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Job outlook for wastewater treatment operators in the United States
Wastewater treatment operator job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected wastewater treatment operator job growth rate is -7% from 2018-2028.
About -8,600 new jobs for wastewater treatment operators are projected over the next decade.
Wastewater treatment operator salaries have increased 7% for wastewater treatment operators in the last 5 years.
There are over 17,355 wastewater treatment operators currently employed in the United States.
There are 32,561 active wastewater treatment operator job openings in the US.
The average wastewater treatment operator salary is $45,618.
Are wastewater treatment operator jobs in demand?
Wastewater treatment operator job and salary trends over time
Wastewater treatment operator jobs over time
Wastewater treatment operator job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 17,355 | 0.01% |
| 2020 | 17,101 | 0.01% |
| 2019 | 17,724 | 0.01% |
| 2018 | 17,713 | 0.01% |
| 2017 | 16,824 | 0.01% |
Average wastewater treatment operator salary over time
Wastewater treatment operator salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $45,618 | $21.93 | +2.8% |
| 2024 | $44,382 | $21.34 | +2.1% |
| 2023 | $43,472 | $20.90 | +1.4% |
| 2022 | $42,886 | $20.62 | +0.9% |
| 2021 | $42,524 | $20.44 | +2.2% |
Wastewater treatment operator jobs by state
Most common states for wastewater treatment operators
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 1,243 | 18% |
| 2 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 122 | 18% |
| 3 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 151 | 14% |
| 4 | Alaska | 739,795 | 95 | 13% |
| 5 | New Jersey | 9,005,644 | 905 | 10% |
| 6 | Hawaii | 1,427,538 | 95 | 7% |
| 7 | Vermont | 623,657 | 35 | 6% |
| 8 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 135 | 4% |
| 9 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 44 | 4% |
| 10 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 38 | 4% |
| 11 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 24 | 4% |
| 12 | Wisconsin | 5,795,483 | 154 | 3% |
| 13 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 49 | 3% |
| 14 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 43 | 3% |
| 15 | Delaware | 961,939 | 30 | 3% |
| 16 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 22 | 3% |
| 17 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 67 | 2% |
| 18 | Nevada | 2,998,039 | 52 | 2% |
| 19 | Idaho | 1,716,943 | 41 | 2% |
| 20 | Maine | 1,335,907 | 33 | 2% |
Most common cities for wastewater treatment operators
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Edwardsville | 1 | 4% | $49,628 |
| 2 | Addison | 1 | 3% | $53,877 |
| 3 | Andover | 1 | 3% | $55,110 |
| 4 | Annapolis | 1 | 3% | $42,647 |
| 5 | Burlingame | 1 | 3% | $71,738 |
| 6 | Danville | 1 | 2% | $46,632 |
| 7 | Santa Ana | 2 | 1% | $64,490 |
| 8 | Brockton | 1 | 1% | $55,195 |
| 9 | Fall River | 1 | 1% | $55,256 |
| 10 | Baltimore | 1 | 0% | $42,814 |