Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators pay in the U.S.
$62,540avg. a year
$30.07 an hour · 128,490 employed
Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators in the U.S. earn an average of $62,540 a year and a median of $60,020. Pay is highest in California ($87,190) and lowest in Arkansas ($45,590).
$60,020Median pay
$30.07Average hourly
+21%Avg. pay since 2020
128,490Jobs in the U.S.
Top-paying states for water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators
Average pay by state. Swipe to see the top 10.
111,630 jobs
California
$87,190
$41.92 an hour
22,030 jobs
Washington
$82,770
$39.80 an hour
3
Nevada
$80,880
$38.89 an hour
4980 jobs
Connecticut
$78,890
$37.93 an hour
52,500 jobs
New Jersey
$77,530
$37.27 an hour
62,620 jobs
Colorado
$72,670
$34.94 an hour
73,500 jobs
Illinois
$71,820
$34.53 an hour
8500 jobs
Wyoming
$71,550
$34.40 an hour
92,290 jobs
Minnesota
$71,490
$34.37 an hour
101,240 jobs
Oregon
$70,620
$33.95 an hour
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators pay, charted
Pay over time
United States, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where the jobs are
Employment by state, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · tap a state
AKMEWIVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILMINYMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTRICAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL
Under $55k$55k–$62k$62k–$69k$69k+
Top-paying metro areas
Average pay, May 2025 (areas with 100+ jobs)
| Metro area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $116,800 | $56.15 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $106,990 | $51.44 |
| Vallejo, CA | $99,500 | $47.84 |
| Napa, CA | $97,320 | $46.79 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $92,380 | $44.41 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $89,620 | $43.09 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $88,190 | $42.40 |
| Salinas, CA | $87,210 | $41.93 |
Related jobs
Average U.S. pay, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators pay in every state
States without a figure had too few jobs or too little survey data for BLS to publish.
| State | Avg. pay | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $55,300 | $51,870 | 2,770 |
| Alaska | $68,600 | $60,160 | 750 |
| Arizona | $61,160 | $61,340 | 3,950 |
| Arkansas | $45,590 | $44,320 | 2,010 |
| California | $87,190 | $81,770 | 11,630 |
| Colorado | $72,670 | $74,200 | 2,620 |
| Connecticut | $78,890 | $78,820 | 980 |
| Delaware | $66,310 | $64,940 | 340 |
| Florida | $61,180 | $59,030 | 7,440 |
| Georgia | $51,630 | $48,930 | 3,310 |
| Hawaii | $64,550 | $65,560 | 610 |
| Idaho | $55,060 | $52,210 | 1,480 |
| Illinois | $71,820 | $67,810 | 3,500 |
| Indiana | $56,680 | $53,540 | 3,140 |
| Iowa | $60,790 | $60,990 | 2,370 |
| Kansas | $49,290 | $46,780 | 1,560 |
| Kentucky | $47,770 | $45,430 | 2,540 |
| Louisiana | $48,160 | $46,210 | 2,450 |
| Maine | $65,010 | $61,870 | 710 |
| Maryland | $64,570 | $61,870 | 1,770 |
| Massachusetts | $69,900 | $68,550 | 2,510 |
| Michigan | $60,080 | $59,270 | 3,400 |
| Minnesota | $71,490 | $74,670 | 2,290 |
| Mississippi | $49,060 | $46,480 | 1,150 |
| Missouri | $53,190 | $49,940 | 3,000 |
| Montana | $61,570 | $58,040 | 690 |
| Nebraska | $60,380 | $61,220 | 740 |
| Nevada | $80,880 | $81,440 | – |
| New Hampshire | $64,810 | $62,940 | 510 |
| New Jersey | $77,530 | $78,760 | 2,500 |
| New Mexico | $53,870 | $48,190 | 2,110 |
| New York | $69,680 | $63,990 | 5,300 |
| North Carolina | $54,620 | $51,680 | 3,620 |
| North Dakota | $62,080 | $60,470 | 550 |
| Ohio | $58,990 | $59,170 | 5,870 |
| Oklahoma | $47,350 | $45,890 | 2,280 |
| Oregon | $70,620 | $69,720 | 1,240 |
| Pennsylvania | $64,020 | $63,310 | 4,660 |
| Rhode Island | $64,260 | $61,820 | 420 |
| South Carolina | $55,910 | $52,090 | 2,650 |
| South Dakota | $55,750 | $53,370 | 1,060 |
| Tennessee | $53,790 | $50,670 | 3,140 |
| Texas | $51,920 | $49,460 | 10,520 |
| Utah | $61,930 | $61,290 | 1,900 |
| Vermont | $67,130 | $63,640 | 320 |
| Virginia | $60,500 | $59,420 | 3,460 |
| Washington | $82,770 | $80,800 | 2,030 |
| West Virginia | $50,590 | $47,560 | 1,100 |
| Wisconsin | $64,070 | $63,550 | 2,230 |
| Wyoming | $71,550 | $63,260 | 500 |
Metro areas with the most jobs
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ
$81,950
3,690 jobsPhoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ
$64,370
2,570 jobsLos Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
$86,460
2,230 jobsHouston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX
$55,330
1,980 jobsDallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
$54,990
1,910 jobsChicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
$80,080
1,770 jobsPhiladelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD
$68,040
1,650 jobsWashington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
$73,460
1,630 jobsQuestions and answers
How much do water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators make?
The average is $62,540 a year across the U.S. Half earn more than $60,020 and half earn less (the median).
What is the hourly pay?
The average hourly wage is $30.07, and the median is $28.86 an hour.
Which state pays water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators the most?
California, with an average of $87,190 a year. The best-paying metro area is San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA at $116,800.
What is the pay range?
The lowest-paid 10% earn under $39,110 a year, and the top 10% earn over $91,060.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 51-8031. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.