Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators Salary
In Corpus Christi, TX, water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators earn $54,700 at the median, or about $26.3 an hour. The range runs from $38K at the entry level to $80K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 92.67), which stretches that salary to about $59,027 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,366/month, about 36% of take-home, which is tight.
Where the paycheck goes
What $55K actually covers in Corpus Christi, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Corpus Christi’s Regional Price Parity (92.67). 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
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Corpus Christi
Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators pay in Corpus Christi tracks closely to the national median, $55K locally vs. $60K nationwide, a 9% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,366/month, which is 35.6% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 92.67 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 7% 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 Corpus Christi, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands | $52K | $53K |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | $52K | $50K |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos | $62K | $63K |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels | $52K | $55K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Corpus Christi, TX
Entry-level water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators (10th percentile) start around $38K. Mid-career wages sit at $55K. Top earners bring in $80K 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
BLS updates this data annually. We'll email you when Corpus Christi numbers change.
Related careers in Production & Manufacturing
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 Corpus Christi?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $55K, rent takes 35.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,366/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,100/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 Corpus Christi?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators typically earn — is $38K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,721/month. At HUD’s $1,366/month FMR, rent would take 50% 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 Corpus Christi?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $55K locally vs. $60K nationally, a 9% difference.
How does Corpus Christi compare to the national average for water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators?
Corpus Christi pays $55K median vs. the U.S. average of $60K — that’s -9%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 92.67), the purchasing-power equivalent is $59K — below the national median.
How much do water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators make in Corpus Christi, TX?
The median is $54,700 a year, that works out to about $26 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $38,100, and experienced water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators can clear $79,730. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $55K enough to live in Corpus Christi?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,833/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,366/month, which eats 35.6% 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 Corpus Christi?
Corpus Christi has a Regional Price Parity of 92.67 (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 $59,027 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.