Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators Salary in the US
A water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators earns a national median of $60,020 a year (mean $62,540) — BLS OEWS May 2025, ranked #429 of 825.
How much does a water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators earn in the US?
A water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators in the United States earns a median of $60,020 a year (mean $62,540), per BLS OEWS May 2025. That is 18% above the US all-occupations median of $50,980. About 128,490 people work in this occupation (SOC 51-8031), ranked #429 of 825 by national median pay. Updated annually from BLS OEWS.
Median
$60,020
per year
Mean
$62,540
per year
Employment
128,490
US workers
National rank
#429
of 825 by median
What a water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators earns in the US
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS May 2025 national estimates, a water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators (SOC 51-8031) earns a median annual wage of $60,020 and a mean (average) of $62,540. The median is the midpoint — half of water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators earn more and half earn less — and is 18% above the US all-occupations median of $50,980. The mean is higher than the median when a minority of very high earners pull the average up.
Note: BLS top-codes any annual wage at or above $239,200/year, so occupations at that ceiling share the same figure.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the average salary for a water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators in the US?
- The BLS OEWS May 2025 national annual median wage for water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators is $60,020, and the mean (average) is $62,540. The median is the midpoint — half of water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators earn more and half earn less.
- How does water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators pay compare to the US average?
- At $60,020, a water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators earns 18% above the US all-occupations median of $50,980 (BLS OEWS May 2025). The all-occupations US median is $50,980.
- How many water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators are employed in the US?
- BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates about 128,490 water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators employed nationally (SOC 51-8031), across all industries.
- Where does this water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators salary data come from?
- From the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2025 national release — cross-industry, all-ownership estimates, SOC code 51-8031. As US federal government work it is public domain. GeraJobs publishes the figures verbatim; suppressed cells are shown as "—", never estimated.
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Find water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators jobs with salary ranges
GeraJobs lists live US vacancies with employer-stated salary ranges — see which water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators roles pay above the BLS benchmark.
Data source
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) · May 2025 national estimates · SOC 51-8031 · Public domain (U.S. federal government work)
Published verbatim by GeraJobs. Last updated: 2026-06-27. ← All US salaries