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Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators salarymedian $60,020 · percentiles · top pay · projected pay in 10 years

United States Manufacturing & Repair Confidence ★★★★★

Median annual pay
$60,020
25th–75th pct. $48,040–$74,780
Top pay (est.)
$118,400
Top 10% $91,060
Pay in 5 years
$67,600est.
2031
Pay in 10 years
$76,000est.
$65,400–$88,300
Outlook score
33/100
★★☆☆☆ Below average
AI replacement risk
54%
Moderate
Job growth (10 yr)
−5.7%
10K openings / yr

Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators salary

The median annual wage for water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators is $60,020 (BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025–35, national). The lowest 10 percent earn less than $39,110 and the highest 10 percent earn more than $91,060. The mean annual wage is $62,540.

Median
$60,020
Mean
$62,540
10th percentile
$39,110
Entry level
25th percentile
$48,040
75th percentile
$74,780
90th percentile
$91,060
Top earners
Mean hourly wage
$30.00
4.1× the federal minimum ($7.25)
In Japanese yen
¥9.44M
≈ at 157.25 JPY/USD

The mean hourly wage of $30.00 is 4.1× the federal minimum wage of $7.25. State minimums are higher in most large states. Minimum wage by state →

How does your pay compare with people your age?

Your numbers are not sent or stored. The comparison uses this occupation's BLS wage percentiles, adjusted for age with BLS median weekly earnings by age group (Q3 2026).

Pay by percentile

Entry level (10th pct.)
$39,110
Early career (25th pct.)
$48,040
Mid career (median)
$60,020
Experienced (75th pct.)
$74,780
Top earners (90th pct.)
$91,060

Annual wage percentiles from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Percentiles are a good proxy for pay by experience.

How median, percentiles and the pay range are defined →

Projected pay for Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators (3, 5 and 10 years)est.

Today $60,020 → in 3 years $64,400 → in 5 years $67,600 → in 10 years $76,000 (10-year range $65,400–$88,300). The model assumes pay growth of +2.4% per year.

$60,020
Now
2026
$64,400
In 3 yrs
2029
$59,500–$70,100
$67,600
In 5 yrs
2031
$60,900–$75,300
$76,000
In 10 yrs
2036
$65,400–$88,300

What drives the annual growth rate

Base wage growth +3.0%Labor demand -0.48%AI impact -0.12%Total +2.4% / yr

Projected pay = current pay × (1 + annual growth)^years. The annual growth rate starts from a base wage-growth rate and adds or subtracts labor demand (BLS projected employment growth), wage momentum and AI replacement risk for each occupation. Projections are not guarantees. How it is calculated →

Pay and employment figures are national statistics. Projected pay, outlook scores and AI replacement risk are estimates from the Shigoto Zukan model, not guarantees. To request a correction, use the contact form. How to read the data
Sources: BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025–35; O*NET 31.0 Database by USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0), modified by Shigoto Zukan. Pay ranges, projections and scores are Shigoto Zukan estimates.