How much does a water treatment operator make?
Typical yearly pay for water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators in the United States.
median pay per year, about $5,002 a month or $28.86 an hour.
That's more than 43% of the 100 jobs in our salary guide, ranking #57 of 100.
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| Carpenter | $60,580 |
| Mail carrier | $60,550 |
| Interpreter or translator | $60,170 |
| Water treatment operator | $60,020 |
| Heavy equipment operator | $59,850 |
| Firefighter | $59,280 |
| Correctional officer | $58,940 |
Similar jobs
- Mail carrier$60,550
- Firefighter$59,280
- Correctional officer$58,940
- Private detective$51,220
- Garbage collector$49,690
- Police patrol officer$76,210
How much does a water treatment operator make per hour?
About $28.86 an hour, if you spread the median yearly pay over a standard 40-hour week, 52 weeks a year. Actual hourly pay varies with overtime, shift work and location.
Becoming a water treatment operator
The U.S. Department of Labor's career profile covers the training, licenses and day-to-day tasks for this job.
How to become a water treatment operator
About this number
This is the national median wage for the occupation “Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators” (code 51-8031.00) from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025 release, as published on O*NET OnLine. The median is the middle value: half of workers earn more, half earn less.