914 |
| Manufacturing | 2,782 |
| Pipeline Transport & Commodity Flows | 2,448 |
| Agriculture and Forestry | 237 |
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.