Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators Salary: $88,747 Median Pay (2026 stats)
TL;DR
About 126,750 water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators nationally earn a mean of $88,747. Employment in the series shown rose about 6% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 1.8% annual growth.
Key Statistics
Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators: what the data shows
Common questions about water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators?
Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 51-8031.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 126,750 workers.
What does a water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards, Controlling Machines and Processes, Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings, Processing Information, Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators make?
BLS national median annual wage: $58,260 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $88,747 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.
Wage percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $53,874 |
| 25th percentile | $66,534 |
| Median (50th) | $84,232 |
| 75th percentile | $105,173 |
| 90th percentile | $127,087 |
What education do you need?
For Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators, O*NET incumbent surveys in our extract most often report: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%).
These are education levels of current workers, not minimum legal requirements.
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Operations Monitoring, Operation and Control, Monitoring, Quality Control Analysis, Active Listening, Equipment Maintenance, and knowledge areas including Chemistry, Biology, Mechanical, Mathematics. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 1.8% annual growth (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: 9.3%.
Ten-year projected employment change: 19.5%.
Current U.S. headcount: 126,750.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do water and wastewater treatment plant and system operatorss work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 126,750 | 17.4% |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, including State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | 95,830 | 13.2% |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | 95,370 | 13.1% |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | 95,370 | 13.1% |
| Local Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | 94,200 | 12.9% |
| Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | 94,050 | 12.9% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
What careers are related?
Other occupations linked through shared degree pathways in our mapping:
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists | 86,820 | $64,520 |
| Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers | 34,860 | $97,540 |
| Network and Computer Systems Administrators | 318,570 | $96,800 |
| Computer Network Architects | 177,010 | $130,390 |
| Plant and System Operators, All Other | 15,950 | $61,710 |
| Chemical Plant and System Operators | 17,840 | $73,540 |
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators workforce.
Employment Over Time
126,750 Workforce in 2023
The Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$88,747 Average Wage
In 2023, Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators earned an average of $88,747.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators.
Salary distribution for Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators.
Employment Growth Projections
1.8% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
48,909 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: 9.3%
53,468 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: 19.5%
This occupation is projected to grow at 1.8% annually, indicating strong future demand.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators.
Wage Trends by Industry
9.0% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators.
State employment and wages are from the U.S. BLS OEWS May 2024 state extract. Metropolitan areas use the national MSA file when available.
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 11,260 employees, $86,500 avg wage
- TX: 10,340 employees, $50,220 avg wage
- FL: 7,560 employees, $61,550 avg wage
- OH: 5,550 employees, $57,850 avg wage
- NY: 5,270 employees, $68,160 avg wage
- PA: 5,190 employees, $61,620 avg wage
- IL: 3,870 employees, $69,250 avg wage
- AZ: 3,470 employees, $58,490 avg wage
- NC: 3,420 employees, $52,800 avg wage
- VA: 3,390 employees, $58,960 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 3,310 employees, $79,170 avg wage
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: 2,070 employees, $84,740 avg wage
- Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ: 2,040 employees, $62,990 avg wage
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN: 1,970 employees, $77,970 avg wage
- Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX: 1,960 employees, $54,550 avg wage
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX: 1,870 employees, $53,210 avg wage
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL: 1,760 employees, $71,000 avg wage
- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD: 1,690 employees, $68,030 avg wage
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA: 1,580 employees, $85,230 avg wage
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV: 1,450 employees, $72,240 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators.
Diversity
Demographic information on Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators in 2023 was 126,750 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators in 2023 were Business Administration, Engineering, Business.
Common majors for Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators workers.
Education level distribution for Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators.
Skills
Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators need many skills, but most especially Operations Monitoring, Operation and Control, Monitoring, Quality Control Analysis, Active Listening.
Required skills for Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators include Chemistry, Biology, Mechanical, Mathematics, Public Safety and Security.
Knowledge areas required for Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators include Oral Comprehension, Oral Expression, Written Comprehension, Near Vision, Deductive Reasoning.
Required abilities for Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators.
Daily Activities
Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators spend their time on activities such as Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards, Controlling Machines and Processes, Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings, Processing Information, Making Decisions and Solving Problems.
Most important work activities for Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators.
About
Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators
The average yearly wage for Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators was $88,747 in 2023.
SOC Code
51-8031 - Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators reports an average salary of $88,747.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 126,750 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 1.8%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.