Employers
Approximately 72,400 people are currently employed in the U.S. hydropower industry, according to the National Hydropower Association (NHA).
Hydropower plants are found throughout the United States. Hydropower projects can be separated into two categories: large hydropower projects run by the federal electric utilities and operated by the Bureau of Reclamation (http://www.usbr.gov) and the Army Corps of Engineers (https://careers.hydro.org/jobseekers), and nonfederal hydropower dams (about 1,610 in the United States) licensed by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the top 10 hydropower generating states are Washington, California, Oregon, New York, Alabama, Montana, Arizona, Idaho, Tennessee, and North Carolina.
Starting Out
Your college’s career services office is an excellent starting point in your job search. Use its resources while you are still in school, as well as after graduation, to search for job leads. You can also find job leads via contacts you make during your internship, through professional associations, and at career fairs. The National Hydropower Association represents more than 300 companies in the North American hydropower industry, from small mom-and-pop companies to Fortune 500 corporations. According to its Web site its members "range from large power generators—the companies that produce hydroelectricity—to service and equipment providers that provide the goods and services used throughout the entire industry supply chain." Visit https://www.hydro.org/membership/members-directory for a list of members.
- 3-D Printing Specialists
- Advanced Manufacturing Engineers
- Advanced Manufacturing Technicians
- Aeronautical and Aerospace Technicians
- Aerospace Engineers
- Agricultural Scientists
- Air Quality Engineers
- Aquarists
- Arborists
- Audio Recording Engineers
- Automation Engineers
- Automotive Engineering Technicians
- Automotive Engineers
- Avionics Engineers
- Avionics Technicians
- Biochemical Engineers
- Biochemists
- Bioenergy/Biofuels Workers
- Biofuels Processing Technicians
- Biofuels Production Managers
- Biofuels/Biodiesel Technology and Product Development Managers
- Biologists
- Biomass Plant Technicians
- Biomass Power Plant Managers
- Biomedical Engineers
- Boilermakers and Mechanics
- Botanists
- Broadcast Engineers
- Brownfield Redevelopment Specialists and Site Managers
- Building Automation Systems Engineers
- Building Performance Diagnosticians
- Ceramics Engineers
- Chemical Engineers
- Chemists
- Chief Robotics Officer
- Chief Sustainability Officers
- Civil Engineering Technicians
- Civil Engineers
- Climate Scientists
- Corporate Climate Strategists
- Digital Workplace Experience Engineers
- Driverless Car Engineers
- Drone Engineers
- Ecologists
- Electrical Engineering Technologists
- Electrical Engineers
- Electricians
- Electromechanical Engineering Technologists
- Electronics Engineering Technicians
- Electronics Engineers
- Embedded Systems Engineers
- Energy Brokers
- Energy Conservation Technicians
- Energy Consultants
- Energy Efficiency Engineers
- Energy Transmission and Distribution Workers
- Engineering Technicians
- Engineers
- Environmental Economists
- Environmental Education Program Directors
- Environmental Engineers
- Environmental Lawyers
- Environmental Lobbyists
- Environmental Planners
- Environmental Restoration Planners
- Environmental Scientists
- Environmental Technicians
- EPA Special Agents
- Fish and Game Wardens
- Forensic Engineers
- Forensic Meteorologists
- Foresters
- Forestry Technicians
- Fuel Cell Engineers
- Fuel Cell Technicians
- Fuel Cell Technology Workers
- Futurists
- Genetic Engineers
- Geological Technicians
- Geologists
- Geophysicists
- Geotechnical Engineers
- Geothermal Energy Industry Workers
- Geothermal Production Managers
- Geothermal Technicians
- Green Builders
- Green Hotel/Resort Ecomanagers
- Green Products Manufacturers
- Green Transportation Careers
- Groundwater Professionals
- Hardware Engineers
- Hazardous Waste Management Specialists
- Hazardous Waste Management Technicians
- Horticultural Inspectors
- Horticultural Technicians
- Hydroelectric Plant Technicians
- Hydroelectric Production Managers
- Hypersonics Engineers
- Hypersonics Technicians
- Indoor Environmental Health Specialists
- Industrial Ecologists
- Industrial Engineering Technicians
- Industrial Engineers
- Information Technology Infrastructure Engineers
- Land Acquisition Professionals
- Land Trust or Preserve Managers
- Landscape Architects
- Line Installers and Cable Splicers
- Manufacturing Engineering Technologists
- Manufacturing Engineers
- Marine Biologists
- Marine Engineers
- Materials Engineers
- Mechanical Engineering Technicians
- Mechanical Engineers
- Mechatronics Engineers
- Metallurgical Engineers
- Metallurgical Technicians
- Meter Readers, Utilities
- Methane/Landfill Gas Collection System Operators
- Methane/Landfill Gas Generation System Technicians
- Microbiologists
- Mining Engineers
- Molecular and Cellular Biologists
- Nanosystems Engineers
- National Park Service Employees
- Naturalists
- Non-Destructive Testing Specialists
- Nuclear Engineers
- Oceanographers
- Optical Engineers
- Packaging Engineers
- Park Rangers
- Petroleum Engineers
- Petroleum Technicians
- Plastics Engineers
- Plastics Technicians
- Plumbers and Pipefitters
- Power Plant Workers
- Quality Control Engineers
- Quality Control Technicians
- Radio Frequency Engineers
- Radio Frequency Identification Device Specialists
- Range Managers
- Recycling and Reclamation Workers
- Recycling Coordinators
- Remote Health Care Engineers
- Renewable Energy Careers
- Renewable Energy Engineers
- Renewable Energy Site Assessors
- Rewilders
- Robotics Engineers
- Robotics Integrators
- Robotics Technicians
- Software Engineers
- Soil Conservationists and Technicians
- Soil Scientists
- Solar Energy Industry Workers
- Solar Energy Installation Managers
- Solar Energy Sales Representatives
- Solar Engineers
- Solar Thermal Installers and Technicians
- Spacecraft Test Technicians
- Stationary Engineers
- Telephone and PBX Installers and Repairers
- Traffic Engineers
- Transportation Engineers
- Wastewater Treatment Plant Operators and Technicians
- Water/Wastewater Engineers
- Wind Energy Engineers
- Wind Energy Industry Workers
- Wind Energy Operations Managers
- Wind Energy Project Managers
- Zoo and Aquarium Curators and Directors
- Zoologists