Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for water and wastewater treatment plant and system operatorss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- California$87,190
- Washington$82,770
- Nevada$80,880
- Connecticut$78,890
- New Jersey$77,530
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- Arkansas$45,590
- Oklahoma$47,350
- Kentucky$47,770
- Louisiana$48,160
- Mississippi$49,060
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $87,190 | $81,770 | $42 | +39.4% | 11,630 |
| 2 | Washington | $82,770 | $80,800 | $40 | +32.3% | 2,030 |
| 3 | Nevada | $80,880 | $81,440 | $39 | +29.3% | — |
| 4 | Connecticut | $78,890 | $78,820 | $38 | +26.1% | 980 |
| 5 | New Jersey | $77,530 | $78,760 | $37 | +24% | 2,500 |
| 6 | Colorado | $72,670 | $74,200 | $35 | +16.2% | 2,620 |
| 7 | Illinois | $71,820 | $67,810 | $35 | +14.8% | 3,500 |
| 8 | Wyoming | $71,550 | $63,260 | $34 | +14.4% | 500 |
| 9 | Minnesota | $71,490 | $74,670 | $34 | +14.3% | 2,290 |
| 10 | Oregon | $70,620 | $69,720 | $34 | +12.9% | 1,240 |
| 11 | Massachusetts | $69,900 | $68,550 | $34 | +11.8% | 2,510 |
| 12 | New York | $69,680 | $63,990 | $34 | +11.4% | 5,300 |
| 13 | Alaska | $68,600 | $60,160 | $33 | +9.7% | 750 |
| 14 | Vermont | $67,130 | $63,640 | $32 | +7.3% | 320 |
| 15 | Delaware | $66,310 | $64,940 | $32 | +6% | 340 |
| 16 | Maine | $65,010 | $61,870 | $31 | +3.9% | 710 |
| 17 | New Hampshire | $64,810 | $62,940 | $31 | +3.6% | 510 |
| 18 | Maryland | $64,570 | $61,870 | $31 | +3.2% | 1,770 |
| 19 | Hawaii | $64,550 | $65,560 | $31 | +3.2% | 610 |
| 20 | Rhode Island | $64,260 | $61,820 | $31 | +2.8% | 420 |
| 21 | Wisconsin | $64,070 | $63,550 | $31 | +2.4% | 2,230 |
| 22 | Pennsylvania | $64,020 | $63,310 | $31 | +2.4% | 4,660 |
| 23 | North Dakota | $62,080 | $60,470 | $30 | -0.7% | 550 |
| 24 | Utah | $61,930 | $61,290 | $30 | -1% | 1,900 |
| 25 | Montana | $61,570 | $58,040 | $30 | -1.6% | 690 |
| 26 | Florida | $61,180 | $59,030 | $29 | -2.2% | 7,440 |
| 27 | Arizona | $61,160 | $61,340 | $29 | -2.2% | 3,950 |
| 28 | Iowa | $60,790 | $60,990 | $29 | -2.8% | 2,370 |
| 29 | Virginia | $60,500 | $59,420 | $29 | -3.3% | 3,460 |
| 30 | Nebraska | $60,380 | $61,220 | $29 | -3.5% | 740 |
| 31 | Michigan | $60,080 | $59,270 | $29 | -3.9% | 3,400 |
| 32 | Ohio | $58,990 | $59,170 | $28 | -5.7% | 5,870 |
| 33 | Indiana | $56,680 | $53,540 | $27 | -9.4% | 3,140 |
| 34 | South Carolina | $55,910 | $52,090 | $27 | -10.6% | 2,650 |
| 35 | South Dakota | $55,750 | $53,370 | $27 | -10.9% | 1,060 |
| 36 | Alabama | $55,300 | $51,870 | $27 | -11.6% | 2,770 |
| 37 | Idaho | $55,060 | $52,210 | $26 | -12% | 1,480 |
| 38 | North Carolina | $54,620 | $51,680 | $26 | -12.7% | 3,620 |
| 39 | New Mexico | $53,870 | $48,190 | $26 | -13.9% | 2,110 |
| 40 | Tennessee | $53,790 | $50,670 | $26 | -14% | 3,140 |
| 41 | Missouri | $53,190 | $49,940 | $26 | -15% | 3,000 |
| 42 | Texas | $51,920 | $49,460 | $25 | -17% | 10,520 |
| 43 | Georgia | $51,630 | $48,930 | $25 | -17.4% | 3,310 |
| 44 | West Virginia | $50,590 | $47,560 | $24 | -19.1% | 1,100 |
| 45 | Kansas | $49,290 | $46,780 | $24 | -21.2% | 1,560 |
| 46 | Mississippi | $49,060 | $46,480 | $24 | -21.6% | 1,150 |
| 47 | Louisiana | $48,160 | $46,210 | $23 | -23% | 2,450 |
| 48 | Kentucky | $47,770 | $45,430 | $23 | -23.6% | 2,540 |
| 49 | Oklahoma | $47,350 | $45,890 | $23 | -24.3% | 2,280 |
| 50 | Arkansas | $45,590 | $44,320 | $22 | -27.1% | 2,010 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 501 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $125,160 | $116,800 | 1,040 |
| 2 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $108,190 | $106,990 | 460 |
| 3 | Vallejo, CA | $106,150 | $99,500 | 200 |
| 4 | Napa, CA | $101,540 | $97,320 | 100 |
| 5 | Fairbanks-College, AK | $99,840 | $93,870 | 40 |
| 6 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $99,010 | $92,380 | 830 |
| 7 | Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $94,060 | $90,680 | 80 |
| 8 | Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA | $88,270 | $87,930 | 70 |
| 9 | Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA | $87,840 | $82,360 | 40 |
| 10 | Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | $87,310 | $83,270 | 90 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing water and wastewater treatment plant and system operatorss (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing | $108,700 | $101,850 | 40 |
| 2 | Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing | $108,700 | $101,850 | 40 |
| 3 | Fossil Fuel Electric Power Generation | $103,910 | $101,330 | 340 |
| 4 | Construction of Buildings | $98,290 | $94,350 | — |
| 5 | Motor Vehicle Manufacturing | $90,180 | $85,500 | 60 |
| 6 | Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing | $88,390 | $87,090 | 180 |
| 7 | Hospitals | $85,940 | $84,760 | 80 |
| 8 | Hospitals, State Government Owned | $83,860 | $79,850 | — |
| 9 | Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals, State Government Owned | $83,860 | $79,850 | — |
| 10 | Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals | $83,850 | $79,340 | — |
| 11 | Nonresidential Building Construction | $83,190 | $93,590 | — |
| 12 | Transportation Equipment Manufacturing | $80,900 | $78,620 | 360 |
Workforce Deep-Dive
Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.
Annual wage distribution
Pay by age band
Education level
Full-time vs part-time
Race / ethnicity
Top fields of study
Top Skills
Most important skills for this role (O*NET importance, 1–5 scale).
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators make in the U.S.?
The median water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators salary in the United States is $60,020 per year (mean $62,540), and about 80% earn between $39,110 and $91,060.
How much do water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators make per hour?
Roughly $30 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $62,540 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators the most?
California has the highest average pay for water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators at $87,190 per year (median $81,770).
What is the job outlook for water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators?
Employment is projected to change -6.5% from 2024 to 2034 (Decline), with about 10,700 openings per year.