Sort by any column. Employment is the number of water/wastewater engineers OEWS estimates in that state; blank cells are estimates BLS suppressed because the sample was too small.
Water/Wastewater Engineer Salary by State (2026)
Water/Wastewater Engineers earn the most in California at $122,500 a year and the least in Puerto Rico at $61,060 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $100,840. All 53 states and territories with reported data are ranked below, with a cost-of-living adjusted column.
- Highest median
- $122,500
- National median
- $100,840
- Lowest median
- $61,060
- States reporting
- 53
California
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Puerto Rico
of 54 OEWS areas
Top 5 states for Water/Wastewater Engineers
- 1. California$122,500 median · $110,639 adjusted · 55,180 employed
- 2. Alaska$114,730 median · $112,086 adjusted · 1,670 employed
- 3. Washington$110,000 median · $102,791 adjusted · 12,590 employed
- 4. Massachusetts$106,730 median · $100,920 adjusted · 9,450 employed
- 5. Louisiana$105,380 median · $119,469 adjusted · 3,780 employed
Lowest-paying states for Water/Wastewater Engineers
- 53. Puerto Rico$61,060 median · no price parity · 1,750 employed
- 52. Guam$67,410 median · no price parity · 640 employed
- 51. Georgia$84,240 median · $87,483 adjusted · 9,400 employed
- 50. Arkansas$85,020 median · $97,795 adjusted · 1,870 employed
- 49. West Virginia$86,930 median · $97,132 adjusted · 1,300 employed
Water/Wastewater Engineer salary in every state
| # | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $122,500 | $96,590 | $149,350 | 55,180 | $110,639 |
| 2 | Alaska | $114,730 | $94,960 | $134,280 | 1,670 | $112,086 |
| 3 | Washington | $110,000 | $96,230 | $133,050 | 12,590 | $102,791 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $106,730 | $84,570 | $134,810 | 9,450 | $100,920 |
| 5 | Louisiana | $105,380 | $78,770 | $127,940 | 3,780 | $119,469 |
| 6 | Oregon | $105,250 | $82,580 | $135,870 | 4,890 | $101,828 |
| 7 | New Jersey | $104,660 | $82,270 | $134,270 | 6,900 | $96,190 |
| 8 | Nevada | $104,310 | $83,530 | $148,150 | 3,560 | $104,332 |
| 9 | New Mexico | $103,900 | $79,570 | $129,310 | 1,350 | $112,675 |
| 10 | District of Columbia | $103,880 | $82,120 | $130,720 | 1,650 | $94,521 |
| 11 | New York | $103,760 | $84,740 | $135,920 | 17,500 | $96,144 |
| 12 | Connecticut | $103,150 | $83,390 | $130,150 | 4,370 | $99,556 |
| 13 | Nebraska | $103,150 | $80,410 | $125,930 | 2,360 | $114,480 |
| 14 | South Carolina | $101,600 | $80,360 | $131,550 | 7,180 | $108,374 |
| 15 | Minnesota | $101,480 | $80,500 | $129,670 | 4,710 | $102,899 |
| 16 | Colorado | $101,420 | $82,830 | $132,200 | 13,290 | $98,416 |
| 17 | Kentucky | $100,930 | $78,960 | $122,930 | 2,690 | $111,947 |
| 18 | North Carolina | $100,730 | $79,140 | $125,730 | 12,810 | $106,789 |
| 19 | Maryland | $100,680 | $81,640 | $126,620 | 5,240 | $95,923 |
| 20 | Delaware | $100,220 | $81,470 | $126,810 | 920 | $100,413 |
| 21 | Mississippi | $100,170 | $75,730 | $124,240 | 1,770 | $115,200 |
| 22 | Illinois | $99,760 | $79,650 | $125,990 | 13,910 | $99,802 |
| 23 | Rhode Island | $99,300 | $79,040 | $150,160 | 1,270 | $97,086 |
| 24 | Alabama | $99,010 | $77,750 | $128,900 | 5,370 | $111,469 |
| 25 | Oklahoma | $98,760 | $79,170 | $127,590 | 2,180 | $112,428 |
| 26 | New Hampshire | $98,710 | $76,960 | $118,980 | 1,620 | $94,763 |
| 27 | South Dakota | $98,700 | $80,560 | $115,180 | 1,440 | $111,417 |
| 28 | Florida | $98,570 | $76,740 | $128,450 | 23,750 | $95,316 |
| 29 | Indiana | $98,270 | $77,510 | $121,550 | 4,030 | $105,294 |
| 30 | North Dakota | $98,190 | $76,950 | $117,060 | 1,380 | $110,377 |
| 31 | Idaho | $98,030 | $78,990 | $113,160 | 2,630 | $102,656 |
| 32 | Pennsylvania | $97,850 | $77,920 | $122,320 | 15,870 | $100,285 |
| 33 | Maine | $97,820 | $80,410 | $113,330 | 1,240 | $100,793 |
| 34 | Virginia | $97,120 | $79,150 | $126,780 | 11,350 | $96,060 |
| 35 | Kansas | $96,880 | $77,170 | $125,990 | 2,880 | $107,563 |
| 36 | Texas | $96,860 | $77,200 | $127,340 | 34,870 | $99,797 |
| 37 | Utah | $96,830 | $78,510 | $123,240 | 5,670 | $97,943 |
| 38 | Iowa | $96,430 | $76,760 | $120,230 | 2,500 | $109,877 |
| 39 | Ohio | $96,220 | $77,820 | $124,930 | 10,560 | $103,714 |
| 40 | Tennessee | $95,910 | $76,900 | $123,160 | 5,790 | $104,398 |
| 41 | Vermont | $95,600 | $78,870 | $104,770 | 770 | $97,593 |
| 42 | Wisconsin | $94,600 | $75,920 | $111,400 | 7,410 | $100,537 |
| 43 | Hawaii | $94,280 | $77,720 | $113,550 | 2,640 | $85,747 |
| 44 | Montana | $93,070 | $76,770 | $105,980 | 1,870 | $98,336 |
| 45 | Missouri | $92,750 | $77,410 | $114,990 | 5,760 | $102,128 |
| 46 | Michigan | $92,100 | $75,470 | $109,870 | 7,760 | $95,721 |
| 47 | Wyoming | $90,590 | $77,610 | $106,220 | 990 | $97,733 |
| 48 | Arizona | $89,660 | $76,340 | $109,930 | 5,940 | $89,057 |
| 49 | West Virginia | $86,930 | $62,070 | $112,400 | 1,300 | $97,132 |
| 50 | Arkansas | $85,020 | $64,500 | $105,090 | 1,870 | $97,795 |
| 51 | Georgia | $84,240 | $75,090 | $114,380 | 9,400 | $87,483 |
| 52 | Guam | $67,410 | $56,500 | $79,510 | 640 | N/A |
| 53 | Puerto Rico | $61,060 | $47,470 | $76,950 | 1,750 | N/A |
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/Wastewater Engineers, that changes the ranking: California leads on raw pay at $122,500, while Louisiana leads once prices are taken into account at $119,469.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities by State, 2024 (public domain). The adjustment is NueCareer's calculation, not a BLS or BEA published statistic.
Water/Wastewater Engineer pay by state: FAQ
Which state pays Water/Wastewater Engineers the most?
California reports the highest median wage for Water/Wastewater Engineers at $122,500 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), followed by Alaska ($114,730) and Washington ($110,000).
Which state pays Water/Wastewater Engineers the least?
Puerto Rico reports the lowest median for Water/Wastewater Engineers at $61,060 a year, $61,440 below the highest-paying state (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Where do Water/Wastewater Engineers earn the most after cost of living?
Dividing each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity puts Louisiana first at $119,469 in national-average dollars, from a raw median of $105,380. BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
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