Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators Salary
In Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV, water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators earn $84,450 at the median, or about $40.6 an hour. The range runs from $64K at the entry level to $100K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 100.22), that's roughly $84,265 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,735/month, about 30.7% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $84K get you in Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas’s Regional Price Parity (100.22). 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 Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas
Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas sits well above the national pay line for water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators, local pay runs about 41% higher than the U.S. median of $60K. Rent runs $1,735/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 30.7% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 100.22) 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 Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Reno | $80K | $79K |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler | $64K | $62K |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $82K | $73K |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $83K | $78K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV
Entry-level water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators (10th percentile) start around $64K. Mid-career wages sit at $84K. Top earners bring in $100K or more, a $36K 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 Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $84K, rent takes 30.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,735/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,700/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 Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators typically earn — is $64K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,820/month. At HUD’s $1,735/month FMR, rent would take 45% 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 Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas?
Local pay is 41% above the national median — $84K here vs. $60K nationally.
How does Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas compare to the national average for water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators?
Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas pays $84K median vs. the U.S. average of $60K — that’s +41%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 100.22), the purchasing-power equivalent is $84K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators make in Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV?
The median is $84,450 a year, that works out to about $41 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $63,670, and experienced water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators can clear $99,690. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $84K enough to live in Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,650/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,735/month, which eats 30.7% 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 Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas?
Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas has a Regional Price Parity of 100.22 (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 $84,265 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.