Hydrologist
Studies the movement, distribution, and quality of water on Earth and other planets, including the water cycle, water resources, and environmental watershed sustainability.
Career role details and responsibilities
Studies the movement, distribution, and quality of water on Earth and other planets, including the water cycle, water resources, and environmental watershed sustainability. Hydrologist sits within the Environmental & Geological Science career cluster and focuses on applying domain knowledge to practical problems. Students exploring this role should understand the work context, skill expectations, education pathways, and long-term growth opportunities before shortlisting it.
Role details
Studies the movement, distribution, and quality of water on Earth and other planets, including the water cycle, water resources, and environmental watershed sustainability. Hydrologist sits within the Environmental & Geological Science career cluster and focuses on applying domain knowledge to practical problems. Students exploring this role should understand the work context, skill expectations, education pathways, and long-term growth opportunities before shortlisting it.
Responsibilities
Monitors water levels and quality, analyzes hydrological data, designs and implements water management systems, predicts flood and drought impacts, advises on water resource development. Typical responsibilities include understanding user or business needs, applying relevant tools and methods, and coordinating with stakeholders. The role also requires continuous learning, quality improvement, and adapting to changes in technology, industry practices, and market demand.
Next Gen career options
Water Systems Modeler, Smart Water Grid Engineer, Climate Hydrologist, Urban Water Management Specialist, Water Data Scientist
Pointer: Next Gen career options related to this role
Water Systems Modeler, Smart Water Grid Engineer, Climate Hydrologist, Urban Water Management Specialist, Water Data Scientist
Educational institutes
Top 5 educational institutes in India
| Name of Institute | Location | Website |
|---|---|---|
| Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee | Roorkee, Uttarakhand | https://www.iitr.ac.in/ |
| National Institute of Technology Warangal | Warangal, Telangana | https://www.nitw.ac.in/ |
| Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune | Pune, Maharashtra | https://www.iiserpune.ac.in/ |
| Jadavpur University | Kolkata, West Bengal | https://www.jaduniv.edu.in/ |
| University of Kerala | Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala | https://www.keralauniversity.ac.in/ |
Top 5 educational institutes globally
| Name of Institute | Location | Website |
|---|---|---|
| University of Texas at Austin | Austin, USA | https://www.utexas.edu/ |
| University of Wisconsin-Madison | Madison, USA | https://www.wisc.edu/ |
| Delft University of Technology | Delft, Netherlands | https://www.tudelft.nl/ |
| University of New South Wales | Sydney, Australia | https://www.unsw.edu.au/ |
| University of British Columbia | Vancouver, Canada | https://www.ubc.ca/ |
- B.Sc. in Earth Science or Geology
- B.Sc. in Environmental Science
- M.Sc. in Hydrology or Water Resources Management