Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators Salary
In Battle Creek, MI, water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators earn $52,230 at the median, or about $25.11 an hour. The range runs from $46K at the entry level to $61K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 90.54), which stretches that salary to about $57,687 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,176/month, about 34.3% of take-home, which is tight.
Where the paycheck goes
What $52K actually covers in Battle Creek, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Battle Creek’s Regional Price Parity (90.54). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators
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What this looks like in Battle Creek
Pay for water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators in Battle Creek runs about 13% below the U.S. median of $60K. Rent runs $1,176/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 33.8% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 90.54 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 9% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators in metros near Battle Creek, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn | $62K | $62K |
| Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood | $61K | $64K |
| Flint | $61K | $65K |
| Lansing-East Lansing | $63K | $67K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Battle Creek, MI
Entry-level water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators (10th percentile) start around $46K. Mid-career wages sit at $52K. Top earners bring in $61K or more, a $15K spread from bottom to top.
Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $82K | +36% | 11,630 |
| Nevada | $81K | +36% | N/A |
| Washington | $81K | +35% | 2,030 |
| Connecticut | $79K | +31% | 980 |
| New Jersey | $79K | +31% | 2,500 |
| Minnesota | $75K | +24% | 2,290 |
| Colorado | $74K | +24% | 2,620 |
| Oregon | $70K | +16% | 1,240 |
| Massachusetts | $69K | +14% | 2,510 |
| Illinois | $68K | +13% | 3,500 |
| Hawaii | $66K | +9% | 610 |
| Delaware | $65K | +8% | 340 |
| New York | $64K | +7% | 5,300 |
| Vermont | $64K | +6% | 320 |
| Wisconsin | $64K | +6% | 2,230 |
| Pennsylvania | $63K | +5% | 4,660 |
| Wyoming | $63K | +5% | 500 |
| New Hampshire | $63K | +5% | 510 |
| Maryland | $62K | +3% | 1,770 |
| Maine | $62K | +3% | 710 |
| Rhode Island | $62K | +3% | 420 |
| Arizona | $61K | +2% | 3,950 |
| Utah | $61K | +2% | 1,900 |
| Nebraska | $61K | +2% | 740 |
| Iowa | $61K | +2% | 2,370 |
| North Dakota | $60K | +1% | 550 |
| Alaska | $60K | +0% | 750 |
| Virginia | $59K | -1% | 3,460 |
| Michigan | $59K | -1% | 3,400 |
| Ohio | $59K | -1% | 5,870 |
| Florida | $59K | -2% | 7,440 |
| Montana | $58K | -3% | 690 |
| Indiana | $54K | -11% | 3,140 |
| South Dakota | $53K | -11% | 1,060 |
| Idaho | $52K | -13% | 1,480 |
| South Carolina | $52K | -13% | 2,650 |
| Alabama | $52K | -14% | 2,770 |
| North Carolina | $52K | -14% | 3,620 |
| Tennessee | $51K | -16% | 3,140 |
| Missouri | $50K | -17% | 3,000 |
| Texas | $49K | -18% | 10,520 |
| Georgia | $49K | -18% | 3,310 |
| New Mexico | $48K | -20% | 2,110 |
| West Virginia | $48K | -21% | 1,100 |
| Kansas | $47K | -22% | 1,560 |
| Mississippi | $46K | -23% | 1,150 |
| Louisiana | $46K | -23% | 2,450 |
| Oklahoma | $46K | -24% | 2,280 |
| Kentucky | $45K | -24% | 2,540 |
| Arkansas | $44K | -26% | 2,010 |
Showing 1–10 of 50 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators salary changes
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a water and wastewater treatment plant and system operator afford a 2BR apartment alone in Battle Creek?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $52K, rent takes 33.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,176/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,000/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators in Battle Creek?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators typically earn — is $46K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,106/month. At HUD’s $1,176/month FMR, rent would take 38% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is water and wastewater treatment plant and system operator a high-paying job in Battle Creek?
Local pay runs 13% below the national median — $52K here vs. $60K nationally. Cost of living is 9% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Battle Creek compare to the national average for water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators?
Battle Creek pays $52K median vs. the U.S. average of $60K — that’s -13%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 90.54), the purchasing-power equivalent is $58K — below the national median.
How much do water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators make in Battle Creek, MI?
The median is $52,230 a year, that works out to about $25 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $46,300, and experienced water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators can clear $61,240. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $52K enough to live in Battle Creek?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,482/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,176/month, which eats 33.8% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators salary go in Battle Creek?
Battle Creek has a Regional Price Parity of 90.54 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators salary is worth about $57,687 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.