Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators Salary
In Florida, water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators earn $59,030 at the median, or about $28.38 an hour. The range runs from $40K at the entry level to $84K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 98.58), that's roughly $59,880 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,658/month, about 40.4% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Florida. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $59K get you in Florida?
About water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators
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What this looks like in Florida
Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators pay in Florida tracks closely to the national median, $59K locally vs. $60K nationwide, a 2% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,658/month, which is 40.2% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 98.58) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Florida
Entry-level water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators (10th percentile) start around $40K. Mid-career wages sit at $59K. Top earners bring in $84K or more, a $45K spread from bottom to top.
Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators salary by metro in Florida
21 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jacksonville | $77K | +31% | 460 |
| Gainesville | $64K | +8% | 90 |
| Naples-Marco Island | $63K | +7% | 150 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach | $63K | +7% | 1,610 |
| Port St. Lucie | $61K | +4% | 180 |
| Sebastian-Vero Beach-West Vero Corridor | $61K | +3% | 80 |
| Wildwood-The Villages | $59K | +0% | 90 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater | $59K | -1% | 1,330 |
| North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota | $59K | -1% | 380 |
| Cape Coral-Fort Myers | $58K | -1% | 370 |
| Ocala | $57K | -4% | 60 |
| Tallahassee | $55K | -7% | 110 |
| Punta Gorda | $54K | -9% | 150 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford | $52K | -12% | 770 |
| Lakeland-Winter Haven | $52K | -12% | 270 |
| Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin | $51K | -14% | 150 |
| Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach | $50K | -16% | 290 |
| Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent | $50K | -16% | 160 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville | $48K | -19% | 230 |
| Panama City-Panama City Beach | $47K | -21% | 100 |
| Sebring | $44K | -25% | 40 |
Showing 1–10 of 21 metros
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BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Florida numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a water and wastewater treatment plant and system operator afford a 2BR apartment alone in Florida?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $59K, rent takes 40.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,658/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,200/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 Florida?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators typically earn — is $40K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,378/month. At HUD’s $1,658/month FMR, rent would take 70% 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 Florida?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $59K locally vs. $60K nationally, a 2% difference.
How does Florida compare to the national average for water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators?
Florida pays $59K median vs. the U.S. average of $60K — that’s -2%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 98.58), the purchasing-power equivalent is $60K — below the national median.
How much do water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators make in Florida?
The median is $59,030 a year, that works out to about $28 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $39,630, and experienced water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators can clear $84,280. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $59K enough to live in Florida?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,122/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,658/month, which eats 40.2% 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 Florida?
Florida has a Regional Price Parity of 98.58 (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 $59,880 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.