Highest-paying Cities for Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators

The top 100 highest paying cities for water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators (ranked by average annual salary) are listed in Table 1. The entry level salary (as measured by the salary of the lowest 10% paid earners) and the number of employment of water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators in those cities are also shown in the table. As shown in the table, with a annual salary of $104,440, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, California is the highest paying city for water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators. It is followed by San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, California (average annual salary $99,010). The salary and employment information is computed from data published by U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) in April 2023 [1]. For more salary information of water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators in a specific city, use the links in the table.

Table 1. 100 Highest-paying cities/areas for Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators

Rank	City/Area	Average Salary i	Entry Level Salary i	# of Empl. i
1	San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, California	$104,440	$47,380	430
2	San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, California	$99,010	$60,380	930
3	Las Vegas-Paradise, Nevada	$97,340	$61,660	270
4	Oakland-Fremont-Hayward, California	$97,270	$60,150	560
5	Vallejo-Fairfield, California	$85,790	$61,580	180
6	Santa Cruz-Watsonville, California	$84,040	$60,520	110
7	Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, Connecticut	$83,420	$59,050	310
8	Santa Rosa-Petaluma, California	$82,610	$59,420	210
9	Sacramento-Arden-Arcade-Roseville, California	$81,870	$50,910	910
10	Fairbanks, Alaska	$81,750	$41,970	50
11	El Centro, California	$81,120	$50,090	120
12	San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City, California	$80,800	$66,620	200
13	Anchorage, Alaska	$80,350	$41,600	140
14	Stockton, California	$80,290	$44,840	180
15	Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, Washington	$79,950	$57,220	650
16	Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, California	$78,980	$50,830	2,160
17	Norwich-New London, Rhode Island	$78,720	$54,900	100
18	Salinas, California	$78,530	$49,410	100
19	Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, California	$78,300	$46,440	1,410
20	Napa, California	$78,270	$44,090	50
21	Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, California	$78,140	$48,270	220
22	Olympia, Washington	$77,280	$57,630	80
23	New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, New York	$77,030	$47,560	3,520
24	Eastern Sierra-Mother Lode Region of California nonmetropolitan area, California	$76,780	$47,790	200
25	Modesto, California	$76,720	$51,480	240
26	Idaho Falls, Idaho	$76,440	$37,550	260
27	Trenton-Ewing, New Jersey	$76,330	$44,900	120
28	Reno-Sparks, Nevada	$75,940	$46,550	70
29	Spokane, Washington	$75,680	$55,060	120
30	Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, California	$75,260	$49,820	280
31	Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana, California	$75,040	$49,080	2,230
32	Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, Washington	$74,200	$55,980	50
33	Redding, California	$73,940	$46,670	110
34	Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, California	$73,450	$43,840	2,020
35	Waterbury, Connecticut	$73,170	$46,120	50
36	Eugene-Springfield, Oregon	$73,040	$47,100	100
37	Bellingham, Washington	$71,540	$48,880	80
38	Bremerton-Silverdale, Washington	$71,120	$50,630	110
39	Madera-Chowchilla, California	$70,130	$46,670	60
40	San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, California	$69,820	$48,170	220
41	New York-White Plains-Wayne, New York	$69,560	$49,180	1,610
42	Santa Barbara-Santa Maria-Goleta, California	$69,020	$49,540	330
43	Santa Ana-Anaheim-Irvine, California	$69,000	$48,460	480
44	Yuba City, California	$68,990	$43,350	70
45	Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, Washington	$68,930	$48,590	800
46	Chicago-Joliet-Naperville (IL-IN-WI Area), Illinois	$68,470	$48,190	2,720
47	Bloomington, Illinois	$68,320	$37,310	100
48	Vineland-Millville-Bridgeton, New Jersey	$68,280	$41,340	60
49	Pueblo, Colorado	$68,020	$40,470	100
50	Rockford, Illinois	$68,010	$49,520	100
51	Rochester, Minnesota	$67,600	$50,820	90
52	Walla Walla, Washington	$67,400	$47,290	30
53	San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos, California	$67,180	$52,090	840
54	Minneapolis-St Paul-Bloomington, Wisconsin	$67,130	$55,690	860
55	Atlantic City-Hammonton, New Jersey	$66,870	$47,290	90
56	Mount Vernon-Anacortes, Washington	$66,520	$51,920	80
57	Urban Honolulu, Hawaii	$66,410	$47,600	280
58	Chicago-Joliet-Naperville (IL Metropolitan Division), Illinois	$66,280	$46,500	1,170
59	Peoria, Illinois	$66,190	$47,270	100
60	Bakersfield-Delano, California	$66,030	$45,610	290
61	Mankato-North Mankato, Minnesota	$65,930	$47,420	60
62	North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area, California	$65,910	$47,520	270
63	Grand Junction, Colorado	$65,610	$39,600	60
64	Merced, California	$65,440	$38,080	110
65	Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, Washington	$65,420	$51,760	420
66	Fresno, California	$65,320	$44,220	420
67	Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, Pennsylvania	$65,300	$45,050	1,730
68	Fargo, North Dakota	$65,200	$39,220	50
69	Western Washington nonmetropolitan area, Washington	$64,620	$45,560	280
70	Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, Connecticut	$64,600	$36,540	290
71	Lake County-Kenosha County, Wisconsin	$64,600	$45,560	210
72	Medford, Oregon	$64,480	$49,960	40
73	Alaska nonmetropolitan area, Alaska	$64,210	$31,730	330
74	Boulder, Colorado	$64,060	$50,880	130
75	Longview, Washington	$63,940	$57,320	40
76	Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area, California	$63,810	$36,490	220
77	Portsmouth, New Hampshire	$63,770	$46,300	70
78	Worcester, Massachusetts	$63,510	$48,910	340
79	St Cloud, Minnesota	$63,460	$50,980	40
80	Eastern Washington nonmetropolitan area, Washington	$63,260	$46,750	140
81	Hawaii-Maui-Kauai nonmetropolitan area, Hawaii	$63,210	$46,980	150
82	Colorado Springs, Colorado	$63,160	$48,060	190
83	Salem, Oregon	$63,150	$39,460	90
84	Racine, Wisconsin	$63,030	$46,880	50
85	Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, Massachusetts	$62,830	$51,220	1,840
86	North Coast Region of California nonmetropolitan area, California	$62,500	$41,970	220
87	Waterloo-Cedar Falls, Iowa	$62,350	$43,660	100
88	Lincoln, Nebraska	$62,310	$39,700	90
89	Barnstable Town, Massachusetts	$62,230	$52,360	140
90	Champaign-Urbana, Illinois	$62,230	$31,730	110
91	Visalia-Porterville, California	$62,190	$39,820	180
92	Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, Iowa	$62,170	$41,600	210
93	Kokomo, Indiana	$62,120	$45,770	40
94	Decatur, Illinois	$62,120	$41,650	30
95	Yakima, Washington	$62,090	$42,310	80
96	Kankakee-Bradley, Illinois	$62,070	$38,080	100
97	Duluth, Wisconsin	$61,970	$38,710	150
98	Tacoma, Washington	$61,800	$44,250	420
99	Denver-Aurora-Broomfield, Colorado	$61,770	$46,920	760
100	Sheboygan, Wisconsin	$61,710	$49,920	40

See also: 💰 Highest paying industries for water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators.