Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators
Earnings
The median annual wage for water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators was $44,790 in May 2015.
The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $27,120, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $70,940.
Most water and waste treatment plant and system operators work full time. Plants operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. In small plants, operators are likely to work during the day and be on call nights and weekends. In medium- and large-size plants that require constant monitoring, operators work in shifts to control the plant at all hours.
Occasionally, operators must work during emergencies. For example, weather conditions may cause large amounts of stormwater or wastewater to flow into sewers, exceeding a plant's capacity. Emergencies also may be caused by malfunctions within a plant, such as chemical leaks or oxygen deficiencies.
Union Membership
Compared with workers in all occupations, water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators had a higher percentage of workers who belonged to a union in 2014.
Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators
Median annual wages, May 2015
Plant and system operators
$57,160
Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators
$44,790
Total, all occupations
$36,200
Note: All Occupations includes all occupations in the U.S. Economy. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment Statistics