The average annual and hourly salaries for water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators in the state of Alabama are shown in Table 1 and Table 2, respectively. The comparison of the salary statistics of water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators among Alabama metropolitan areas is shown in Table 3. The salary statistics are based on the national compensation survey conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2017 and published in April 2018 [1].
| Percentile Bracket | Average Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th Percentile Wage | $28,020 |
| 25th Percentile Wage | $35,500 |
| 50th Percentile Wage | $44,210 |
| 75th Percentile Wage | $51,530 |
| 90th Percentile Wage | $61,230 |
Table 1 shows the average annual salary for water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators in Alabama in 5 percentile scales. The average annual salary for the 90th percentile (the top 10 percent of the highest paid) is $61,230. The median (50th percentile) annual salary is $44,210. The average annual salary for the bottom 10 percent is $28,020.
The table and chart below show the trend of the median salary of water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators from 2012 to 2017.
| Year | Median Salary | Yearly Growth | 5-Year Growth |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $44,210 | -0.09% | 4.91% |
| 2016 | $44,250 | 2.69% | - |
| 2015 | $43,060 | 1.14% | - |
| 2014 | $42,570 | 0.33% | - |
| 2013 | $42,430 | 0.92% | - |
| 2012 | $42,040 | - | - |
Table 3 shows the median annual salary of water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators in some Alabama cities and metropolitan areas. We note that the median annual salary of water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators in state of Alabama ranges from $32,770 to $55,870. The highest paying area for water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators in Alabama is Florence-Muscle Shoals with a median annual salary of $55,870. The second highest paying city/area in Alabama State is Decatur (mean annual salary $55,130). The lowest paying area is Southeast Alabama nonmetropolitan area with a median annual salary of $32,770.
