Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators Salary
In Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN, water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators earn $54,720 at the median, or about $26.31 an hour. The range runs from $47K at the entry level to $61K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.43), which stretches that salary to about $58,568 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,242/month, about 33.9% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $55K get you in Lafayette-West Lafayette?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Lafayette-West Lafayette’s Regional Price Parity (93.43). 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 Lafayette-West Lafayette
Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators pay in Lafayette-West Lafayette tracks closely to the national median, $55K locally vs. $60K nationwide, a 9% difference. Rent runs $1,242/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 33.6% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 93.43 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 7% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. 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 Lafayette-West Lafayette, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood | $59K | $61K |
| Fort Wayne | $61K | $66K |
| 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, Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN
Entry-level water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators (10th percentile) start around $47K. Mid-career wages sit at $55K. Top earners bring in $61K or more, a $15K 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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Frequently asked questions
Can a water and wastewater treatment plant and system operator afford a 2BR apartment alone in Lafayette-West Lafayette?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $55K, rent takes 33.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,242/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,100/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 Lafayette-West Lafayette?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators typically earn — is $47K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,806/month. At HUD’s $1,242/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 Lafayette-West Lafayette?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $55K locally vs. $60K nationally, a 9% difference.
How does Lafayette-West Lafayette compare to the national average for water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators?
Lafayette-West Lafayette pays $55K median vs. the U.S. average of $60K — that’s -9%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.43), the purchasing-power equivalent is $59K — below the national median.
How much do water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators make in Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN?
The median is $54,720 a year, that works out to about $26 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $46,760, and experienced water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators can clear $61,360. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $55K enough to live in Lafayette-West Lafayette?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,695/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,242/month, which eats 33.6% 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 Lafayette-West Lafayette?
Lafayette-West Lafayette has a Regional Price Parity of 93.43 (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 $58,568 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.