Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators pay in Wisconsin
$64,070avg. a year
$30.80 an hour · 2,230 employed
Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators in Wisconsin earn an average of $64,070 a year. That is $1,530 (2%) more than the U.S. average of $62,540. The best-paying metro area is Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI at $74,600.
$63,550Median pay
$30.80Average hourly
+17%Avg. pay since 2020
#21Of 50 states
Top-paying Wisconsin metro areas
Average pay for water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators by metro area. Swipe to see all 15.
11,010 jobs
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI
$74,600
$35.86 an hour
250 jobs
Sheboygan, WI
$70,070
$33.69 an hour
3150 jobs
Madison, WI
$69,820
$33.57 an hour
490 jobs
Appleton, WI
$68,530
$32.95 an hour
5140 jobs
Green Bay, WI
$68,360
$32.86 an hour
630 jobs
Kenosha, WI
$68,300
$32.84 an hour
750 jobs
Racine-Mount Pleasant, WI
$68,030
$32.71 an hour
8440 jobs
Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI
$67,590
$32.49 an hour
9180 jobs
Duluth, MN-WI
$66,640
$32.04 an hour
1050 jobs
Janesville-Beloit, WI
$65,560
$31.52 an hour
1180 jobs
Oshkosh-Neenah, WI
$64,930
$31.22 an hour
1280 jobs
Eau Claire, WI
$63,300
$30.43 an hour
1360 jobs
La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN
$62,230
$29.92 an hour
1440 jobs
Fond du Lac, WI
$61,380
$29.51 an hour
1550 jobs
Wausau, WI
$61,050
$29.35 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 in Wisconsin, charted
Pay over time
Wisconsin, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where Wisconsin water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators work
Employment by metro area, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · Wisconsin highlighted · tap a state
AKMEWIVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILMINYMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTRICAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL
Under $55k$55k–$62k$62k–$69k$69k+Wisconsin
Wisconsin vs. neighbors
Average pay, May 2025
| Area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| United States | $62,540 | $30.07 |
| Wisconsin | $64,070 | $30.80 |
| Illinois | $71,820 | $34.53 |
| Minnesota | $71,490 | $34.37 |
| Iowa | $60,790 | $29.23 |
| Michigan | $60,080 | $28.88 |
Related jobs in Wisconsin
- Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators$46,340
- First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers$75,510
- Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers$52,580
- Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers$57,920
- Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders$46,270
- Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers$80,510
Average pay, Wisconsin, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Questions and answers
How much do water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators make in Wisconsin?
The average is $64,070 a year, and the median is $63,550. That is $1,530 (2%) more than the U.S. average of $62,540.
What is the hourly wage in Wisconsin?
$30.80 an hour on average; the median is $30.56.
Where in Wisconsin do they earn the most?
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI ($74,600), followed by Sheboygan, WI ($70,070). The lowest average among 15 metro areas with data is Wausau, WI ($61,050).
How does Wisconsin rank?
Wisconsin ranks #21 of 50 states (including D.C.) with published data for this job, by average pay.
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. State rank compares average pay across states with published data. Metro figures cover metropolitan statistical areas; a metro area can cross state lines. See also the national water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators page. 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.