Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators Salary
In Kentucky, water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators earn $45,430 at the median, or about $21.84 an hour. The range runs from $33K at the entry level to $64K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 90.23), which stretches that salary to about $50,349 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,110/month, about 35.8% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Kentucky. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $45K get you in Kentucky?
About water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators
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What this looks like in Kentucky
Pay for water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators in Kentucky runs about 24% below the U.S. median of $60K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,110/month, which is 36.3% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 90.23 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 10% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for water and wastewater treatment plant and system operatorss.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Kentucky
Entry-level water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators (10th percentile) start around $33K. Mid-career wages sit at $45K. Top earners bring in $64K or more, a $31K spread from bottom to top.
Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators salary by metro in Kentucky
6 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Owensboro | $58K | +27% | 70 |
| Louisville/Jefferson County | $52K | +15% | 530 |
| Paducah | $52K | +15% | 70 |
| Elizabethtown | $52K | +14% | 60 |
| Lexington-Fayette | $49K | +8% | 240 |
| Bowling Green | $46K | +0% | 60 |
Compare to other states
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Frequently asked questions
Can a water and wastewater treatment plant and system operator afford a 2BR apartment alone in Kentucky?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $45K, rent takes 36.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,110/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $900/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 Kentucky?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators typically earn — is $33K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,993/month. At HUD’s $1,110/month FMR, rent would take 56% 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 Kentucky?
Local pay runs 24% below the national median — $45K here vs. $60K nationally. Cost of living is 10% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Kentucky compare to the national average for water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators?
Kentucky pays $45K median vs. the U.S. average of $60K — that’s -24%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 90.23), the purchasing-power equivalent is $50K — below the national median.
How much do water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators make in Kentucky?
The median is $45,430 a year, that works out to about $22 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $33,210, and experienced water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators can clear $63,740. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $45K enough to live in Kentucky?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,060/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,110/month, which eats 36.3% 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 Kentucky?
Kentucky has a Regional Price Parity of 90.23 (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 $50,349 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.