Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators Salary
In Hanford-Corcoran, CA, water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators earn $64,320 at the median, or about $30.93 an hour. The range runs from $48K at the entry level to $87K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 101.61), that's roughly $63,301 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,469/month, about 35% of take-home, which is tight.
Where the paycheck goes
What $64K actually covers in Hanford-Corcoran, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Hanford-Corcoran’s Regional Price Parity (101.61). 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 Hanford-Corcoran
Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators pay in Hanford-Corcoran tracks closely to the national median, $64K locally vs. $60K nationwide, a 7% difference. Rent runs $1,469/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 34.3% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 101.61) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Pay and costs are both near average, leaving limited margin for savings at the median wage.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators in metros near Hanford-Corcoran, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $82K | $73K |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $83K | $78K |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $125K | $108K |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom | $86K | $81K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Hanford-Corcoran, CA
Entry-level water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators (10th percentile) start around $48K. Mid-career wages sit at $64K. Top earners bring in $87K or more, a $38K 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 Hanford-Corcoran?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $64K, rent takes 34.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,469/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,300/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 Hanford-Corcoran?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators typically earn — is $48K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,316/month. At HUD’s $1,469/month FMR, rent would take 44% 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 Hanford-Corcoran?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $64K locally vs. $60K nationally, a 7% difference.
How does Hanford-Corcoran compare to the national average for water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators?
Hanford-Corcoran pays $64K median vs. the U.S. average of $60K — that’s +7%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 101.61), the purchasing-power equivalent is $63K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators make in Hanford-Corcoran, CA?
The median is $64,320 a year, that works out to about $31 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $48,480, and experienced water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators can clear $86,720. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $64K enough to live in Hanford-Corcoran?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,283/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,469/month, which eats 34.3% 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 Hanford-Corcoran?
Hanford-Corcoran has a Regional Price Parity of 101.61 (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 $63,301 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.