BLS metro-level wage data places Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators pay in Elkhart-Goshen, IN at a median of $60,790 per year ($29.23/hr/hour), drawn from the OEWS May 2025 release for this Metropolitan Statistical Area. Compared to the national median of $60,020, Elkhart-Goshen pays +1% above, signaling either concentrated employer demand, a cost-of-living premium, or both. Approximately 60 water and wastewater treatment plant and system operatorss are employed across the Elkhart-Goshen MSA in SOC 51-8031.

The Elkhart-Goshen pay distribution spans from $41,160 at the 10th percentile to $71,160 at the 90th — a 1.7× spread that reflects experience tenure, specialization, employer size, and the difference between public-sector, nonprofit, and private-sector compensation inside the metro. The 25th percentile sits at $51,720 and the 75th at $62,920, so half of Elkhart-Goshen-based water and wastewater treatment plant and system operatorss earn within that middle band.

Metro figures capture where you actually work, not just where you live — which matters for commuters. BLS draws metro boundaries from the OMB MSA definitions, so Elkhart-Goshen, IN covers the central city plus outlying counties tied to the metro economically. Remember that OEWS wages reflect base pay only: employer-provided health insurance, retirement matches, stock options, signing bonuses, overtime, and tips are excluded and can add 20-40% to real total compensation. Before using this metro median as a negotiation anchor, triangulate against the same occupation's national profile (linked below), its state-wide IN data, and peer-metro comparisons — a median is a starting point, not a ceiling.