How much do Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators make in St. Joseph, MO-KS?

Percentile spread

For Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators, the published 10th percentile is $39,350 and the 90th percentile is $74,270. The difference is $34,920, which is 68.9% of the median. Ten percent of measured wages fall below the 10th percentile and ten percent fall above the 90th. How to read a percentile.

The middle half of the distribution, from the 25th percentile at $46,050 to the 75th at $58,130, covers $12,080.

The mean annual wage is $53,630, which sits above the median of $50,670. Median and mean measure different points in the same distribution.

National and state comparison

The St. Joseph, MO-KS median is 15.6% lower than the national median of $60,020 for Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators. In 2024 national prices the local median is $58,658, which is 2.3% lower than that same national median. The national figure is already in national prices because the United States parity is 100.

It is 1.5% higher than the Missouri median of $49,940.

St. Joseph, MO-KS covers more than one state. The state comparison uses Missouri, the primary state on the BLS area record.

Price-adjusted pay

The 2024 all-items regional price parity for St. Joseph, MO-KS is 86.382, with the United States at 100. The Bureau of Economic Analysis released those parities on February 19, 2026. Dividing the May 2025 median of $50,670 by that parity and multiplying by 100 puts Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators at $58,658 in national prices. The wage year and the price year are different. Compare this wage after prices.

Nearby metros

12 other metropolitan areas within 200 miles publish a annual median for Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators. St. Joseph, MO-KS ranks 7th of 13 on that median, counting itself. Distance is the great-circle mileage between Census Bureau internal points (U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files, Core Based Statistical Areas, internal points (INTPTLAT, INTPTLONG).).

• Kansas City, MO-KS is 65 miles away, with a median of $52,770 and employment of 740. That median is 4.1% higher than the median here. In 2024 national prices it is $57,022, against $58,658 here.
• Lawrence, KS is 70 miles away, with a median of $60,530 and employment of 80. That median is 19.5% higher than the median here. In 2024 national prices it is $67,074, against $58,658 here.
• Topeka, KS is 77 miles away, with a median of $48,570 and employment of 100. That median is 4.1% lower than the median here. In 2024 national prices it is $54,684, against $58,658 here.

Employment share

Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators accounts for 0.17% of wage-and-salary employment in St. Joseph, MO-KS (90 of 54,390). Nationally the occupation is 0.08% of employment (128,490 of 155,495,730). The local share is 2.00 times the national share. That ratio is the location quotient computed from these May 2025 employment counts. It is not copied from the location-quotient column in the BLS bulk file.