Pay by state · 52 states
Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operator Salary by State (2026)
Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators earn the most in California at $81,770 a year and the least in Puerto Rico at $29,220 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $60,020. All 52 states and territories with reported data are ranked below, with a cost-of-living adjusted column.
- Highest median
- $81,770California
- National median
- $60,020BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Lowest median
- $29,220Puerto Rico
- States reporting
- 52of 54 OEWS areas
All states
Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operator salary in every state
Sort by any column. Employment is the number of water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators OEWS estimates in that state; blank cells are estimates BLS suppressed because the sample was too small.
| # | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CACalifornia | $81,770 | $65,250 | $103,550 | 11,630 | $73,853 |
| 2 | NVNevada | $81,440 | $64,090 | $98,390 | N/A | $81,457 |
| 3 | WAWashington | $80,800 | $67,690 | $99,940 | 2,030 | $75,505 |
| 4 | CTConnecticut | $78,820 | $64,670 | $93,340 | 980 | $76,074 |
| 5 | NJNew Jersey | $78,760 | $62,280 | $93,520 | 2,500 | $72,386 |
| 6 | MNMinnesota | $74,670 | $62,850 | $79,590 | 2,290 | $75,714 |
| 7 | COColorado | $74,200 | $60,080 | $83,620 | 2,620 | $72,002 |
| 8 | OROregon | $69,720 | $60,670 | $80,540 | 1,240 | $67,453 |
| 9 | MAMassachusetts | $68,550 | $60,120 | $79,050 | 2,510 | $64,818 |
| 10 | ILIllinois | $67,810 | $55,260 | $83,140 | 3,500 | $67,838 |
| 11 | HIHawaii | $65,560 | $55,470 | $78,320 | 610 | $59,627 |
| 12 | DEDelaware | $64,940 | $54,960 | $76,240 | 340 | $65,065 |
| 13 | NYNew York | $63,990 | $53,700 | $79,670 | 5,300 | $59,293 |
| 14 | VTVermont | $63,640 | $57,240 | $76,580 | 320 | $64,967 |
| 15 | WIWisconsin | $63,550 | $54,860 | $72,610 | 2,230 | $67,538 |
| 16 | PAPennsylvania | $63,310 | $54,540 | $74,300 | 4,660 | $64,885 |
| 17 | WYWyoming | $63,260 | $52,320 | $83,820 | 500 | $68,248 |
| 18 | NHNew Hampshire | $62,940 | $54,630 | $72,610 | 510 | $60,423 |
| 19 | MEMaine | $61,870 | $57,920 | $72,480 | 710 | $63,751 |
| 20 | MDMaryland | $61,870 | $49,820 | $76,850 | 1,770 | $58,947 |
| 21 | RIRhode Island | $61,820 | $53,020 | $75,720 | 420 | $60,442 |
| 22 | AZArizona | $61,340 | $50,130 | $67,200 | 3,950 | $60,928 |
| 23 | UTUtah | $61,290 | $49,730 | $73,090 | 1,900 | $61,994 |
| 24 | NENebraska | $61,220 | $50,670 | $67,940 | 740 | $67,944 |
| 25 | IAIowa | $60,990 | $50,300 | $67,390 | 2,370 | $69,495 |
| 26 | NDNorth Dakota | $60,470 | $51,130 | $72,940 | 550 | $67,975 |
| 27 | AKAlaska | $60,160 | $46,800 | $83,700 | 750 | $58,774 |
| 28 | VAVirginia | $59,420 | $47,980 | $73,600 | 3,460 | $58,771 |
| 29 | MIMichigan | $59,270 | $49,790 | $64,540 | 3,400 | $61,600 |
| 30 | OHOhio | $59,170 | $48,980 | $65,670 | 5,870 | $63,779 |
| 31 | FLFlorida | $59,030 | $47,580 | $72,830 | 7,440 | $57,081 |
| 32 | MTMontana | $58,040 | $49,960 | $68,580 | 690 | $61,324 |
| 33 | INIndiana | $53,540 | $47,570 | $62,120 | 3,140 | $57,367 |
| 34 | SDSouth Dakota | $53,370 | $48,100 | $62,230 | 1,060 | $60,247 |
| 35 | IDIdaho | $52,210 | $45,940 | $61,600 | 1,480 | $54,674 |
| 36 | SCSouth Carolina | $52,090 | $45,810 | $63,370 | 2,650 | $55,563 |
| 37 | ALAlabama | $51,870 | $41,250 | $65,360 | 2,770 | $58,397 |
| 38 | NCNorth Carolina | $51,680 | $45,850 | $61,740 | 3,620 | $54,789 |
| 39 | TNTennessee | $50,670 | $43,250 | $61,910 | 3,140 | $55,154 |
| 40 | MOMissouri | $49,940 | $45,460 | $58,400 | 3,000 | $54,990 |
| 41 | TXTexas | $49,460 | $41,740 | $60,810 | 10,520 | $50,960 |
| 42 | GAGeorgia | $48,930 | $42,300 | $59,870 | 3,310 | $50,814 |
| 43 | NMNew Mexico | $48,190 | $38,270 | $62,190 | 2,110 | $52,260 |
| 44 | VIU.S. Virgin Islands | $48,030 | $45,130 | $72,840 | 30 | N/A |
| 45 | WVWest Virginia | $47,560 | $41,110 | $57,970 | 1,100 | $53,141 |
| 46 | KSKansas | $46,780 | $40,830 | $56,240 | 1,560 | $51,939 |
| 47 | MSMississippi | $46,480 | $37,770 | $59,850 | 1,150 | $53,454 |
| 48 | LALouisiana | $46,210 | $37,120 | $55,910 | 2,450 | $52,388 |
| 49 | OKOklahoma | $45,890 | $38,130 | $52,000 | 2,280 | $52,241 |
| 50 | KYKentucky | $45,430 | $36,050 | $57,510 | 2,540 | $50,389 |
| 51 | ARArkansas | $44,320 | $37,150 | $52,620 | 2,010 | $50,979 |
| 52 | PRPuerto Rico | $29,220 | $22,150 | $33,100 | 1,030 | N/A |
Method
How the cost-of-living adjustment works
The adjusted column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity (RPP) and multiplies by 100. RPPs measure how much a fixed basket of goods, services and rents costs in one state relative to the national average, so the result restates local pay in national-average dollars.
For Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators, that changes the ranking: California leads on raw pay at $81,770, while Nevada leads once prices are taken into account at $81,457.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities by State, 2024 (public domain). The adjustment is NueCareer's calculation, not a BLS or BEA published statistic.
Questions
Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operator pay by state: FAQ
Which state pays Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators the most?
California reports the highest median wage for Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators at $81,770 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), followed by Nevada ($81,440) and Washington ($80,800).
Which state pays Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators the least?
Puerto Rico reports the lowest median for Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators at $29,220 a year, $52,550 below the highest-paying state (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Where do Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators earn the most after cost of living?
Dividing each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity puts Nevada first at $81,457 in national-average dollars, from a raw median of $81,440. BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.