South Carolina Hydropower jobs: 7,415 employed (2024)
As of the 2025 U.S. Energy & Employment Report, South Carolina employs 7,415 people in the hydropower sector — about 12.8% of the U.S. total. That makes South Carolina the 2nd-largest state for hydropower jobs nationwide.
Hydropower Jobs in South Carolina (2024)
National share: 12.76% of all U.S. hydropower jobs.
Typical Median Wage
1. Employment Landscape
South Carolina ranks 2nd out of 51 U.S. states in hydropower employment. At 7,415 workers, the state sits above the 25th-ranked New Jersey’s tally by 7,093 jobs, and trails the national leader California by 3,219 hydropower workers.
1.1 South Carolina’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; South Carolina accounts for 7,415 of them.
1.3 Where South Carolina sits in its own mix
| Sector | Jobs (2024) | National rank |
|---|---|---|
| Energy Efficiency | 31,530 | #27 |
| Hydropower | 7,415 | #2 |
| Nuclear | 4,306 | #1 |
| Solar | 4,176 | #25 |
| Electric Vehicles | 1,994 | #18 |
| Wind | 1,818 | #19 |
| Storage & Grid | 1,097 | #22 |
| Clean Fuels | 249 | #23 |
1.4 Sub-sector breakdown in South Carolina
Every hydropower-related sub-category reported for South Carolina in the USEER workbook, ranked by employment.
2. Pay & Career Roles in South Carolina
South Carolina contributes 12.76% of the nation’s hydropower workforce. Within South Carolina’s own clean-energy economy, hydropower accounts for 14.1% of total clean-energy jobs (7,415 of 52,585 workers).
Cost-of-living in South Carolina is roughly 5.7% lower the U.S. average, so the state-adjusted median wage for hydropower roles in South Carolina is shown alongside the national BLS figure.
| Role | National median | South Carolina-adjusted | Job Zone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hydrologic / Civil Engineer | $95,890 | $90,424 | 4 |
| Water Treatment Plant Operator (Hydro) | $54,460 | $51,356 | 3 |
See all 2 hydropower occupations with national wages and skills →
4. Hiring Difficulty & Industry Mix
South Carolina employers rate 28.1% of clean-energy hires as “very difficult” (plus 21.9% as “somewhat difficult”) — tighter than the ~22% national baseline. Combined, 50.0% of South Carolina’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) |
|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 50,545 |
| Construction | 28,144 |
| Trade | 25,163 |
| Other Services | 17,799 |
| Utilities | 12,125 |
| Professional Services | 7,687 |
| Pipeline Transport & Commodity Flows | 4,875 |
| Agriculture and Forestry | 815 |
| Mining and Extraction | 127 |
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.