New Jersey Hydropower jobs: 321 employed (2024)
As of the 2025 U.S. Energy & Employment Report, New Jersey employs 321 people in the hydropower sector — about 0.6% of the U.S. total. That makes New Jersey the 26th-largest state for hydropower jobs nationwide.
Hydropower Jobs in New Jersey (2024)
National share: 0.55% of all U.S. hydropower jobs.
Typical Median Wage
1. Employment Landscape
New Jersey ranks 26th out of 51 U.S. states in hydropower employment. At 321 workers, the state sits above the 25th-ranked New Jersey’s tally by 0 jobs, and trails the national leader California by 10,312 hydropower workers.
1.1 New Jersey’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; New Jersey accounts for 321 of them.
1.3 Where New Jersey sits in its own mix
| Sector | Jobs (2024) | National rank |
|---|---|---|
| Energy Efficiency | 40,756 | #22 |
| Solar | 9,436 | #8 |
| Nuclear | 2,417 | #11 |
| Electric Vehicles | 1,837 | #20 |
| Wind | 1,212 | #31 |
| Storage & Grid | 1,012 | #29 |
| Clean Fuels | 371 | #16 |
| Hydropower | 321 | #26 |
1.4 Sub-sector breakdown in New Jersey
Every hydropower-related sub-category reported for New Jersey in the USEER workbook, ranked by employment.
2. Pay & Career Roles in New Jersey
New Jersey contributes 0.55% of the nation’s hydropower workforce. Within New Jersey’s own clean-energy economy, hydropower accounts for 0.6% of total clean-energy jobs (321 of 57,363 workers).
Cost-of-living in New Jersey is roughly 12.4% higher the U.S. average, so the state-adjusted median wage for hydropower roles in New Jersey is shown alongside the national BLS figure.
| Role | National median | New Jersey-adjusted | Job Zone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hydrologic / Civil Engineer | $95,890 | $107,780 | 4 |
| Water Treatment Plant Operator (Hydro) | $54,460 | $61,213 | 3 |
See all 2 hydropower occupations with national wages and skills →
4. Hiring Difficulty & Industry Mix
New Jersey employers rate 17.6% of clean-energy hires as “very difficult” (plus 35.6% as “somewhat difficult”) — easier than the ~22% national baseline. Combined, 53.2% of New Jersey’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 | 34,921 |
| Other Services | 29,153 |
| Trade | 28,896 |
| Manufacturing | 18,696 |
| Professional Services | 14,902 |
| Utilities | 12,766 |
| Pipeline Transport & Commodity Flows | 7,275 |
| Mining and Extraction | 175 |
| Agriculture and Forestry | 39 |
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.