Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators Wages
SOC 51-8031 • Full occupation profile
The median annual wage for Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators is $54,890 nationally (2023 BLS OEWS). The 10th percentile is $36,680 and the 90th percentile is $83,090, showing the wide spread of wages in this occupation.
National Wage Distribution (2023)
Employment
120,710
P10
$36,680
P25
$44,720
Median
$54,890
P75
$67,790
P90
$83,090
National Wage Trend
How national median and mean wages for Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators have moved across BLS OEWS release years.
| Year | Median | Mean | P10 | P90 | Employment | YoY Median |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | $54,890 | $58,050 | $36,680 | $83,090 | 120,710 | — |
| 2022 | $51,600 | $55,690 | $34,100 | $81,210 | 119,350 | -5.99% |
| 2021 | $47,880 | $52,320 | $30,070 | $77,170 | 121,150 | -7.21% |
| 2020 | $49,090 | $51,890 | $29,730 | $79,620 | 119,380 | +2.53% |
Wages by State (2023)
State-level OEWS wage estimates for Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators. The highest median is in Nevada at $80,260, 46% above the U.S. median.
| Area | Median Annual | vs National | Mean Annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nevada | $80,260 | +46.2% | $83,840 | — |
| California | $79,130 | +44.2% | $81,510 | 10,620 |
| Washington | $78,320 | +42.7% | $80,850 | 2,320 |
| Alaska | $77,350 | +40.9% | $73,060 | 480 |
| Connecticut | $74,600 | +35.9% | $74,420 | 910 |
| New Jersey | $70,000 | +27.5% | $69,470 | 2,230 |
| Illinois | $69,070 | +25.8% | $68,220 | 5,030 |
| Minnesota | $66,290 | +20.8% | $67,230 | 2,030 |
| Hawaii | $64,920 | +18.3% | $62,140 | 490 |
| Massachusetts | $64,340 | +17.2% | $67,470 | 2,410 |
| Oregon | $63,160 | +15.1% | $64,050 | 970 |
| Colorado | $62,880 | +14.6% | $64,240 | 2,090 |
| New York | $61,980 | +12.9% | $66,230 | 4,470 |
| Pennsylvania | $59,520 | +8.4% | $59,190 | 5,200 |
| Wisconsin | $59,310 | +8.1% | $60,170 | 2,220 |
| Rhode Island | $57,670 | +5.1% | $59,760 | 350 |
| Vermont | $57,580 | +4.9% | $57,710 | 310 |
| Montana | $57,470 | +4.7% | $56,620 | 560 |
| Delaware | $57,060 | +4% | $58,560 | 270 |
| Iowa | $56,880 | +3.6% | $54,480 | 2,150 |
| Michigan | $56,480 | +2.9% | $57,340 | 2,690 |
| New Hampshire | $56,010 | +2% | $57,560 | 420 |
| Utah | $55,200 | +0.6% | $56,310 | 1,400 |
| Arizona | $55,120 | +0.4% | $56,500 | 3,890 |
| Ohio | $54,610 | -0.5% | $55,240 | 5,580 |
| North Dakota | $53,400 | -2.7% | $56,950 | 410 |
| Wyoming | $52,720 | -4% | $57,430 | 470 |
| Maryland | $52,320 | -4.7% | $57,360 | 1,690 |
| Florida | $52,120 | -5% | $56,210 | 7,330 |
| South Dakota | $52,000 | -5.3% | $54,180 | 940 |
| Nebraska | $51,140 | -6.8% | $54,270 | 860 |
| Indiana | $50,810 | -7.4% | $52,930 | 3,060 |
| Maine | $50,050 | -8.8% | $52,330 | 830 |
| Virginia | $49,680 | -9.5% | $52,040 | 2,820 |
| Missouri | $49,110 | -10.5% | $50,590 | 2,670 |
| Tennessee | $48,500 | -11.6% | $51,870 | 3,220 |
| North Carolina | $48,460 | -11.7% | $50,530 | 3,280 |
| South Carolina | $48,050 | -12.5% | $49,290 | 2,090 |
| Idaho | $48,000 | -12.6% | $48,510 | 960 |
| Georgia | $47,800 | -12.9% | $49,090 | 2,820 |
| Kentucky | $47,110 | -14.2% | $48,010 | 2,610 |
| Alabama | $46,740 | -14.8% | $48,170 | 2,370 |
| Kansas | $45,960 | -16.3% | $47,140 | 1,370 |
| Texas | $45,900 | -16.4% | $48,420 | 10,770 |
| New Mexico | $43,980 | -19.9% | $47,490 | 1,380 |
| West Virginia | $43,260 | -21.2% | $44,360 | 1,170 |
| Mississippi | $41,270 | -24.8% | $42,250 | 1,470 |
| Louisiana | $39,360 | -28.3% | $43,060 | 2,080 |
| Arkansas | $39,150 | -28.7% | $44,790 | 2,010 |
| Oklahoma | $38,250 | -30.3% | $41,450 | 2,270 |