Top
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Department of Labor Logo United States Department of Labor
Dot gov

The .gov means it's official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you're on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2022

51-8031 Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators

Operate or control an entire process or system of machines, often through the use of control boards, to transfer or treat water or wastewater.

National estimates for Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators
Industry profile for Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators
Geographic profile for Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators

National estimates for Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators:

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3) 		Mean hourly
wage		 Mean annual
wage (2) 		Wage RSE (3)
119,350 1.2 % $ 26.78 $ 55,690 0.3 %

Percentile wage estimates for Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median) 		75% 90%
Hourly Wage $ 16.39 $ 19.61 $ 24.81 $ 31.11 $ 39.04
Annual Wage (2) $ 34,100 $ 40,780 $ 51,600 $ 64,720 $ 81,210

Industry profile for Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators:

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) 88,910 1.65 $ 26.70 $ 55,540
Water, Sewage and Other Systems 14,630 26.47 $ 25.49 $ 53,020
Waste Treatment and Disposal 2,370 2.45 $ 31.27 $ 65,040
Animal Slaughtering and Processing 1,180 0.23 $ 21.69 $ 45,120
Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services 880 0.05 $ 22.98 $ 47,790

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Water, Sewage and Other Systems 14,630 26.47 $ 25.49 $ 53,020
Waste Treatment and Disposal 2,370 2.45 $ 31.27 $ 65,040
Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) 88,910 1.65 $ 26.70 $ 55,540
Pulp, Paper, and Paperboard Mills 430 0.49 $ 30.68 $ 63,820
Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing 380 0.42 $ 22.66 $ 47,140

Top paying industries for Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution 470 0.12 $ 42.77 $ 88,950
Management of Companies and Enterprises 170 0.01 $ 40.90 $ 85,080
Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing 90 0.02 $ 38.55 $ 80,190
Motor Vehicle Manufacturing 40 0.01 $ 36.92 $ 76,790
Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing 70 0.02 $ 35.51 $ 73,860

Geographic profile for Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators:

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators, see the Create Customized Tables function.



Map of employment of water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators by state, May 2022


States with the highest employment level in Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 10,740 0.61 0.75 $ 37.45 $ 77,890
Texas 9,530 0.73 0.91 $ 21.79 $ 45,330
Florida 7,030 0.76 0.95 $ 25.90 $ 53,860
Pennsylvania 5,850 1.01 1.25 $ 27.45 $ 57,100
Ohio 4,870 0.91 1.12 $ 25.70 $ 53,450


Map of location quotient of water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators by state, May 2022


States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
South Dakota 830 1.90 2.36 $ 24.13 $ 50,180
Wyoming 470 1.76 2.19 $ 26.61 $ 55,350
Idaho 1,410 1.76 2.19 $ 24.01 $ 49,940
Arkansas 2,100 1.71 2.12 $ 20.64 $ 42,940
Alaska 520 1.69 2.09 $ 32.90 $ 68,430


Map of annual mean wages of water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators by state, May 2022


Top paying states for Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 10,740 0.61 0.75 $ 37.45 $ 77,890
Washington 2,090 0.61 0.76 $ 36.73 $ 76,390
Connecticut 970 0.60 0.74 $ 36.17 $ 75,240
New Jersey 2,380 0.58 0.72 $ 34.85 $ 72,480
Alaska 520 1.69 2.09 $ 32.90 $ 68,430



Map of employment of water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators by area, May 2022


Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 3,520 0.38 0.48 $ 37.01 $ 76,980
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 2,720 0.62 0.76 $ 33.83 $ 70,360
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ 2,500 1.13 1.40 $ 27.08 $ 56,330
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 2,160 0.35 0.44 $ 37.50 $ 78,000
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 1,850 0.61 0.75 $ 24.05 $ 50,020
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 1,840 0.68 0.84 $ 33.03 $ 68,710
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 1,730 0.62 0.77 $ 30.78 $ 64,020
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 1,510 0.58 0.72 $ 31.28 $ 65,050
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 1,470 0.39 0.48 $ 23.38 $ 48,630
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA 1,410 0.86 1.07 $ 36.21 $ 75,320


Map of location quotient of water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators by area, May 2022


Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ 300 5.51 6.83 $ 25.02 $ 52,050
Prescott, AZ 230 3.49 4.32 $ 23.81 $ 49,520
Idaho Falls, ID 260 3.44 4.27 (8) (8)
Danville, IL 80 3.10 3.85 $ 23.58 $ 49,050
Sebastian-Vero Beach, FL 160 2.88 3.57 $ 24.32 $ 50,590
Wheeling, WV-OH 170 2.83 3.51 $ 21.75 $ 45,240
Williamsport, PA 130 2.63 3.26 $ 24.47 $ 50,900
Yuma, AZ 170 2.56 3.17 $ 22.21 $ 46,190
New Bern, NC 110 2.50 3.10 $ 26.04 $ 54,150
Pine Bluff, AR 70 2.41 2.99 $ 20.26 $ 42,140