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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


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


Top paying metropolitan areas for 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)
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 930 0.39 0.48 $ 47.39 $ 98,580
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 430 0.38 0.48 $ 46.26 $ 96,220
Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV 270 0.26 0.33 $ 44.43 $ 92,420
Vallejo-Fairfield, CA 180 1.29 1.60 $ 41.56 $ 86,440
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA 110 1.17 1.45 $ 41.12 $ 85,530
Santa Rosa, CA 210 1.03 1.28 $ 40.13 $ 83,460
Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT 310 0.78 0.97 $ 39.73 $ 82,630
Norwich-New London-Westerly, CT-RI 100 0.84 1.05 $ 39.24 $ 81,620
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 650 0.32 0.40 $ 38.73 $ 80,570
Olympia-Tumwater, WA 80 0.66 0.81 $ 38.55 $ 80,180

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

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Kansas nonmetropolitan area 1,040 2.71 3.35 $ 18.52 $ 38,530
Southeast Oklahoma nonmetropolitan area 630 3.80 4.71 $ 17.72 $ 36,870
North Northeastern Ohio nonmetropolitan area (noncontiguous) 570 1.77 2.20 $ 24.26 $ 50,460
North Texas Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area 560 2.05 2.55 $ 18.46 $ 38,400
West Texas Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area 500 2.56 3.17 $ 19.21 $ 39,960

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

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
West South Dakota nonmetropolitan area 320 5.15 6.38 $ 22.70 $ 47,220
Arizona nonmetropolitan area 350 3.81 4.72 $ 22.47 $ 46,740
Southeast Oklahoma nonmetropolitan area 630 3.80 4.71 $ 17.72 $ 36,870
East North Dakota nonmetropolitan area 220 3.65 4.53 $ 24.75 $ 51,480
Eastern Sierra-Mother Lode Region of California nonmetropolitan area 200 3.33 4.13 $ 35.33 $ 73,490

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Eastern Sierra-Mother Lode Region of California nonmetropolitan area 200 3.33 4.13 $ 35.33 $ 73,490
North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area 270 2.66 3.29 $ 34.73 $ 72,240
Alaska nonmetropolitan area 330 3.26 4.04 $ 31.51 $ 65,530
North Coast Region of California nonmetropolitan area 220 2.13 2.64 $ 31.35 $ 65,220
Western Washington nonmetropolitan area 280 2.20 2.73 $ 30.81 $ 64,090


About May 2022 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate—50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(8) Estimate not released.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OEWS estimates and related information:

May 2022 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2022 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2022 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2022 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2022 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: April 25, 2023