Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators Salary
In Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN, water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators earn $52,230 at the median, or about $25.11 an hour. The range runs from $36K at the entry level to $80K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.07), which stretches that salary to about $56,119 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,272/month, about 37.1% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $52K get you in Louisville/Jefferson County?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Louisville/Jefferson County’s Regional Price Parity (93.07). 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
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Louisville/Jefferson County
Pay for water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators in Louisville/Jefferson County runs about 13% below the U.S. median of $60K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,272/month, which is 36.4% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 93.07 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 7% 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.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators in metros near Louisville/Jefferson County, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Lexington-Fayette | $49K | $53K |
| Owensboro | $58K | $65K |
| Paducah | $52K | $61K |
| Bowling Green | $46K | $51K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN
Entry-level water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators (10th percentile) start around $36K. Mid-career wages sit at $52K. Top earners bring in $80K or more, a $44K 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 Louisville/Jefferson County numbers change.
Related careers in Production & Manufacturing
Frequently asked questions
Can a water and wastewater treatment plant and system operator afford a 2BR apartment alone in Louisville/Jefferson County?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $52K, rent takes 36.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,272/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,000/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 Louisville/Jefferson County?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators typically earn — is $36K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,138/month. At HUD’s $1,272/month FMR, rent would take 59% 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 Louisville/Jefferson County?
Local pay runs 13% below the national median — $52K here vs. $60K nationally. Cost of living is 7% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Louisville/Jefferson County compare to the national average for water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators?
Louisville/Jefferson County pays $52K median vs. the U.S. average of $60K — that’s -13%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.07), the purchasing-power equivalent is $56K — below the national median.
How much do water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators make in Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN?
The median is $52,230 a year, that works out to about $25 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $35,640, and experienced water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators can clear $79,740. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $52K enough to live in Louisville/Jefferson County?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,493/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,272/month, which eats 36.4% 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 Louisville/Jefferson County?
Louisville/Jefferson County has a Regional Price Parity of 93.07 (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 $56,119 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.