Outpaid

Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators salary

The BLS estimates 128,490 Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators jobs in the U.S. with a median base pay of $60,020 (May 2025, SOC 51-8031). Across 187 metros with published figures, medians range from $29,220 in San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR to $125,160 in San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA.

WATER AND WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT AND SYSTEM OPERATORS · UNITED STATES · BLS
BLS · UNITED STATES · ALL EMPLOYERS, ALL EXPERIENCE LEVELS
P10$39,110P25$48,040MEDIAN$60,020P75$74,780P90$91,060
30 SECONDS · NO SIGNUP · ON-DEVICE

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HIGHEST-PAYING METROS

  1. San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$125,160 · 1,040 jobs
  2. San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$108,190 · 460 jobs
  3. Vallejo, CA$106,150 · 200 jobs
  4. Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$99,010 · 830 jobs
  5. Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA$85,960 · 250 jobs
  6. Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA$85,950 · 1,010 jobs
  7. Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV$84,450 · 300 jobs
  8. Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA$83,860 · 450 jobs
  9. New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ$83,320 · 3,690 jobs
  10. San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA$83,190 · 200 jobs

LARGEST METROS

  1. New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ$83,320 · 3,690 jobs
  2. Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ$63,660 · 2,570 jobs
  3. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$82,460 · 2,230 jobs
  4. Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX$51,940 · 1,980 jobs
  5. Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX$51,780 · 1,910 jobs
  6. Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$79,290 · 1,770 jobs
  7. Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD$66,680 · 1,650 jobs
  8. Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$73,600 · 1,630 jobs
  9. Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL$62,960 · 1,610 jobs
  10. Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA$82,780 · 1,580 jobs

ALL METROS (A–Z)

Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA · Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH · Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN · Cleveland, OH · Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX · Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI · Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX · Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA · Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL · Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI · New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ · Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD · Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ · Pittsburgh, PA · Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA · Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA · San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA · St. Louis, MO-IL · Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL · Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV

Questions

What is the median Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators salary in the U.S.?

$60,020 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half earn $48,040–$74,780.

Where do Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators earn the most?

Highest metro medians: San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA ($125,160), San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($108,190), Vallejo, CA ($106,150). Cost of living differs, so compare offers locally.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025 (metro, state and national estimates). Employer filing counts: U.S. DOL OFLC LCA disclosure data FY2026 Q3, visa-sponsored positions only.