Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators
Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators earn an average annual salary of $88,747, making it one of the higher-paying occupations. The field has seen strong growth, with employment increasing by 6.0% over recent years. Professionals in this field are primarily employed in industries such as Cross-industry and Federal, State, and Local Government, including State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S.
Key Statistics
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators workforce.
Employment Over Time
11,260 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.
Metropolitan employment on this page is from the California OEWS extract. Area names omit state codes; all listed metros are in California, so the state chart shows California totals (not a multi-state ranking).
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 9,830 employees, $90,197 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA: 1,580 employees, $87,444 avg wage
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: 1,560 employees, $85,754 avg wage
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA: 900 employees, $86,089 avg wage
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom MSA: 890 employees, $91,219 avg wage
- Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD: 630 employees, $120,038 avg wage
- Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD: 510 employees, $90,598 avg wage
- Bakersfield-Delano MSA: 440 employees, $74,301 avg wage
- San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City MD: 430 employees, $115,579 avg wage
- Fresno MSA: 420 employees, $73,049 avg wage
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara MSA: 400 employees, $113,421 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 11,260 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 11,260 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.