SOC 51-8031 · Production Occupations
Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators wages by metro
National median annual wage
$60,020
- 10th percentile
- $39,110
- 25th percentile
- $48,040
- Median
- $60,020
- 75th percentile
- $74,780
- 90th percentile
- $91,060
- Mean
- $62,540
Annual wage from the May 2025 OEWS estimates.
National employment in May 2025: 128,490.
That median is 17.7% higher than the all-occupations national median of $50,980.
The metro and state figures below are the same May 2025 release. A blank wage means BLS did not publish it. See when a wage is not published.
Highest published medians
| Occupation | Employment | 10th | Median | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 1,040 | $73,570 | $125,160 | $147,790 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 460 | $63,150 | $108,190 | $139,050 |
| Vallejo, CA | 200 | $65,390 | $106,150 | $129,470 |
| Napa, CA | 100 | $61,400 | $101,540 | $127,960 |
| Fairbanks-College, AK | 40 | $52,200 | $99,840 | $106,920 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 830 | $62,540 | $99,010 | $119,000 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | 80 | $60,650 | $94,060 | $119,090 |
| Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA | 70 | $65,710 | $88,270 | $100,800 |
| Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA | 40 | $63,230 | $87,840 | $101,350 |
| Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | 90 | $59,670 | $87,310 | $102,050 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | 250 | $57,660 | $85,960 | $127,550 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | 1,010 | $61,970 | $85,950 | $118,340 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | 300 | $63,670 | $84,450 | $99,690 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | 450 | $53,690 | $83,860 | $101,290 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 3,690 | $52,030 | $83,320 | $102,500 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | 200 | $58,010 | $83,190 | $104,990 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 1,580 | $56,870 | $82,780 | $112,070 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 2,230 | $54,240 | $82,460 | $116,900 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | 190 | $62,480 | $82,200 | $102,440 |
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | 170 | $64,390 | $81,810 | $99,880 |
Where employment is largest
| Occupation | Employment | 10th | Median | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 3,690 | $52,030 | $83,320 | $102,500 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 2,570 | $49,780 | $63,660 | $80,040 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 2,230 | $54,240 | $82,460 | $116,900 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 1,980 | $37,180 | $51,940 | $74,920 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 1,910 | $39,910 | $51,780 | $72,120 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 1,770 | $50,690 | $79,290 | $110,830 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 1,650 | $50,060 | $66,680 | $84,360 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 1,630 | $50,240 | $73,600 | $101,260 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 1,610 | $45,890 | $62,960 | $100,390 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 1,580 | $56,870 | $82,780 | $112,070 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 1,460 | $39,580 | $52,160 | $78,550 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 1,460 | $54,220 | $73,330 | $93,060 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | 1,330 | $41,370 | $58,590 | $86,070 |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | 1,220 | $44,780 | $57,850 | $81,660 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | 1,160 | $46,720 | $61,760 | $82,640 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 1,040 | $73,570 | $125,160 | $147,790 |
| Cleveland, OH | 1,020 | $47,630 | $63,260 | $80,190 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | 1,020 | $45,750 | $65,480 | $89,170 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 1,010 | $57,160 | $77,170 | $87,510 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | 1,010 | $61,970 | $85,950 | $118,340 |
States and territories
| Occupation | Employment | 10th | Median | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 11,630 | $56,030 | $81,770 | $123,380 |
| Nevada | Not available | $56,110 | $81,440 | $101,820 |
| Washington | 2,030 | $57,720 | $80,800 | $106,270 |
| Connecticut | 980 | $60,900 | $78,820 | $98,850 |
| New Jersey | 2,500 | $51,050 | $78,760 | $99,240 |
| Minnesota | 2,290 | $52,130 | $74,670 | $87,250 |
| Colorado | 2,620 | $50,130 | $74,200 | $95,730 |
| Oregon | 1,240 | $50,270 | $69,720 | $87,880 |
| Massachusetts | 2,510 | $50,980 | $68,550 | $91,390 |
| Illinois | 3,500 | $42,240 | $67,810 | $103,690 |
| Hawaii | 610 | $46,900 | $65,560 | $82,680 |
| Delaware | 340 | $48,160 | $64,940 | $84,360 |
| New York | 5,300 | $48,350 | $63,990 | $102,260 |
| Vermont | 320 | $50,820 | $63,640 | $81,100 |
| Wisconsin | 2,230 | $50,340 | $63,550 | $78,790 |
| Pennsylvania | 4,660 | $45,670 | $63,310 | $80,480 |
| Wyoming | 500 | $46,960 | $63,260 | $107,370 |
| New Hampshire | 510 | $49,170 | $62,940 | $81,290 |
| Maine | 710 | $49,220 | $61,870 | $84,730 |
| Maryland | 1,770 | $44,990 | $61,870 | $88,970 |
| Rhode Island | 420 | $49,150 | $61,820 | $84,640 |
| Arizona | 3,950 | $46,690 | $61,340 | $80,040 |
| Utah | 1,900 | $45,710 | $61,290 | $79,860 |
| Nebraska | 740 | $44,620 | $61,220 | $76,250 |
| Iowa | 2,370 | $46,880 | $60,990 | $76,040 |
| North Dakota | 550 | $47,250 | $60,470 | $78,940 |
| Alaska | 750 | $35,200 | $60,160 | $99,840 |
| Virginia | 3,460 | $38,590 | $59,420 | $79,470 |
| Michigan | 3,400 | $46,710 | $59,270 | $75,910 |
| Ohio | 5,870 | $45,350 | $59,170 | $75,200 |
| Florida | 7,440 | $39,630 | $59,030 | $84,280 |
| Montana | 690 | $37,320 | $58,040 | $81,420 |
| Indiana | 3,140 | $40,590 | $53,540 | $75,290 |
| South Dakota | 1,060 | $43,890 | $53,370 | $73,170 |
| Idaho | 1,480 | $40,820 | $52,210 | $74,950 |
| South Carolina | 2,650 | $39,060 | $52,090 | $76,850 |
| Alabama | 2,770 | $35,100 | $51,870 | $79,950 |
| North Carolina | 3,620 | $37,860 | $51,680 | $75,600 |
| Tennessee | 3,140 | $35,430 | $50,670 | $75,540 |
| Missouri | 3,000 | $38,600 | $49,940 | $64,930 |
| Texas | 10,520 | $36,550 | $49,460 | $70,270 |
| Georgia | 3,310 | $36,970 | $48,930 | $67,520 |
| New Mexico | 2,110 | $36,110 | $48,190 | $80,090 |
| Virgin Islands | 30 | $36,500 | $48,030 | $72,840 |
| West Virginia | 1,100 | $35,360 | $47,560 | $75,240 |
| Kansas | 1,560 | $35,870 | $46,780 | $66,800 |
| Mississippi | 1,150 | $35,230 | $46,480 | $64,130 |
| Louisiana | 2,450 | $31,440 | $46,210 | $63,870 |
| Oklahoma | 2,280 | $35,250 | $45,890 | $63,040 |
| Kentucky | 2,540 | $33,210 | $45,430 | $63,740 |
| Arkansas | 2,010 | $31,480 | $44,320 | $61,780 |
| Puerto Rico | 1,030 | $21,840 | $29,220 | $40,290 |
Other production occupations
- Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators
- First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers
- Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers
- Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers
- Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders
- Machinists
- Production Workers, All Other
- Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers
Questions this page answers
What is the national median wage for Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators?
In the May 2025 OEWS estimates, the national median annual wage for Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators is $60,020. Employment is 128,490.
How does Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators pay compare with all occupations?
The national median for Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators is 17.7% higher than the all-occupations median of $50,980.
Which metro has the highest published median for Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators?
Among metros with a published annual median in the May 2025 tables, San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA is highest on this page's list at $125,160.