Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operator Salary in Sector of Manufacturing

The salary statistics of water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators in the industry sector of manufacturing are shown in Table 1. In Table 2 we compare water and wastewater treatment plant and system operator salaries in different industries within the manufacturing sector.

Average Annual Salary of Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators

Percentile BracketAverage Annual Salary
10th Percentile Wage
$28,070
25th Percentile Wage
$34,700
50th Percentile Wage
$44,390
75th Percentile Wage
$55,610
90th Percentile Wage
$65,500

Table 1 shows the average annual salary for water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators in the industry sector of manufacturing. The salaries are shown in 5 percentile scales. The average annual salary for the 90th percentile (the top 10 percent of the highest paid) water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators is $65,500. The median annual salary (50th percentile) is $44,390. The average annual salary for the bottom 10 percent paid water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators is $28,070.

Salary Trend (2012 to 2017)

The table and chart below show the trend of the median salary of water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators in the industry sector of manufacturing from 2012 to 2017.

YearMedian SalaryYearly Growth5-Year Growth
2017
$44,390
-1.24% 8.74%
2016
$44,940
1.58% -
2015
$44,230
3.39% -
2014
$42,730
4.63% -
2013
$40,750
0.59% -
2012
$40,510
- -

Compare Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operator Salary in Different Industries within the Manufacturing Sector

The average salaries of water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators in 55 industries in the manufacturing sector are shown below. We note that within this industry sector, the salaries vary among different industries. The highest paying industry for water and wastewater treatment plant and system operator occupations is the aerospace product and parts manufacturing industry with an annual salary $69,130. The lowest paying industry is the architectural and structural metals manufacturing industry (annual salary $31,100). For detailed water and wastewater treatment plant and system operator salary information in a particular industry, use the links provided below.

Industry Name Median Annual Salary
Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing
$69,130
Transportation Equipment Manufacturing
$63,150
Resin, Synthetic Rubber, and Artificial Synthetic Fibers and Filaments Manufacturing
$62,710
Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing
$56,410
Sugar and Confectionery Product Manufacturing
$55,260
Basic Chemical Manufacturing
$55,160
Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Production and Processing
$55,160
Plastics Product Manufacturing
$53,090
Chemical Manufacturing
$52,980
Chemical Manufacturing
$51,650
Pulp, Paper, and Paperboard Mills
$50,140
Paper Manufacturing
$50,070
Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing
$49,960
Converted Paper Product Manufacturing
$49,660
Chemical Manufacturing
$49,170
Grain and Oilseed Milling
$48,370
Alumina and Aluminum Production and Processing
$48,140
Other Chemical Product and Preparation Manufacturing
$47,980
Dairy Product Manufacturing
$47,780
Primary Metal Manufacturing
$47,770
Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing
$47,330
Beverage Manufacturing
$47,330
Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing
$47,260
Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing
$47,220
Fruit and Vegetable Preserving and Specialty Food Manufacturing
$46,170
Foundries
$46,000
Other Food Manufacturing
$45,470
Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing
$45,450
Other Electrical Equipment and Component Manufacturing
$45,380
Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing
$45,350
Machinery Manufacturing
$45,290
Steel Product Manufacturing from Purchased Steel
$45,240
Other Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing
$44,560
Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing
$44,340
Other General Purpose Machinery Manufacturing
$43,540
Electrical Equipment, Appliance, and Component Manufacturing
$43,520
Ventilation, Heating, Air-Conditioning, and Commercial Refrigeration Equipment Manufacturing
$43,160
Iron and Steel Mills and Ferroalloy Manufacturing
$43,060
Machinery Manufacturing
$42,170
Boiler, Tank, and Shipping Container Manufacturing
$41,940
Food Manufacturing
$40,850
Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing
$40,500
Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing
$39,130
Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing
$39,130
Household Appliance Manufacturing
$38,340
Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing
$37,050
Other Miscellaneous Manufacturing
$36,680
Agriculture, Construction, and Mining Machinery Manufacturing
$36,320
Miscellaneous Manufacturing
$36,110
Coating, Engraving, Heat Treating, and Allied Activities
$36,100
Animal Slaughtering and Processing
$36,060
Textile Mills
$34,950
Textile and Fabric Finishing and Fabric Coating Mills
$34,810
Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing
$34,350
Architectural and Structural Metals Manufacturing
$31,100

Data source: The national compensation survey conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) in 2017 and published in April 2018 [1].