Oklahoma Hydropower jobs: 435 employed (2024)
As of the 2025 U.S. Energy & Employment Report, Oklahoma employs 435 people in the hydropower sector — about 0.7% of the U.S. total. That makes Oklahoma the 22nd-largest state for hydropower jobs nationwide.
Hydropower Jobs in Oklahoma (2024)
National share: 0.75% of all U.S. hydropower jobs.
Typical Median Wage
1. Employment Landscape
Oklahoma ranks 22nd out of 51 U.S. states in hydropower employment. At 435 workers, the state sits above the 25th-ranked New Jersey’s tally by 113 jobs, and trails the national leader California by 10,198 hydropower workers.
1.1 Oklahoma’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; Oklahoma accounts for 435 of them.
1.3 Where Oklahoma sits in its own mix
| Sector | Jobs (2024) | National rank |
|---|---|---|
| Energy Efficiency | 15,934 | #33 |
| Wind | 2,080 | #16 |
| Solar | 1,788 | #34 |
| Storage & Grid | 1,090 | #24 |
| Electric Vehicles | 799 | #32 |
| Hydropower | 435 | #22 |
| Clean Fuels | 139 | #35 |
| Nuclear | 14 | #41 |
1.4 Sub-sector breakdown in Oklahoma
Every hydropower-related sub-category reported for Oklahoma in the USEER workbook, ranked by employment.
2. Pay & Career Roles in Oklahoma
Oklahoma contributes 0.75% of the nation’s hydropower workforce. Within Oklahoma’s own clean-energy economy, hydropower accounts for 2.0% of total clean-energy jobs (435 of 22,279 workers).
Cost-of-living in Oklahoma is roughly 10.9% lower the U.S. average, so the state-adjusted median wage for hydropower roles in Oklahoma is shown alongside the national BLS figure.
| Role | National median | Oklahoma-adjusted | Job Zone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hydrologic / Civil Engineer | $95,890 | $85,438 | 4 |
| Water Treatment Plant Operator (Hydro) | $54,460 | $48,524 | 3 |
See all 2 hydropower occupations with national wages and skills →
4. Hiring Difficulty & Industry Mix
Oklahoma employers rate 22.1% of clean-energy hires as “very difficult” (plus 27.6% as “somewhat difficult”) — on par with the ~22% national baseline. Combined, 49.7% of Oklahoma’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 | 35,358 |
| Mining and Extraction | 30,049 |
| Manufacturing | 26,272 |
| Other Services | 12,618 |
| Utilities | 10,748 |
| Professional Services | 10,300 |
| Trade | 8,426 |
| Pipeline Transport & Commodity Flows | 5,973 |
| Agriculture and Forestry | 65 |
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.