State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operator Salary (2026): Data, Outlook & How to Become One
The median pay for Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators is $60,020 a year ($28.86/hr), according to BLS OEWS, May 2025. Employment is projected to fall 6.5% through 2034, with about 10,700 openings a year (BLS EP, 2024–2034). Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent.
SOC 51-8031ProductionLast updated August 15, 2026
- Median pay
- $60,020
- Projected growth
- -6.5%
- Openings a year
- 10,700
- Typical education
- High school
BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
Also advertised as: Plant Operator, Process Operator (Process Op), Relief Operator, Waste Water Treatment Plant Operator (WWTP Operator), Wastewater Operator (WW Operator), Wastewater Technician (Wastewater Tech).
How much do Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators make?
10th percentile$39,110
Entry / lowest-paid tenth
25th percentile$48,040
Lower quartile
Median (50th)$60,020
Half earn more, half earn less
75th percentile$74,780
Upper quartile
90th percentile$91,060
Top-paid tenth
| Median annual wage | $60,020 |
|---|---|
| Median hourly wage | $28.86/hr |
| Mean annual wage | $62,540 |
| People employed | 128,490 |
Versus all US occupations
At $60,020, Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators earn 18% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $9,040 a year.
Versus production occupations
Inside the Production group, where the middle occupation pays $47,920, this is 25% above the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $91,060 or more while the bottom 10% earn $39,110, a gap of 2.3×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 42% of the 923 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Cost of living
California posts the highest raw median ($81,770), but once local prices are taken into account Nevada leads at $81,457 in national-average dollars.
Which states pay Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators the most?
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $81,770 | $73,853 | 11,630 |
| Nevada | $81,440 | $81,457 | N/A |
| Washington | $80,800 | $75,505 | 2,030 |
| Connecticut | $78,820 | $76,074 | 980 |
| New Jersey | $78,760 | $72,386 | 2,500 |
| Minnesota | $74,670 | $75,714 | 2,290 |
| Colorado | $74,200 | $72,002 | 2,620 |
| Oregon | $69,720 | $67,453 | 1,240 |
| Massachusetts | $68,550 | $64,818 | 2,510 |
| Illinois | $67,810 | $67,838 | 3,500 |
Is Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operator a growing career?
Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators-6.5%
All US occupations3.1%
-6.5% projected growth vs 3.1% for all occupations.
Declining
BLS projects employment of Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators to change -6.5% over 2024–2034, while total US employment is projected to rise 3.1%. That is 8,700 fewer jobs.
Annual openings
About 10,700 openings are projected each year, 8.1% of the 132,400 jobs that existed in 2024. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
As water and wastewater treatment plants become more advanced with automated systems to manage treatment processes, fewer workers may be needed. Although some work can be automated, plants will still need skilled workers to operate increasingly complex controls and water and wastewater systems.
How to become a Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operator
Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators typically need at least a high school diploma or equivalent. They also complete on-the-job training. A state license is usually required; however, entry-level workers often complete their licensing requirements during on-the-job training.
| Typical entry-level education | High school diploma or equivalent |
|---|---|
| Preparation needed (O*NET job zone) | Little or no preparation |
| Work experience in a related occupation | None |
| Typical on-the-job training | Long-term on-the-job training |
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators.
- High School Diploma50.0%
- Post-Secondary Certificate37.5%
- Some College Courses8.3%
- Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)4.2%
What does a Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operator do?
Operate or control an entire process or system of machines, often through the use of control boards, to transfer or treat water or wastewater.
Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators manage a system of machines, often through the use of computerized systems, to transfer or treat water or wastewater.
Day-to-day tasks
- Collect and test water and sewage samples, using test equipment and color analysis standards.
- Operate and adjust controls on equipment to purify and clarify water, process or dispose of sewage, and generate power.
- Record operational data, personnel attendance, or meter and gauge readings on specified forms.
- Inspect equipment or monitor operating conditions, meters, and gauges to determine load requirements and detect malfunctions.
- Add chemicals, such as ammonia, chlorine, or lime, to disinfect and deodorize water and other liquids.
- Direct and coordinate plant workers engaged in routine operations and maintenance activities.
- Clean and maintain tanks, filter beds, and other work areas, using hand tools and power tools.
- Maintain, repair, and lubricate equipment, using hand tools and power tools.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Where water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators work
| Local government, excluding education and hospitals | 74% |
|---|---|
| Utilities | 13% |
| Manufacturing | 4% |
| Waste management and remediation services | 2% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 1% |
BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2024–2034 edition.
Core skills
- Monitoring3.6/5
- Active Listening3.1/5
- Speaking3.1/5
- Reading Comprehension3.0/5
- Critical Thinking3.0/5
- Mathematics2.9/5
- Writing2.8/5
- Active Learning2.8/5
Transferable skills
- Operation and Control4.0/5
- Operations Monitoring3.9/5
- Equipment Maintenance3.1/5
- Troubleshooting3.1/5
- Repairing3.1/5
- Quality Control Analysis3.1/5
- Coordination3.0/5
- Complex Problem Solving3.0/5
Tools and software
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Compliance software
- Data base user interface and query software
- Document management software
- Geographic information system
- Industrial control software
- Time accounting software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
What personality type suits a Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operator?
Interest profile: O*NET Occupational Interests, scored 1–7
Realisticprimary6.8
Investigative2.5
Artistic1.0
Social1.6
Enterprising1.6
Conventionalprimary4.6
Day to day this is work built around hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors, combined with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data.
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operator: frequently asked questions
How much do Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators make?
Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators earn a median of $60,020 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), 18% above the $50,980 US median across all occupations. That works out at $28.86/hr. The middle half earn between $48,040 and $74,780. The top 10% earn $91,060 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operator?
No. A bachelor's degree is not the norm: BLS reports a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education for Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators. BLS also lists long-term on-the-job training as typical on-the-job training. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 50.0% hold high school diploma.
Is Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operator a growing career?
No. BLS projects employment to fall 6.5% over 2024–2034, a loss of 8,700 jobs (BLS EP, 2024–2034). BLS still projects about 10,700 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operator do?
Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators manage a system of machines, often through the use of computerized systems, to transfer or treat water or wastewater. A core O*NET task: collect and test water and sewage samples, using test equipment and color analysis standards. Employers most often ask for Electronic mail software, Office suite software, Presentation software.
Which states pay Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators the most?
The highest state medians for Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators are California ($81,770), Nevada ($81,440), Washington ($80,800) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Adjusted for local prices using BEA Regional Price Parities, Nevada moves to the top at $81,457.
What personality type suits a Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operator?
O*NET scores Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators highest on the Realistic and Conventional interest areas, so the work mixes hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping that lines up most closely with ISTJ personalities. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 923 occupations in the bank.