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Water treatment operator salary
Average water treatment operator salary
$48,112
Average Water Treatment Operator Salary
The average salary for a Water Treatment Operator is approximately $48,112 per year, translating to about $23 per hour. Salaries can vary significantly depending on location, experience, and specific job responsibilities. For instance, states like California and New York tend to offer higher wages due to the demand for skilled operators in urban areas.
Salary by Experience Level
Entry-level positions might start around $30,000, while experienced operators can earn upwards of $60,000 per year, particularly in supervisory roles. As operators gain experience and certifications, their earning potential increases, making this a viable career path for those interested in environmental health.
Job Opportunities
Water Treatment Operators can find employment in various settings, including municipal water departments, private companies, and environmental organizations. Job growth in this field is expected to remain steady, driven by ongoing infrastructure needs and advancements in water treatment technologies. Consider pursuing certifications to enhance your qualifications and improve job prospects.
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Where can a Water Treatment Operator earn more?
Water treatment operator salaries by experience level
| Experience level | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level water treatment operator | $43,900 | $21.08 |
| Mid-level water treatment operator | $59,500 | $28.59 |
| Senior-level water treatment operator | $63,600 | $30.56 |
Water treatment operator salary estimates from across the web
Average water treatment operator salary by state
The average water treatment operator salary in Washington, California, and Maine are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average water treatment operator salary states are Oklahoma, Georgia, and Louisiana.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for water treatment operators
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Idaho | $73,536 | $35.35 |
| 2 | Maine | $73,972 | $35.56 |
| 3 | Vermont | $68,136 | $32.76 |
| 4 | New Jersey | $63,233 | $30.40 |
| 5 | North Dakota | $59,890 | $28.79 |
| 6 | Alaska | $63,213 | $30.39 |
| 7 | Rhode Island | $56,361 | $27.10 |
| 8 | Massachusetts | $57,550 | $27.67 |
| 9 | California | $75,752 | $36.42 |
| 10 | Washington | $77,111 | $37.07 |
| 11 | Nevada | $56,008 | $26.93 |
| 12 | Delaware | $57,756 | $27.77 |
| 13 | Oregon | $59,480 | $28.60 |
| 14 | Iowa | $53,210 | $25.58 |
| 15 | West Virginia | $52,927 | $25.45 |
| 16 | Ohio | $54,450 | $26.18 |
| 17 | District of Columbia | $55,325 | $26.60 |
| 18 | Colorado | $55,162 | $26.52 |
| 19 | Connecticut | $57,214 | $27.51 |
| 20 | Minnesota | $54,425 | $26.17 |
| 21 | Utah | $52,208 | $25.10 |
| 22 | Nebraska | $52,271 | $25.13 |
| 23 | New Hampshire | $52,349 | $25.17 |
| 24 | Wyoming | $48,931 | $23.52 |
| 25 | Illinois | $55,386 | $26.63 |
| 26 | South Dakota | $47,037 | $22.61 |
| 27 | Indiana | $50,330 | $24.20 |
| 28 | Montana | $45,907 | $22.07 |
| 29 | Wisconsin | $50,796 | $24.42 |
| 30 | Virginia | $52,685 | $25.33 |
| 31 | Arizona | $47,083 | $22.64 |
| 32 | New York | $52,868 | $25.42 |
| 33 | Hawaii | $45,572 | $21.91 |
| 34 | Pennsylvania | $47,392 | $22.78 |
| 35 | South Carolina | $44,515 | $21.40 |
| 36 | Michigan | $47,563 | $22.87 |
| 37 | New Mexico | $43,375 | $20.85 |
| 38 | Kansas | $42,065 | $20.22 |
| 39 | North Carolina | $44,725 | $21.50 |
| 40 | Tennessee | $42,757 | $20.56 |
| 41 | Maryland | $44,876 | $21.57 |
| 42 | Mississippi | $36,395 | $17.50 |
| 43 | Kentucky | $41,895 | $20.14 |
| 44 | Missouri | $43,941 | $21.13 |
| 45 | Florida | $43,443 | $20.89 |
| 46 | Alabama | $42,532 | $20.45 |
| 47 | Oklahoma | $38,688 | $18.60 |
| 48 | Louisiana | $37,198 | $17.88 |
| 49 | Texas | $36,095 | $17.35 |
| 50 | Georgia | $38,436 | $18.48 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $35,767 | $17.20 |
Highest paying cities for water treatment operators
The highest-paying cities for water treatment operators are Los Angeles, CA, Albany, OR, and Loveland, CO.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Angeles, CA | $74,987 | $36.05 |
| 2 | Albany, OR | $59,510 | $28.61 |
| 3 | Loveland, CO | $55,684 | $26.77 |
| 4 | Moorhead, MN | $54,993 | $26.44 |
| 5 | Middletown, OH | $53,594 | $25.77 |
| 6 | Winchester, VA | $53,297 | $25.62 |
| 7 | Collinsville, IL | $52,517 | $25.25 |
| 8 | Casper, WY | $49,062 | $23.59 |
| 9 | Sterling Heights, MI | $47,758 | $22.96 |
| 10 | Avondale, AZ | $47,196 | $22.69 |
| 11 | Rock Hill, SC | $45,679 | $21.96 |
| 12 | Bozeman, MT | $45,451 | $21.85 |
| 13 | Chapel Hill, NC | $45,385 | $21.82 |
| 14 | Hagerstown, MD | $44,778 | $21.53 |
| 15 | Saint Louis, MO | $44,395 | $21.34 |
| 16 | Bradenton, FL | $43,684 | $21.00 |
| 17 | Carlsbad, NM | $43,178 | $20.76 |
| 18 | Cedar Park, TX | $36,283 | $17.44 |
Water treatment operator salary details
A water treatment operator's salary ranges from $35,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $65,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a water treatment operator's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $65,000 | $5,417 | $31 |
| 75th Percentile | $56,000 | $4,667 | $27 |
| Average | $48,112 | $4,009 | $23 |
| 25th Percentile | $40,000 | $3,333 | $19 |
| 10th Percentile | $35,000 | $2,917 | $17 |
Highest paying water treatment operator jobs
The highest paying types of water treatment operators are transmission system operator, senior system operator, and auxiliary operator.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Utility Plant Operative | $42,253 | $3,521 | $20.31 | 19,159 |
| Operator | $37,928 | $3,161 | $18.23 | 159,077 |
| Water Technician | $38,723 | $3,227 | $18.62 | 34,702 |
| Auxiliary Operator | $60,040 | $5,003 | $28.87 | 32,777 |
| Utility Operator | $38,693 | $3,224 | $18.60 | 67,565 |
| Plant Operator | $42,697 | $3,558 | $20.53 | 43,388 |
Top companies hiring water treatment operators now:
Which companies pay water treatment operators the most?
Water treatment operator salaries at Jacobs Engineering Group and City of Los Angeles are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average water treatment operator salary at companies like Loudoun Water and Shiseido are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jacobs Engineering Group | $67,720 | $32.56 |
| 2 | City of Los Angeles | $61,806 | $29.71 |
| 3 | Loudoun Water | $61,476 | $29.56 |
| 4 | Shiseido | $60,060 | $28.88 |
| 5 | OMNOVA Solutions | $59,507 | $28.61 |
| 6 | City of Seattle | $59,220 | $28.47 |
| 7 | City of Palm Bay | $55,481 | $26.67 |
| 8 | Johnson Controls | $55,215 | $26.55 |
| 9 | City of Scottsdale | $54,443 | $26.17 |
| 10 | CyberCoders | $53,662 | $25.80 |
| 11 | City of Middletown | $53,524 | $25.73 |
| 12 | Woodard & Curran | $53,316 | $25.63 |
| 13 | Aqua | $53,086 | $25.52 |
| 14 | Sycuan Casino Resort | $52,599 | $25.29 |
| 15 | Clean Harbors | $52,491 | $25.24 |
| 16 | Eaton | $51,776 | $24.89 |
| 17 | American Water | $51,486 | $24.75 |
| 18 | Bering Straits | $51,276 | $24.65 |
| 19 | Crown Holdings | $51,213 | $24.62 |
| 20 | Niagara Bottling | $50,524 | $24.29 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Water Treatment Operator salary by industry
The average water treatment operator salary varies across industries:
- The average water treatment operator salary in the energy industry is $50,602, the highest of any industry.
- The average water treatment operator salary in the finance industry is $50,576.
- Water treatment operators in the government industry earn an average salary of $44,854, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for water treatment operators
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Energy | $50,602 | $24.33 |
| 2 | Utilities | $50,576 | $24.32 |
| 3 | Manufacturing | $49,296 | $23.70 |
| 4 | Government | $44,854 | $21.56 |
High paying water treatment operator jobs
Water treatment operator salary trends
The average water treatment operator salary has risen by $7,165 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average water treatment operator earned $40,947 annually, but today, they earn $48,112 a year. That works out to a 7% change in pay for water treatment operators over the last decade.
Compare water treatment operator salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average water treatment operator salary over time
Compare water treatment operator salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Water treatment operator salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $48,100 | $23.13 | +2.7% |
| 2024 | $46,800 | $22.50 | +2.1% |
| 2023 | $45,800 | $22.04 | +1.3% |
| 2022 | $45,200 | $21.75 | +0.8% |
| 2021 | $44,800 | $21.56 | +2.1% |
Recently added water treatment operator salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Water | Water Treatment Operator I | Sacramento, CA | 06/28/2025 | $67,139 |
| PDS Tech Commercial, Inc. | Waste Water Treatment Operator | Pine Grove, PA | 06/28/2025 | $41,218 |
| City & Borough of Juneau | Water Treatment Operator (Flex OIT I-Operator) | Juneau, AK | 06/28/2025 | $72,774 |
| G3 Water Engineers | Water Treatment Operator-Grade III | Flagstaff, AZ | 06/26/2025 | $80,000 |
| Leavenworth Waterworks | Water Treatment Operator | Leavenworth, KS | 06/26/2025 | $39,653 |
| National Older Worker Career Center | Water Treatment Sample Courier | Three Rivers, CA | 06/25/2025 | $73,045 |
| Washington City | Water Treatment Plant Operator I, II, III & IV | Washington, UT | 06/24/2025 | $64,739 |
| Charleston Water System | Water Treatment Plant Operator Apprentice/Transitional Operator | Charleston, SC | 06/23/2025 | $41,600 |
| Montgomery Water Works | 632 Surface Water Treatment Plant Operator Trainee | Montgomery, AL | 06/21/2025 | $46,102 |
| Rainbow Restoration | Water Mitigation Laborer | Cleveland, OH | 06/19/2025 | $37,566 |
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