Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators Salary
In Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN, water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators earn $58,530 at the median, or about $28.14 an hour. The range runs from $43K at the entry level to $78K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 95.7), that's roughly $61,160 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,473/month, about 37.6% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $59K get you in Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood’s Regional Price Parity (95.7). 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 Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood
Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators pay in Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood 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 $1,473/month, which is 37.4% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 95.7) 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.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators in metros near Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Fort Wayne | $61K | $66K |
| Lafayette-West Lafayette | $55K | $59K |
| Evansville | $55K | $60K |
| South Bend-Mishawaka | $53K | $58K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN
Entry-level water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators (10th percentile) start around $43K. Mid-career wages sit at $59K. Top earners bring in $78K or more, a $34K 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 quarterly. We'll email you when Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood 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 Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $59K, rent takes 37.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,473/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 Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators typically earn — is $43K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,602/month. At HUD’s $1,473/month FMR, rent would take 57% 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 Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $59K locally vs. $60K nationally, a 2% difference.
How does Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood compare to the national average for water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators?
Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood pays $59K median vs. the U.S. average of $60K — that’s -2%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 95.7), the purchasing-power equivalent is $61K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators make in Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN?
The median is $58,530 a year, that works out to about $28 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $43,370, and experienced water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators can clear $77,850. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $59K enough to live in Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,940/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,473/month, which eats 37.4% 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 Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood?
Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood has a Regional Price Parity of 95.7 (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 $61,160 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.