Water Resource Specialists
Science, Technology, Engineering and MathematicsO*NET 11-9121.02United States
Design or implement programs and strategies related to water resource issues such as supply, quality, and regulatory compliance issues.
- Median annual earnings
- $167,211
- Projected change
- +7.5%
- Typical education
- Bachelor's degree
- Employment
- 113.62K jobs
50th percentile, United States
2025 to 2035
50% of the workforce
Growing to 122.16K by 2035
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ASU learning related to this career
These courses and certificates are connected through catalog career relationships and Lightcast skill tags.
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The work
What water resource specialists do
Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.
- Perform hydrologic, hydraulic, or water quality modeling.
- Analyze storm water systems to identify opportunities for water resource improvements.
- Conduct, or oversee the conduct of, investigations on matters such as water storage, wastewater discharge, pollutants, permits, or other compliance and regulatory issues.
- Develop strategies for watershed operations to meet water supply and conservation goals or to ensure regulatory compliance with clean water laws or regulations.
- Review or evaluate designs for water detention facilities, storm drains, flood control facilities, or other hydraulic structures.
- Conduct technical studies for water resources on topics such as pollutants and water treatment options.
- Present water resource proposals to government, public interest groups, or community groups.
- Develop plans to protect watershed health or rehabilitate watersheds.
- Write proposals, project reports, informational brochures, or other documents on wastewater purification, water supply and demand, or other water resource subjects.
- Conduct cost-benefit studies for watershed improvement projects or water management alternatives.
- Provide technical expertise to assist communities in the development or implementation of storm water monitoring or other water programs.
- Compile and maintain documentation on the health of a body of water.
- Identify and characterize specific causes or sources of water pollution.
- Compile water resource data, using geographic information systems (GIS) or global position systems (GPS) software.
- Conduct, or oversee the conduct of, chemical, physical, and biological water quality monitoring or sampling to ensure compliance with water quality standards.
- Recommend new or revised policies, procedures, or regulations to support water resource or conservation goals.
- Develop or implement standardized water monitoring and assessment methods.
- Negotiate for water rights with communities or water facilities to meet water supply demands.
- Monitor water use, demand, or quality in a particular geographic area.
- Supervise teams of workers who capture water from wells and rivers.
Pay and outlook
What the job pays and where it is heading
Annual earnings range
Reported earnings by percentile, United States
- 10th percentile
- $79,706
- 25th percentile
- $119,434
- 50th percentile
- $167,211
- 75th percentile
- $221,541
- 90th percentile
- $316,846
The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $167,211 and half earn less.
Employment outlook
2025 to 2035 projection
+7.5%faster than average
2025113,622 jobs
2035 projected122,156 jobs
8,534 more positions over the decade, before replacement hiring.
Preparation
Education levels
What people currently working in the career hold. These are not entry requirements.
- Bachelor's degree
- 50%
- Master's or Professional degree
- 50%
Skills
Skills employers ask for
Technical skills appearing most often in job postings for this occupation.
How the work gets done
Core competencies
Broad capabilities associated with strong performance in this occupation.
- Reading Comprehension
- Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
- Critical Thinking
- Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
- Speaking
- Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Writing
- Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- Active Listening
- Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Time Management
- Managing one's own time and the time of others.
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Complex Problem Solving
- Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- Systems Analysis
- Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
- Systems Evaluation
- Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
- Active Learning
- Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
- Monitoring
- Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Mathematics
- Using mathematics to solve problems.
- Coordination
- Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
- Persuasion
- Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
- Learning Strategies
- Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
- Social Perceptiveness
- Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Instructing
- Teaching others how to do something.
- Science
- Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
- Negotiation
- Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
In the market
Job titles and employers
Recent job postings in United StatesCommon job titles
- 01Water Resources Managers123 postings
- 02Landfill Managers91 postings
- 03Water Resources Specialists78 postings
- 04Water Resources Technicians66 postings
- 05Directors of Sustainability55 postings
- 06Water Utility Workers40 postings
- 07Water Quality Specialists37 postings
- 08Water Resources Analysts33 postings
- 09Water Resources Interns33 postings
- 10Water Technicians32 postings
- 11Water Conservation Specialists31 postings
- 12Water/Wastewater Operators31 postings
- 13Consulting Associates24 postings
- 14Natural Resources Specialists23 postings
- 15Sustainability Managers22 postings
- 16Water Resources Directors21 postings
- 17Test Equipment Technicians19 postings
- 18Deputy Directors18 postings
- 19Conveyancers17 postings
- 20Natural Resources Technicians17 postings
Top employers
- 01GPAC44 postings
- 02Geosyntec Consultants35 postings
- 03Waste Management27 postings
- 04HDR25 postings
- 05Westwater Research24 postings
- 06Esri21 postings
- 07Phigenics19 postings
- 08State of Montana19 postings
- 09WSP Global18 postings
- 10State of Arizona16 postings
- 11Colliers Engineering & Design13 postings
- 12City of Scottsdale12 postings
- 13HNTB12 postings
- 14Gwinnett County11 postings
- 15State of California11 postings
- 16State of Idaho11 postings
- 17Amazon10 postings
- 18State Of New Mexico10 postings
- 19American Water9 postings
- 20Jacobs Solutions9 postings
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