Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators in Prescott Valley-Prescott

BLS metro-level wage data places Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators pay in Prescott Valley-Prescott, AZ at a median of $49,730 per year ($23.91/hr/hour), drawn from the OEWS May 2025 release for this Metropolitan Statistical Area. Compared to the national median of $60,020, Prescott Valley-Prescott pays 17% below, which typically tracks with a lower local cost of living or smaller specialized-employer cluster. Approximately 160 water and wastewater treatment plant and system operatorss are employed across the Prescott Valley-Prescott MSA in SOC 51-8031.

The Prescott Valley-Prescott pay distribution spans from $44,380 at the 10th percentile to $73,670 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 $47,890 and the 75th at $64,610, so half of Prescott Valley-Prescott-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 Prescott Valley-Prescott, AZ 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 AZ data, and peer-metro comparisons, a median is a starting point, not a ceiling.