Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators Salary
In Ithaca, NY, water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators earn $61,360 at the median, or about $29.5 an hour. The range runs from $42K at the entry level to $75K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 103.32), that's roughly $59,388 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,753/month, about 43.8% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $61K get you in Ithaca?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Ithaca’s Regional Price Parity (103.32). 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 Ithaca
Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators pay in Ithaca tracks closely to the national median, $61K locally vs. $60K nationwide, a 2% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,753/month, which is 43.3% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 103.32) 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 Ithaca, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City | $83K | $74K |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga | $63K | $66K |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy | $63K | $63K |
| Rochester | $63K | $65K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Ithaca, NY
Entry-level water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators (10th percentile) start around $42K. Mid-career wages sit at $61K. Top earners bring in $75K or more, a $32K 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 |
| Maine | $62K | +3% | 710 |
| Maryland | $62K | +3% | 1,770 |
| 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
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 Ithaca 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 Ithaca?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $61K, rent takes 43.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,753/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 Ithaca?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators typically earn — is $42K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,549/month. At HUD’s $1,753/month FMR, rent would take 69% 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 Ithaca?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $61K locally vs. $60K nationally, a 2% difference.
How does Ithaca compare to the national average for water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators?
Ithaca pays $61K median vs. the U.S. average of $60K — that’s +2%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 103.32), the purchasing-power equivalent is $59K — below the national median.
How much do water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators make in Ithaca, NY?
The median is $61,360 a year, that works out to about $30 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $42,490, and experienced water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators can clear $74,530. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $61K enough to live in Ithaca?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,048/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,753/month, which eats 43.3% 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 Ithaca?
Ithaca has a Regional Price Parity of 103.32 (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 $59,388 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.