Production Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages O*NET task lead SOC 51-8031

Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators

O*NET task statements lead this Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators card before OEWS pay; neighboring titles include Power Distributors and Dispatchers, Model Makers, Metal and Plastic, Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers, Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators.

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators: Power Distributors and Dispatchers ($107K) , Model Makers, Metal and Plastic ($63K) , Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers ($65K) , Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators ($79K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 51-8031 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Collect and test water and sewage samples, using test equipment and color analysis standards
  2. 2. Operate and adjust controls on equipment to purify and clarify water, process or dispose of sewage, and generate power
  3. 3. Record operational data, personnel attendance, or meter and gauge readings on specified forms
  4. 4. Add chemicals, such as ammonia, chlorine, or lime, to disinfect and deodorize water and other liquids
  5. 5. Inspect equipment or monitor operating conditions, meters, and gauges to determine load requirements and detect malfunctions
  6. 6. Direct and coordinate plant workers engaged in routine operations and maintenance activities
  7. 7. Clean and maintain tanks, filter beds, and other work areas, using hand tools and power tools
  8. 8. Maintain, repair, and lubricate equipment, using hand tools and power tools

Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators: O*NET ranks Operation and Control first

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 51-8031 - lead skill Operation and Control at 4.0 ; lead knowledge Public Safety and Security. Sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Operation and Control 4.0
  2. 2. Operations Monitoring 3.9
  3. 3. Monitoring 3.6
  4. 4. Active Listening 3.1
  5. 5. Speaking 3.1
  6. 6. Equipment Maintenance 3.1
  7. 7. Troubleshooting 3.1
  8. 8. Repairing 3.1

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. Public Safety and Security 4.2
  2. 2. Mechanical 3.6
  3. 3. English Language 3.5
  4. 4. Chemistry 3.4
  5. 5. Administration and Management 3.4
  6. 6. Mathematics 3.4
National median after O*NET task lead
$60,020
/year · 8 published task lines above
Lead task: Collect and test water and sewage samples, using test equipment and color analysis standards
$60K
National median
↓ -7%
Growth 2024-2034
10,700
Annual openings
128,490
Estimated US jobs
Power Distributors and Dispatchers
Highest-pay peer · $107K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education High school diploma or equivalent

Top Paying States for Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators

1. Minnesota $74,670
2. Massachusetts $68,550
3. California $81,770
4. New Jersey $78,760
5. Washington $80,800
6. Nevada $81,440
7. Illinois $67,810
8. Colorado $74,200
9. Connecticut $78,820
10. Oregon $69,720

Other Production Occupations titles

  1. 1. Model Makers, Metal and Plastic $63,340
  2. 2. Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers $65,380
  3. 3. Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators $78,620
  4. 4. Power Distributors and Dispatchers $106,730
  5. 5. First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers $74,450
  6. 6. Chemical Plant and System Operators $78,120

O*NET publishes 8 leading task statements for Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators (SOC 51-8031). The national OEWS median is $60,020 inside Production Occupations. Same-group neighbors: Power Distributors and Dispatchers, Model Makers, Metal and Plastic, Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers, Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators. Lead published task: Collect and test water and sewage samples, using test equipment and color analysis standards.

Employment Projections expect -7% change between 2024 and 2034 (declining vs baseline 3.1%). About 10,700 annual openings are projected. BLS assigns High school diploma or equivalent as typical education needed for entry. These are occupation-level assignments, not universal requirements. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific safety rate for this role; its broad SOC-group rate is excluded from this career card's grade.

Highest published state median in this ranking: Minnesota at $74,670. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: Power Distributors and Dispatchers at $106,730. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators pay-rank #17 in Production Occupations

Among 105 detailed Production Occupations with a published OEWS median, Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators is pay-rank #17, the upper third of that major group. The order is ROW_NUMBER on national median (title as tiebreak), not a worker-level percentile.

Other upper-third titles · closest medians

Full Salary Details Compare this role

Data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024-2034.

SOC 51-8031 · national median $60,020 · upper third of Production Occupations (#17/105). The day-to-day tasks above set this role apart from peers with a similar title.

Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 51-8031

Minnesota · top state for Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators

$75K published median

Massachusetts · #2 state pay

$69K · behind Minnesota

Power Distributors and Dispatchers

Highest-pay peer vs Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators · $107K

Model Makers, Metal and Plastic

Lower-pay peer beside Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators · $63K

Compare Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators

Head-to-head OEWS medians with another SOC
Compare Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators with another occupation →

Role and task next reads

Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators full salary map

State and metro OEWS after the task lead

Compare tasks and pay

Side-by-side with another occupation

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Production Occupations titles sit near Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators at the top of the pay table? ▼
Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators is pay-rank #17 of 105 detailed Production Occupations with an OEWS median, upper third. Nearest upper-third titles: Machinists ($59K), Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders ($58K), Patternmakers, Metal and Plastic ($58K), Plant and System Operators, All Other ($62K). Rank is ROW_NUMBER on national median.
What do water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators. Leading ones include: Collect and test water and sewage samples, using test equipment and color analysis standards; Operate and adjust controls on equipment to purify and clarify water, process or dispose of sewage, and generate power; Record operational data, personnel attendance, or meter and gauge readings on specified forms; Add chemicals, such as ammonia, chlorine, or lime, to disinfect and deodorize water and other liquids. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators? ▼
For SOC 51-8031, O*NET importance scores lead with Operation and Control (4.0), Operations Monitoring (3.9), Monitoring (3.6), Active Listening (3.1). Knowledge areas emphasize Public Safety and Security, Mechanical, English Language. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
What is the OEWS national median for Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators? ▼
May 2025 OEWS reports $60,020 as the national median for Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators. The published 10th-90th range is $39,110 to $91,060. Beside Power Distributors and Dispatchers ($106,730), this is the occupation-level national figure, not a local offer.
What employment change does BLS publish for Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators is -7%. Projected annual openings: about 10,700. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: declining.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators? ▼
BLS assigns High school diploma or equivalent as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators? ▼
Minnesota ($74,670), Massachusetts ($68,550), California ($81,770) lead this ranking. The table does not identify why those state estimates differ.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Wage and state figures use BLS OEWS May 2025; growth and education use BLS Employment Projections for 2024-2034; safety fields cite BLS CFOI/SOII; task statements cite O*NET where shown. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

Disclaimer: Wage and outlook figures on this page are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute career, financial, or salary-negotiation advice. Actual pay varies by employer, experience, and local conditions; consult a career counselor or the hiring employer for guidance specific to your situation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES Occupational wage estimates by area and industry · 2025

Federal sources on this Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 51-8031. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators. onetcenter.org
  • BLS Employment Projections - 2024-2034 change and openings for this occupation. bls.gov/emp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - demographic and labor-force context for state and metro geography. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) - payroll-tax aggregate context for wage comparisons. irs.gov/statistics