What does a Hydrologist do?

Research the distribution, circulation, and physical properties of underground and surface waters; and study the form and intensity of precipitation and its rate of infiltration into the soil, movement through the earth, and return to the ocean and atmosphere. Day to day that includes work like prepare written and oral reports describing research results, using illustrations, maps, appendices, and other information and Design and conduct scientific hydrogeological investigations to ensure that accurate and appropriate information is available for use in water resource management decisions.

What skills should a Hydrologist put on a resume?

O*NET rates Critical Thinking, Active Listening, Reading Comprehension, Science, and Complex Problem Solving among the most important skills for this occupation. Name the ones that are genuinely yours and show where you used them. A resume that lists skills you do not have is weaker than one that lists fewer.

What software should a Hydrologist list?

Software recorded for this occupation includes Advanced Logic Technology WellCAD, Amtec Engineering Tecplot, Argus ONE Open Numerical Environments, Autodesk AutoCAD, and Autodesk AutoCAD Civil 3D. Applicant tracking systems match on the exact product name, so write the tool as the posting writes it rather than describing it in general terms.

What other job titles cover Hydrologist work?

O*NET records 13 titles for this occupation, including Groundwater Consultant, Hydrogeologist, Research Hydrologist, and Physical Scientist. Searching only your own job title hides most of the openings you could apply to.

What qualifications does a Hydrologist need?

In O*NET's survey of people doing this job, 52% reported their level of education as "Master's Degree". That is what current postholders reported, not a requirement any single employer sets.

Will this resume pass an ATS for a Hydrologist role?

No tool outside an employer can tell you how that employer's system is configured, including ours. What you can control is that the resume parses cleanly, names the work in the words the posting uses, and does not claim anything you cannot back up.

Hydrologist resume example

A resume for a Hydrologist needs to show the work itself: research the distribution, circulation, and physical properties of underground and surface waters; and study the form and intensity of precipitation and its rate of infiltration into the soil, movement through the earth, and return to the ocean and atmosphere. Day to day that means work like this: prepare written and oral reports describing research results, using illustrations, maps, appendices, and other information; design and conduct scientific hydrogeological investigations to ensure that accurate and appropriate information is available for use in water resource management decisions. Recruiters and applicant tracking systems both read for the tasks and tools this role actually involves, so the strongest resume names them in your own experience rather than describing the job in the abstract. Below are the tasks O*NET records for this occupation, the software and tools it uses, the titles it is advertised under, and the skills worth naming if they are genuinely yours.

Also advertised as

The same job is posted under many titles. Searching only your own job title hides most of the openings you could apply to.

Groundwater Consultant
Hydrogeologist
Research Hydrologist
Physical Scientist
Scientist
Source Water Protection Specialist
Hydraulic Engineer
Hydrologic Engineer
Isotope Hydrologist
Project Hydrogeologist
Seismologist
Surface Hydrologist
Volcanologist

What this work actually involves

Tasks recorded for this occupation, in O*NET's words. If your experience covers one of these, it belongs on your resume in your own words.

Prepare written and oral reports describing research results, using illustrations, maps, appendices, and other information.
Design and conduct scientific hydrogeological investigations to ensure that accurate and appropriate information is available for use in water resource management decisions.
Measure and graph phenomena such as lake levels, stream flows, and changes in water volumes.
Conduct research and communicate information to promote the conservation and preservation of water resources.
Coordinate and supervise the work of professional and technical staff, including research assistants, technologists, and technicians.
Study public water supply issues, including flood and drought risks, water quality, wastewater, and impacts on wetland habitats.
Apply research findings to help minimize the environmental impacts of pollution, waterborne diseases, erosion, and sedimentation.
Study and document quantities, distribution, disposition, and development of underground and surface waters.
Install, maintain, and calibrate instruments such as those that monitor water levels, rainfall, and sediments.
Develop computer models for hydrologic predictions.
Study and analyze the physical aspects of the earth in terms of hydrological components, including atmosphere, hydrosphere, and interior structure.
Evaluate research data in terms of its impact on issues such as soil and water conservation, flood control planning, and water supply forecasting.

25 tasks are recorded in total; these are the most central.

Example bullets for this role

Built from this occupation's own tasks. The brackets stay empty on purpose: we will not invent a number for you, and a fabricated metric is the fastest way to lose an interview you had already won.

Prepare written and oral reports describing research results, using illustrations, maps, appendices, and other information, for [who or what it served], at [what volume].
Design and conduct scientific hydrogeological investigations to ensure that accurate and appropriate information is available for use in water resource management decisions, for [who or what it served], at [what volume].
Measure and graph phenomena such as lake levels, stream flows, and changes in water volumes, for [who or what it served], at [what volume].
Conduct research and communicate information to promote the conservation and preservation of water resources, for [who or what it served], at [what volume].

Software used in this role

Recorded for this occupation by O*NET. An applicant tracking system matches the exact product name, so write the tool the way the posting writes it.

Advanced Logic Technology WellCAD
Amtec Engineering Tecplot
Argus ONE Open Numerical Environments
Autodesk AutoCAD
Autodesk AutoCAD Civil 3D
Autodesk AutoCAD Map 3D
Autodesk Land Desktop
Bentley MicroStation
Bentley Systems gINT
Biodegration flow and transport modeling software
BOSS International Visual Groundwater
C++
Carlson SurvCADD
ChemStat

156 software entries are recorded in total.

Tools and equipment

The physical equipment this occupation is recorded as using. Worth naming when a posting asks for it by name.

Bailers
Biological oxygen demand water samplers
Calipers
Cellular telemetry system water level monitors
Clinometers
Conductivity meters
Core samplers
Data logging pressure/temperature sensors
Desktop computers
Dessicators
Dip nets
Dissolved oxygen meters

Skills an ATS reads for

Worth naming only if they are genuinely yours. Keyword overlap is one input to a resume's score, not a verdict.

ESRI ArcGIS
Geographic information system GIS systems
HEC-RAS

What this job rates as most important

O*NET rates every skill for importance to this occupation. These are the highest rated, in order.

01Critical Thinking
02Active Listening
03Reading Comprehension
04Science
05Complex Problem Solving
06Mathematics
07Speaking
08Active Learning
09Writing
10Judgment and Decision Making

Knowledge areas

The subject knowledge this occupation draws on, rated by importance.

Mathematics
Physics
Engineering and Technology
English Language
Geography
Computers and Electronics
Chemistry
Biology

What qualifications people in this job have

From O*NET's survey of people doing this work. This is what postholders reported, not a requirement any single employer sets.

52%Master's Degree
39%Bachelor's Degree
4%Post-Baccalaureate Certificate, awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master.

What level this role is pitched at

O*NET places this occupation in “Extensive Preparation Needed”. Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).

Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.

Common questions

What does a Hydrologist do?: Research the distribution, circulation, and physical properties of underground and surface waters; and study the form and intensity of precipitation and its rate of infiltration into the soil, movement through the earth, and return to the ocean and atmosphere. Day to day that includes work like prepare written and oral reports describing research results, using illustrations, maps, appendices, and other information and Design and conduct scientific hydrogeological investigations to ensure that accurate and appropriate information is available for use in water resource management decisions.
What skills should a Hydrologist put on a resume?: O*NET rates Critical Thinking, Active Listening, Reading Comprehension, Science, and Complex Problem Solving among the most important skills for this occupation. Name the ones that are genuinely yours and show where you used them. A resume that lists skills you do not have is weaker than one that lists fewer.
What software should a Hydrologist list?: Software recorded for this occupation includes Advanced Logic Technology WellCAD, Amtec Engineering Tecplot, Argus ONE Open Numerical Environments, Autodesk AutoCAD, and Autodesk AutoCAD Civil 3D. Applicant tracking systems match on the exact product name, so write the tool as the posting writes it rather than describing it in general terms.
What other job titles cover Hydrologist work?: O*NET records 13 titles for this occupation, including Groundwater Consultant, Hydrogeologist, Research Hydrologist, and Physical Scientist. Searching only your own job title hides most of the openings you could apply to.
What qualifications does a Hydrologist need?: In O*NET's survey of people doing this job, 52% reported their level of education as "Master's Degree". That is what current postholders reported, not a requirement any single employer sets.
Will this resume pass an ATS for a Hydrologist role?: No tool outside an employer can tell you how that employer's system is configured, including ours. What you can control is that the resume parses cleanly, names the work in the words the posting uses, and does not claim anything you cannot back up.

Related roles

Occupations O*NET records as closest to this one, and worth looking at if this search is not moving.

What this page cannot tell you

No tool outside an employer can tell you how that employer’s ATS is configured, including ours.
This page makes no claim about pay, demand or how many people hold this job. O*NET does not publish that here and we will not estimate it.
Keyword overlap is one input to a resume’s score, not a verdict on you. A resume that names skills you do not have is worse than one that names fewer.

If this is the job you are aiming at, the guide to tailoring a resume covers how to aim one posting properly, and building and exporting a resume here is free.

Occupation data from the O*NET 29.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under CC BY 4.0. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. SpartanResume is not endorsed by USDOL/ETA.