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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2023

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)
120,710 0.9 % $ 27.91 $ 58,050 0.3 %

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

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median) 		75% 90%
Hourly Wage $ 17.64 $ 21.50 $ 26.39 $ 32.59 $ 39.95
Annual Wage (2) $ 36,680 $ 44,720 $ 54,890 $ 67,790 $ 83,090

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) 90,050 1.63 $ 27.89 $ 58,000
Water, Sewage and Other Systems 15,450 26.48 $ 27.00 $ 56,170
Waste Treatment and Disposal 1,740 1.71 $ 31.54 $ 65,600
Animal Slaughtering and Processing 1,240 0.23 $ 22.96 $ 47,750
Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services 1,060 0.06 $ 26.01 $ 54,100

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 15,450 26.48 $ 27.00 $ 56,170
Waste Treatment and Disposal 1,740 1.71 $ 31.54 $ 65,600
Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) 90,050 1.63 $ 27.89 $ 58,000
Pulp, Paper, and Paperboard Mills 410 0.47 $ 32.04 $ 66,630
Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Production and Processing 200 0.32 $ 25.08 $ 52,160

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 450 0.11 $ 43.61 $ 90,720
Management of Companies and Enterprises 150 0.01 $ 42.31 $ 88,000
Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing 120 0.02 $ 38.64 $ 80,380
Oil and Gas Extraction 80 0.08 $ 38.46 $ 79,990
Chemical Manufacturing (3251, 3252, 3253, and 3259 only) 380 0.10 $ 36.66 $ 76,250

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 2023


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)
Texas 10,770 0.79 1.00 $ 23.28 $ 48,420
California 10,620 0.59 0.74 $ 39.19 $ 81,510
Florida 7,330 0.77 0.96 $ 27.03 $ 56,210
Ohio 5,580 1.02 1.28 $ 26.56 $ 55,240
Pennsylvania 5,200 0.87 1.10 $ 28.46 $ 59,190


Map of location quotient of water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators by state, May 2023


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 940 2.12 2.67 $ 26.05 $ 54,180
Wyoming 470 1.71 2.15 $ 27.61 $ 57,430
West Virginia 1,170 1.69 2.13 $ 21.33 $ 44,360
New Mexico 1,380 1.63 2.05 $ 22.83 $ 47,490
Arkansas 2,010 1.58 1.99 $ 21.54 $ 44,790


Map of annual mean wages of water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators by state, May 2023


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)
Nevada (8) (8) (8) $ 40.31 $ 83,840
California 10,620 0.59 0.74 $ 39.19 $ 81,510
Washington 2,320 0.66 0.83 $ 38.87 $ 80,850
Connecticut 910 0.55 0.69 $ 35.78 $ 74,420
Alaska 480 1.54 1.93 $ 35.12 $ 73,060



Map of employment of water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators by area, May 2023


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 3,170 0.33 0.42 $ 35.57 $ 73,980
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 2,910 0.65 0.81 $ 35.85 $ 74,560
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ 2,440 1.07 1.34 $ 28.71 $ 59,710
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 2,180 0.69 0.86 $ 26.16 $ 54,410
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 1,850 0.30 0.38 $ 37.87 $ 78,760
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 1,750 0.44 0.55 $ 24.80 $ 51,580
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 1,730 0.61 0.77 $ 31.51 $ 65,550
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 1,640 0.60 0.76 $ 32.59 $ 67,780
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA 1,430 0.86 1.08 $ 37.88 $ 78,790
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 1,420 0.52 0.65 $ 33.51 $ 69,710


Map of location quotient of water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators by area, May 2023


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 330 6.04 7.60 $ 25.55 $ 53,140
Prescott, AZ 240 3.47 4.36 $ 24.64 $ 51,260
Wheeling, WV-OH 190 3.22 4.05 $ 21.88 $ 45,520
Weirton-Steubenville, WV-OH 110 2.93 3.69 $ 21.93 $ 45,620
Sebastian-Vero Beach, FL 160 2.86 3.60 $ 25.69 $ 53,440
Danville, IL 70 2.79 3.51 $ 24.12 $ 50,160
Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ 90 2.53 3.19 $ 24.12 $ 50,170
Sherman-Denison, TX 120 2.43 3.06 $ 23.03 $ 47,900
Morristown, TN 110 2.41 3.03 $ 21.88 $ 45,520
Yuma, AZ 150 2.31 2.91 $ 24.12 $ 50,170