Hydrologists

Most exposed tasks

Highest structured exposure values in this role’s task mix — the work AI systems can already do most of.

No strongly automatable task in the current data release.

Augmentable tasks

Work where AI assists rather than replaces — the productivity frontier of this role.

• Answer questions and provide technical assistance and information to contractors or the public regarding issues such as well drilling, code requirements, hydrology, and geology.58
• Install, maintain, and calibrate instruments such as those that monitor water levels, rainfall, and sediments.55
• Measure and graph phenomena such as lake levels, stream flows, and changes in water volumes.49

Most durable tasks

Lowest exposure — typically judgment, relationships, physical presence, or accountability. This is the human moat.

• Coordinate and supervise the work of professional and technical staff, including research assistants, technologists, and technicians.29
• Evaluate research data in terms of its impact on issues such as soil and water conservation, flood control planning, and water supply forecasting.30
• Review applications for site plans and permits and recommend approval, denial, modification, or further investigative action.31

Task exposure values and classifications come from the versioned data release — they are structured data, not model output. Bars show exposure contribution relative to this role’s task mix.

What this means

A score of 42 puts Hydrologists in the second quartile of analyzed occupations. In practice, exposure this level is about the mix: 0 of 20 analyzed tasks lean automatable, 15 augmentable, and 5 durable. The useful question isn’t “will AI take this job” — it’s which tasks go first, which get faster, and where to reposition time. That’s what the personalized report maps against your actual week.

One next move: adopt AI deliberately on the augmentable tasks and build visible evidence of the durable ones.

Lower-exposure adjacent roles

No adjacent role in the current data release is at least 10 points lower with ≥50% skill overlap — we don’t label anything “safer” unless the data supports it.

Labor-market context

• $96,600median wage
• 5,850employed
• 500annual openings
• +0.0%projected growth

Context only — labor statistics are not inputs to the exposure score. See methodology.

Related roles

Adjacent by skills or family — no exposure claim implied.

• Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers 45
• Industrial Ecologists 42
• Conservation Scientists 52
• Water Resource Specialists 47
• Water/Wastewater Engineers 38
• Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health 41

FAQ — Hydrologists

What does a score of 42 mean for a Hydrologists?

It means that, weighted across the 20 tasks we analyzed for this role, the task mix sits at 42 on a 0–100 exposure scale — in the second quartile of analyzed occupations. It measures task exposure to current and near-term AI capabilities, not the probability of losing a job.

Which tasks in this role are most exposed to AI?

This role has no strongly automatable task in the current data release.

Which parts of this job are most durable?

The most durable responsibilities are: Coordinate and supervise the work of professional and technical staff, including research assistants, technologists, and technicians; Evaluate research data in terms of its impact on issues such as soil and water conservation, flood control planning, and water supply forecasting; Review applications for site plans and permits and recommend approval, denial, modification, or further investigative action. Durable tasks typically depend on judgment, relationships, physical presence, or accountability.

Is this score personalized to me?

No — this page shows the occupation-level baseline. Two people with the same title often do different work. The $9 personalized report recalculates the score from the tasks you actually do and builds a concrete 7/30/90-day plan around them.