Hydrogeologist : Career development

Many hydrogeologists choose to become chartered with a relevant professional body, most commonly the Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM) . Those with a geology degree may choose to follow the Geological Society  route to chartership.

Obtaining chartered status demonstrates that you have a good level of experience and professionalism, as well as a commitment to the profession. You will need to show that you regularly undertake a range of continuing professional development (CPD) activities and have relevant experience at a specific level. Check with the relevant professional body for a full list of requirements.

There are opportunities for a varied career within hydrogeology, both in the UK and overseas. Career progression is dependent on skills and ability, but can be fast within groundwater specialisms. It is possible to progress into team leader positions that involve making decisions about planning and use of resources, as well as managing people.

Opportunity for technical progression is significant and leads to a specialist role, sharing knowledge and experience of a specific aspect of geoscience with colleagues. Specialisms can include:

• groundwater resource evaluation and drinking water supply;
• contaminated land investigation and remediation;
• groundwater modelling and risk assessment;
• dewatering and groundwater engineering.

A small number of opportunities also exist in teaching and research in higher education institutions.

Some hydrogeologists move careers into environmental policy development.

Hydrogeology is a young science and growth is likely in some new areas. These include the exploitation of groundwater as a thermal regulator (ground source heating and cooling), the interaction of groundwater and surface water and its role in flooding, and the ecology of groundwater and hydroecology. Concerns about the impact of climate change on water availability in the UK and increased reliance on groundwater are likely to ensure that the need for hydrogeologists will continue.