# Hydrologic Technicians

> Collect and organize data concerning the distribution and circulation of ground and surface water, and data on its physical, chemical, and biological properties. Measure and report on flow rates and ground water levels, maintain field equipment, collect water samples, install and collect sampling equipment, and process samples for shipment to testing laboratories. May collect data on behalf of hydrologists, engineers, developers, government agencies, or agriculture.

- **SOC code:** 19-4044.00
- **Canonical URL:** https://singulariki.com/roles/role-19-4044-00
- **Also known as:** Field Technician (Field Tech), GIS Technician (Geographic Information System Technician), Groundwater Monitoring Technician, Hydro Operator, Hydrographer, Hydrography Technician, Hydrologic Aid, Hydrologic Technician
- **Frame:** "AI exposure" means task overlap (how codifiable the work is), not jobs lost or a forecast. Every figure below is traced to a named public dataset.

## What this work is

**Core tasks** (O*NET):
- Analyze ecological data about the impact of pollution, erosion, floods, and other environmental problems on bodies of water.
- Answer technical questions from hydrologists, policymakers, or other customers developing water conservation plans.
- Apply research findings to minimize the environmental impacts of pollution, waterborne diseases, erosion, or sedimentation.
- Assist in designing programs to ensure the proper sealing of abandoned wells.
- Collect water and soil samples to test for physical, chemical, or biological properties, such as pH, oxygen level, temperature, and pollution.
- Develop computer models for hydrologic predictions.
- Estimate the costs and benefits of municipal projects, such as hydroelectric power plants, irrigation systems, and wastewater treatment facilities.
- Investigate complaints or conflicts related to the alteration of public waters by gathering information, recommending alternatives, or preparing legal documents.
- Investigate the properties, origins, or activities of glaciers, ice, snow, or permafrost.
- Locate and deliver information or data as requested by customers, such as contractors, government entities, and members of the public.
- Measure the properties of bodies of water, such as water levels, volume, and flow.
- Perform quality control checks on data to be used by hydrologists.

## Skills, tools, capabilities

**Skills in demand:**
- Microsoft Word _(Common Skill)_
- Microsoft Windows _(Common Skill)_
- Microsoft PowerPoint _(Common Skill)_
- Microsoft Outlook _(Common Skill)_
- Microsoft Excel _(Common Skill)_
- Microsoft Access _(Specialized Skill)_
- Adobe Acrobat _(Specialized Skill)_
- Email Software _(Specialized Skill)_
- Presentation Software _(Specialized Skill)_

**Tools & technology:**
- Adobe Acrobat _(hot technology)_
- ESRI ArcGIS software _(hot technology)_
- Microsoft Access _(hot technology)_
- Microsoft Active Server Pages ASP _(hot technology)_
- Microsoft Excel _(hot technology)_
- Microsoft Office software _(hot technology)_
- Microsoft Outlook _(hot technology)_
- Microsoft PowerPoint _(hot technology)_
- Microsoft Windows _(hot technology)_
- Microsoft Word _(hot technology)_
- Geographic information system GIS systems _(in demand)_
- Datasurge GEOPRO

## AI exposure & outlook

- **AI task-overlap index:** 73rd percentile (High) across all occupations — composite of current-era exposure studies (ai-exposure-index-v1).
- **LLM task exposure, γ (OpenAI / Eloundou):** 67th percentile (High) — source: eloundou_gamma.
- **AI assistant applicability (Microsoft):** 76th percentile (High) — source: microsoft_applicability.
- **Projected employment (BLS 2024–34):** -2.1% growth (Declining); 0.4k annual openings; 3.1k → 3k jobs.
- **Pay & employment (BLS OEWS, May 2024):** median $58,570; 2,940 employed.

## Sources

- **O*NET** (30.3) — U.S. Department of Labor / National Center for O*NET Development. https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html
- **BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)** (May 2024) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. https://www.bls.gov/oes/
- **BLS Employment Projections** (2024–2034) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. https://www.bls.gov/emp/
- **Microsoft “Working with AI”** (working-with-ai) — Microsoft Research. https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/
- **“GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.)** (arXiv 2303.10130) — OpenAI / academic. https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.10130

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_Generated from Singulariki's joined dataset; data snapshot 2026-06-02T21:00:32.945303+00:00. https://singulariki.com/roles/role-19-4044-00_