Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators Salary
In Charleston-North Charleston, SC, water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators earn $51,790 at the median, or about $24.9 an hour. The range runs from $37K at the entry level to $79K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 100.96), that's roughly $51,298 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,787/month, about 52.5% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $52K get you in Charleston-North Charleston?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Charleston-North Charleston’s Regional Price Parity (100.96). 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 Charleston-North Charleston
Pay for water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators in Charleston-North Charleston runs about 14% below the U.S. median of $60K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,787/month, which is 51.1% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 100.96) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for water and wastewater treatment plant and system operatorss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators in metros near Charleston-North Charleston, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Columbia | $55K | $59K |
| Greenville-Anderson-Greer | $62K | $66K |
| Spartanburg | $61K | $67K |
| Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal | $49K | $50K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Charleston-North Charleston, SC
Entry-level water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators (10th percentile) start around $37K. Mid-career wages sit at $52K. Top earners bring in $79K or more, a $42K 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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Frequently asked questions
Can a water and wastewater treatment plant and system operator afford a 2BR apartment alone in Charleston-North Charleston?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $52K, rent takes 51.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,787/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 Charleston-North Charleston?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators typically earn — is $37K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,218/month. At HUD’s $1,787/month FMR, rent would take 81% 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 Charleston-North Charleston?
Local pay runs 14% below the national median — $52K here vs. $60K nationally.
How does Charleston-North Charleston compare to the national average for water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators?
Charleston-North Charleston pays $52K median vs. the U.S. average of $60K — that’s -14%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 100.96), the purchasing-power equivalent is $51K — below the national median.
How much do water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators make in Charleston-North Charleston, SC?
The median is $51,790 a year, that works out to about $25 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $36,970, and experienced water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators can clear $79,000. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $52K enough to live in Charleston-North Charleston?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,497/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,787/month, which eats 51.1% 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 Charleston-North Charleston?
Charleston-North Charleston has a Regional Price Parity of 100.96 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators salary is worth about $51,298 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.