Nevada Hydropower jobs: 120 employed (2024)
As of the 2025 U.S. Energy & Employment Report, Nevada employs 120 people in the hydropower sector — about 0.2% of the U.S. total. That makes Nevada the 43rd-largest state for hydropower jobs nationwide.
Hydropower Jobs in Nevada (2024)
National share: 0.21% of all U.S. hydropower jobs.
Typical Median Wage
1. Employment Landscape
Nevada ranks 43rd out of 51 U.S. states in hydropower employment. At 120 workers, the state sits below the 25th-ranked New Jersey’s tally by 201 jobs, and trails the national leader California by 10,513 hydropower workers.
1.1 Nevada’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; Nevada accounts for 120 of them.
1.3 Where Nevada sits in its own mix
| Sector | Jobs (2024) | National rank |
|---|---|---|
| Energy Efficiency | 13,962 | #36 |
| Storage & Grid | 10,005 | #2 |
| Solar | 8,980 | #10 |
| Electric Vehicles | 563 | #36 |
| Wind | 301 | #46 |
| Nuclear | 138 | #32 |
| Hydropower | 120 | #43 |
| Clean Fuels | 85 | #42 |
1.4 Sub-sector breakdown in Nevada
Every hydropower-related sub-category reported for Nevada in the USEER workbook, ranked by employment.
2. Pay & Career Roles in Nevada
Nevada contributes 0.21% of the nation’s hydropower workforce. Within Nevada’s own clean-energy economy, hydropower accounts for 0.4% of total clean-energy jobs (120 of 34,153 workers).
Cost-of-living in Nevada is roughly 0.7% higher the U.S. average, so the state-adjusted median wage for hydropower roles in Nevada is shown alongside the national BLS figure.
| Role | National median | Nevada-adjusted | Job Zone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hydrologic / Civil Engineer | $95,890 | $96,561 | 4 |
| Water Treatment Plant Operator (Hydro) | $54,460 | $54,841 | 3 |
See all 2 hydropower occupations with national wages and skills →
4. Hiring Difficulty & Industry Mix
Nevada employers rate 19.2% of clean-energy hires as “very difficult” (plus 28.0% as “somewhat difficult”) — on par with the ~22% national baseline. Combined, 47.2% of Nevada’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 | 29,422 |
| Other Services | 10,422 |
| Professional Services | 8,499 |
| Trade | 5,961 |
| Utilities | 4,596 |
| Manufacturing | 4,316 |
| Pipeline Transport & Commodity Flows | 351 |
| Mining and Extraction | 149 |
| Agriculture and Forestry | 0 |
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.