Hydrologists Salary
In Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL, hydrologists earn $77,020 at the median, or about $37.03 an hour. The range runs from $64K at the entry level to $118K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 100.89), that's roughly $76,341 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,977/month, about 37% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $77K get you in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater’s Regional Price Parity (100.89). 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
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater
Pay for hydrologists in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater runs about 20% below the U.S. median of $97K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,977/month, which is 37.9% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 100.89) 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 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach | $80K | $70K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL
Entry-level hydrologists (10th percentile) start around $64K. Mid-career wages sit at $77K. Top earners bring in $118K or more, a $53K 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 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater numbers change.
Related careers in Science
Frequently asked questions
Can a hydrologist afford a 2BR apartment alone in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $77K, rent takes 37.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,977/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,600/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for hydrologists in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new hydrologists typically earn — is $64K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,861/month. At HUD’s $1,977/month FMR, rent would take 51% 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 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater?
Local pay runs 20% below the national median — $77K here vs. $97K nationally.
How does Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater compare to the national average for hydrologists?
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater pays $77K median vs. the U.S. average of $97K — that’s -20%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 100.89), the purchasing-power equivalent is $76K — below the national median.
How much do hydrologists make in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL?
The median is $77,020 a year, that works out to about $37 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $64,350, and experienced hydrologists can clear $117,560. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $77K enough to live in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,214/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,977/month, which eats 37.9% 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 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater?
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater has a Regional Price Parity of 100.89 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median hydrologists salary is worth about $76,341 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.