Washington Hydropower jobs: 2,676 employed (2024)
As of the 2025 U.S. Energy & Employment Report, Washington employs 2,676 people in the hydropower sector — about 4.6% of the U.S. total. That makes Washington the 7th-largest state for hydropower jobs nationwide.
Hydropower Jobs in Washington (2024)
National share: 4.61% of all U.S. hydropower jobs.
Typical Median Wage
1. Employment Landscape
Washington ranks 7th out of 51 U.S. states in hydropower employment. At 2,676 workers, the state sits above the 25th-ranked New Jersey’s tally by 2,355 jobs, and trails the national leader California by 7,957 hydropower workers.
1.1 Washington’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; Washington accounts for 2,676 of them.
1.3 Where Washington sits in its own mix
| Sector | Jobs (2024) | National rank |
|---|---|---|
| Energy Efficiency | 61,884 | #13 |
| Solar | 5,845 | #18 |
| Wind | 3,485 | #10 |
| Storage & Grid | 2,790 | #7 |
| Hydropower | 2,676 | #7 |
| Clean Fuels | 1,444 | #2 |
| Electric Vehicles | 1,346 | #22 |
| Nuclear | 608 | #28 |
1.4 Sub-sector breakdown in Washington
Every hydropower-related sub-category reported for Washington in the USEER workbook, ranked by employment.
2. Pay & Career Roles in Washington
Washington contributes 4.61% of the nation’s hydropower workforce. Within Washington’s own clean-energy economy, hydropower accounts for 3.3% of total clean-energy jobs (2,676 of 80,078 workers).
Cost-of-living in Washington is roughly 8.1% higher the U.S. average, so the state-adjusted median wage for hydropower roles in Washington is shown alongside the national BLS figure.
| Role | National median | Washington-adjusted | Job Zone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hydrologic / Civil Engineer | $95,890 | $103,657 | 4 |
| Water Treatment Plant Operator (Hydro) | $54,460 | $58,871 | 3 |
See all 2 hydropower occupations with national wages and skills →
4. Hiring Difficulty & Industry Mix
Washington employers rate 21.6% of clean-energy hires as “very difficult” (plus 21.4% as “somewhat difficult”) — on par with the ~22% national baseline. Combined, 43.0% of Washington’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 | 52,600 |
| Professional Services | 27,791 |
| Other Services | 21,844 |
| Trade | 15,877 |
| Utilities | 14,773 |
| Manufacturing | 14,722 |
| Pipeline Transport & Commodity Flows | 3,231 |
| Agriculture and Forestry | 428 |
| Mining and Extraction | 99 |
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.