Water Resources Engineer I Salary in the United States
How much does a Water Resources Engineer I make in the United States?
As of October 01, 2026, the average salary for a Water Resources Engineer I in the United States is $80,260 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $39.
However, a Water Resources Engineer I's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:
Top Earners (90th percentile): $93,366
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $68,790 to $87,120
Key Factors That Influence Water Resources Engineer I Salaries
A Water Resources Engineer I's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors.
Below, we'll explore how geographic location
and company size
can directly affect your earning potential.
How Do Water Resources Engineer I Salaries Vary from State to State?
Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Water Resources Engineer Is. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
Salaries can also vary between different cities.
Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay.
Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:
San Jose: $101,240
San Francisco: $100,130
Oakland: $98,020
San Jose, CA$101,240
San Francisco, CA$100,130
Oakland, CA$98,020
New York, NY$92,410
Paramus, NJ$91,290
Queens Village, NY$91,290
Passaic, NJ$91,210
Bergenfield, NJ$91,200
Stamford, CT$91,030
Huntington, NY$90,990
Newark, NJ$90,400
Bridgeport, CT$90,230
Vallejo, CA$90,070
New Brunswick, NJ$90,040
Petaluma, CA$89,990
Middlesex, NJ$89,840
Somerset, NJ$89,780
Santa Cruz, CA$89,680
Boston, MA$89,190
Monterey, CA$88,910
Seattle, WA$88,720
Santa Rosa, CA$88,710
Los Angeles, CA$88,680
Juneau, AK$88,470
Washington, DC$88,390
Orange, CA$88,100
Santa Ana, CA$87,890
Long Beach, CA$87,810
Anaheim, CA$87,790
Anchorage, AK$87,750
Santa Maria, CA$87,510
Everett, WA$87,500
Danbury, CT$87,210
Bremerton, WA$87,100
Tacoma, WA$86,810
New Suffolk, NY$86,810
Sacramento, CA$86,790
Santa Barbara, CA$86,700
Trenton, NJ$86,610
San Diego, CA$86,610
Brockton, MA$86,520
Fairbanks, AK$86,330
Lompoc, CA$86,120
Lowell, MA$86,060
Ventura, CA$86,040
Nashua, NH$86,030
Stockton, CA$86,020
Modesto, CA$85,430
Poughkeepsie, NY$85,260
Olympia, WA$85,100
Kennewick, WA$85,100
New Haven, CT$85,070
Lawrence, MA$84,780
Hartford, CT$84,700
Riverside, CA$84,690
New Bedford, MA$84,610
Richland, WA$84,610
Bakersfield, CA$84,490
San Bernardino, CA$84,460
New Britain, CT$84,450
Atlantic City, NJ$84,450
New London, CT$84,420
Norwich, CT$84,400
Portsmouth, NH$84,380
Boulder, CO$84,210
Portland, OR$84,100
Worcester, MA$84,090
Minneapolis, MN$83,840
Philadelphia, PA$83,730
Honolulu, HI$83,470
Saint Paul, MN$83,430
Vineland, NJ$83,410
Providence, RI$83,180
Chicago, IL$82,950
Bellingham, WA$82,850
Springfield, MA$82,780
Baltimore, MD$82,760
Chico, CA$82,560
Pittsfield, MA$82,340
Manchester, NH$82,190
Spokane, WA$81,840
Denver, CO$81,830
Albany, NY$81,450
Troy, NY$81,420
Nassau, NY$81,330
Schenectady, NY$81,250
Wilmington, DE$81,190
Burlington, VT$81,070
Salem, OR$81,040
Portland, ME$80,790
Yakima, WA$80,710
Rochester, MN$80,460
Reno, NV$80,420
Fresno, CA$80,420
Milwaukee, WI$80,350
Detroit, MI$80,270
Ann Arbor, MI$80,260
Allentown, PA$80,250
Colorado Springs, CO$80,110
Syracuse, NY$80,070
Carson City, NV$80,070
Houston, TX$79,960
Eugene, OR$79,920
Gary, IN$79,820
Springfield, OR$79,760
Bismarck, ND$79,740
Galveston, TX$79,690
Medford, OR$79,570
Fort Collins, CO$79,530
Concord, NH$79,490
Austin, TX$79,470
Mesa, AZ$79,300
Reading, PA$79,290
Phoenix, AZ$79,290
Dallas, TX$79,260
Saint Cloud, MN$79,180
Madison, WI$79,080
Utica, NY$78,860
Rochester, NY$78,730
Des Moines, IA$78,720
Raleigh, NC$78,720
Atlanta, GA$78,590
Battle Creek, MI$78,570
Salt Lake City, UT$78,550
Lancaster, PA$78,430
Harrisburg, PA$78,310
Kansas City, MO$78,230
Champaign, IL$78,220
Kansas City, KS$78,220
Fort Worth, TX$78,210
Columbus, OH$78,200
Boca Raton, FL$78,180
Pittsburgh, PA$78,150
Richmond, VA$78,110
Indianapolis, IN$78,100
Cleveland, OH$78,090
Las Vegas, NV$77,990
Cincinnati, OH$77,990
Petersburg, VA$77,870
Huntsville, AL$77,750
Lansing, MI$77,700
Lebanon, PA$77,690
Pueblo, CO$77,680
Appleton, WI$77,660
Buffalo, NY$77,620
Dayton, OH$77,600
Racine, WI$77,580
Charlotte, NC$77,580
Saint Louis, MO$77,550
York, PA$77,500
Elkhart, IN$77,500
Gastonia, NC$77,490
Billings, MT$77,470
Beaumont, TX$77,450
Lorain, OH$77,430
Benton Harbor, MI$77,420
Toledo, OH$77,400
Binghamton, NY$77,360
Rock Hill, SC$77,350
Rockford, IL$77,310
Springfield, IL$77,280
Elyria, OH$77,270
Fargo, ND$77,270
Flagstaff, AZ$77,210
Fort Lauderdale, FL$77,170
Duluth, MN$77,120
Miami, FL$77,120
Cheyenne, WY$77,060
Grand Forks, ND$77,060
Bangor, ME$76,890
Cedar Rapids, IA$76,800
Durham, NC$76,760
Louisville, KY$76,760
Grand Rapids, MI$76,740
Hialeah, FL$76,730
Casper, WY$76,620
Scranton, PA$76,520
New Orleans, LA$76,500
Virginia Beach, VA$76,490
Akron, OH$76,450
Peoria, IL$76,350
Sarasota, FL$76,330
Nashville, TN$76,280
Omaha, NE$76,280
Green Bay, WI$76,280
Baton Rouge, LA$76,240
Charleston, SC$76,220
Jamestown, NY$76,180
Davenport, IA$76,180
Tucson, AZ$76,140
Saint Petersburg, FL$76,090
Tampa, FL$76,070
Evansville, IN$76,030
Port Arthur, TX$76,030
Bradenton, FL$75,990
Santa Fe, NM$75,850
Orlando, FL$75,710
Clearwater, FL$75,680
Canton, OH$75,510
La Crosse, WI$75,510
Albuquerque, NM$75,460
Newport News, VA$75,460
High Point, NC$75,430
Ogden, UT$75,400
Corpus Christi, TX$75,340
Norfolk, VA$75,290
Laramie, WY$75,290
Rock Island, IL$75,240
Jacksonville, FL$75,220
Saginaw, MI$75,220
Salisbury, NC$75,200
Boise, ID$75,180
Moline, IL$75,140
Fort Myers, FL$75,120
Memphis, TN$75,100
Tulsa, OK$75,060
Waterloo, IA$75,020
Spartanburg, SC$74,940
Lincoln, NE$74,890
Fort Wayne, IN$74,880
Provo, UT$74,870
Cedar Falls, IA$74,770
San Antonio, TX$74,740
Greensboro, NC$74,710
South Bend, IN$74,700
Savannah, GA$74,610
Muskegon, MI$74,580
Birmingham, AL$74,570
Winston Salem, NC$74,530
Lake Charles, LA$74,340
Anderson, IN$74,330
Lexington, KY$74,300
Augusta, GA$74,280
Greenville, SC$74,280
Lima, OH$74,210
Wichita, KS$74,200
Tuscaloosa, AL$74,200
Columbia, SC$74,130
Springfield, OH$74,120
Asheville, NC$73,990
Bloomington, IN$73,930
Knoxville, TN$73,640
Shreveport, LA$73,630
Wilmington, NC$73,530
Roanoke, VA$73,530
Topeka, KS$73,390
Frankfort, KY$73,380
Oklahoma City, OK$73,320
Chillicothe, OH$73,290
Longview, TX$73,280
Melbourne, FL$73,270
Sioux Falls, SD$73,150
Mobile, AL$73,140
Terre Haute, IN$73,110
Altoona, PA$73,060
Amarillo, TX$73,000
Killeen, TX$72,980
Fayetteville, AR$72,910
Chattanooga, TN$72,890
Sioux City, IA$72,820
Idaho Falls, ID$72,800
Lynchburg, VA$72,740
Gainesville, FL$72,630
Portsmouth, OH$72,590
Little Rock, AR$72,580
Lafayette, LA$72,540
Youngstown, OH$72,540
Daytona Beach, FL$72,500
Clarksville, TN$72,490
Pensacola, FL$72,480
Temple, TX$72,470
Hopkinsville, KY$72,240
Erie, PA$72,220
Florence, SC$72,190
Charleston, WV$72,060
Great Falls, MT$72,020
Macon, GA$71,910
Tallahassee, FL$71,900
Fayetteville, NC$71,890
Waco, TX$71,870
Helena, MT$71,810
Pine Bluff, AR$71,780
Vincennes, IN$71,680
Lubbock, TX$71,650
Alamogordo, NM$71,600
Twin Falls, ID$71,530
Rapid City, SD$71,510
Greenville, MS$71,360
Huntington, WV$71,360
Jackson, MS$71,360
Parkersburg, WV$71,270
Montgomery, AL$71,260
Wichita Falls, TX$71,180
Springfield, MO$71,180
Biloxi, MS$71,140
Monroe, LA$71,060
Johnstown, PA$71,000
Sumter, SC$70,970
Columbus, GA$70,960
Pascagoula, MS$70,810
Abilene, TX$70,810
Kingsport, TN$70,600
Albany, GA$70,600
Gulfport, MS$70,580
Alexandria, LA$70,310
Fort Smith, AR$70,110
El Paso, TX$69,890
Las Cruces, NM$69,530
Harlingen, TX$69,330
Pocatello, ID$69,320
Florence, AL$69,210
Brownsville, TX$69,200
Mcallen, TX$69,030
Dothan, AL$68,920
Columbus, MS$68,440
Altus, OK$68,060
Lawton, OK$67,910
Pierre, SD$67,620
Water Resources Engineer I Salary by Company Size: Startups vs. Enterprise
Water Resources Engineer I salary potential scales significantly with company size.
Data shows that Enterprise companies (5,000+ employees) pay the highest average salary at around $89,434.
While startup companies pay approximate $75,809.
Water Resources Engineer I Salary by Company Size
Company Size
Employees
Average Salary
Startup
1~50
$75,809
Growth Stage
51~500
$80,131
Established
501~5000
$86,379
Enterprise
5000+
$89,434
Water Resources Engineer I Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay
Understanding how a Water Resources Engineer I's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting.
Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role.
Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.
Hourly
Monthly
Weekly
Yearly
Table View
Last Updated on October 01, 2026
$68,790
Average$80,260/year
$87,120
$5,733
Average$6,688/month
$7,260
$1,323
Average$1,543/week
$1,675
$33
Average$39/hour
$42
Annual Salary
Monthly Pay
Weekly Pay
Hourly Wage
75th Percentile
$87,120
$7,260
$1,675
$42
Average
$80,260
$6,688
$1,543
$39
25th Percentile
$68,790
$5,733
$1,323
$33
Water Resources Engineer I Salary Growth & Career Path
For a Water Resources Engineer I, the most direct path to higher earnings is advancing to the Water Infrastructure Engineer II role.
This promotion typically comes with a significant pay increase, bringing the average annual salary to
$95,900 - a projected growth of
19%
over your current level.
Salaries of Jobs related to Water Resources Engineer I
Most common benefits for Water Resources Engineer I
Social Security
401 (k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
Common company salaries for Water Resources Engineer I
Here are companies hiring for Water Resources Engineer I and their salaries, click below for more details.
C$128,509/per year
C R Bard IncBiotechnologythe United States
H$124,697/per year
Henry Schein CanadaBiotechnologythe United States
N$123,899/per year
Nordex IncBiotechnologythe United States
N$120,416/per year
Nipro CorpBiotechnologythe United States
E$115,870/per year
EnovisBiotechnologythe United States
A$114,553/per year
Advanced Research Projects Agency - EnergyBiotechnologythe United States
M$112,110/per year
MiniMed IncBiotechnologythe United States
L$111,500/per year
Labcorp Drug DevelopmentBiotechnologythe United States
L$110,229/per year
Life Technologies CorpBiotechnologythe United States
Z$106,224/per year
Zimmer BiometBiotechnologythe United States
P$103,077/per year
Promontory TherapeuticsBiotechnologythe United States
S$102,181/per year
Steris PLCBiotechnologythe United States
G$97,274/per year
Gavin Conferences Pty LtdBiotechnologythe United States
E$94,764/per year
Endeavor BioMedicinesBiotechnologythe United States
R$94,402/per year
Replay Holdings LLCBiotechnologythe United States
P$94,235/per year
Pleno IncBiotechnologythe United States
S$93,666/per year
Simulaids IncBiotechnologythe United States
N$88,880/per year
NOIRLab/CASBiotechnologythe United States
O$86,468/per year
Onward TechnologyBiotechnologythe United States
L$84,895/per year
LED Medical Diagnostics IncBiotechnologythe United States
E$84,682/per year
Eyeco LtdBiotechnologythe United States
P$84,523/per year
PaerosolBiotechnologythe United States
I$83,525/per year
IONIQ Sciences IncBiotechnologythe United States
S$82,815/per year
Stateside PPEBiotechnologythe United States
D$82,041/per year
Digi BioBiotechnologythe United States
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Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?
Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.
