Hydrologists Salary
In Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX, hydrologists earn $73,810 at the median, or about $35.49 an hour. The range runs from $53K at the entry level to $108K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 98.07), that's roughly $75,263 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,852/month, about 36.1% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $74K get you in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos’s Regional Price Parity (98.07). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About hydrologists
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What this looks like in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos
Pay for hydrologists in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos runs about 24% below the U.S. median of $97K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,852/month, which is 36.8% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 98.07) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for hydrologistss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for hydrologists in metros near Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands | $99K | $101K |
| Albuquerque | $102K | $106K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX
Entry-level hydrologists (10th percentile) start around $53K. Mid-career wages sit at $74K. Top earners bring in $108K or more, a $55K spread from bottom to top.
Hydrologists pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Hydrologists salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maryland | $143K | +48% | 90 |
| Virginia | $132K | +37% | 40 |
| New Jersey | $127K | +31% | N/A |
| California | $122K | +26% | 540 |
| Georgia | $122K | +26% | 30 |
| Massachusetts | $119K | +24% | 50 |
| Missouri | $116K | +20% | 50 |
| Alaska | $109K | +12% | 60 |
| Nevada | $108K | +12% | 170 |
| Washington | $106K | +9% | 350 |
| Louisiana | $105K | +8% | N/A |
| Michigan | $101K | +5% | 40 |
| Colorado | $101K | +4% | 360 |
| Ohio | $98K | +2% | 390 |
| New Mexico | $97K | +1% | 100 |
| Oklahoma | $97K | +1% | 40 |
| Minnesota | $95K | -2% | 300 |
| Wyoming | $95K | -2% | 40 |
| Utah | $94K | -2% | 80 |
| Oregon | $94K | -3% | 300 |
| Pennsylvania | $92K | -5% | 160 |
| New York | $88K | -9% | 160 |
| Arizona | $87K | -10% | 400 |
| Vermont | $86K | -11% | 50 |
| Montana | $85K | -13% | 190 |
| Illinois | $84K | -13% | 100 |
| North Carolina | $82K | -15% | 150 |
| Iowa | $81K | -16% | 50 |
| Texas | $81K | -16% | 220 |
| Indiana | $81K | -16% | 50 |
| Idaho | $79K | -18% | 160 |
| Wisconsin | $79K | -18% | 150 |
| Florida | $77K | -20% | 280 |
| South Carolina | $66K | -32% | 100 |
Showing 1–10 of 34 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track hydrologists salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a hydrologist afford a 2BR apartment alone in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $74K, rent takes 36.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,852/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,500/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for hydrologists in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new hydrologists typically earn — is $53K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,206/month. At HUD’s $1,852/month FMR, rent would take 58% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is hydrologist a high-paying job in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos?
Local pay runs 24% below the national median — $74K here vs. $97K nationally.
How does Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos compare to the national average for hydrologists?
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos pays $74K median vs. the U.S. average of $97K — that’s -24%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 98.07), the purchasing-power equivalent is $75K — below the national median.
How much do hydrologists make in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX?
The median is $73,810 a year, that works out to about $35 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $53,440, and experienced hydrologists can clear $108,260. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $74K enough to live in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,026/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,852/month, which eats 36.8% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a hydrologists salary go in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos?
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos has a Regional Price Parity of 98.07 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median hydrologists salary is worth about $75,263 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do hydrologists get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.