Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators Salary
In Madison, WI, water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators earn $71,850 at the median, or about $34.54 an hour. The range runs from $51K at the entry level to $84K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97.29), that's roughly $73,851 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,168/month, or 24.7% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $72K get you in Madison?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Madison’s Regional Price Parity (97.29). 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 Madison
Madison sits well above the national pay line for water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators, local pay runs about 20% higher than the U.S. median of $60K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,168/month, 25% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Cost of living (RPP 97.29) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Combined with manageable housing costs, Madison offers a genuinely strong financial position for water and wastewater treatment plant and system operatorss at the median.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators in metros near Madison, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee-Waukesha | $67K | $69K |
| Green Bay | $67K | $72K |
| Appleton | $65K | $70K |
| Eau Claire | $64K | $68K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Madison, WI
Entry-level water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators (10th percentile) start around $51K. Mid-career wages sit at $72K. Top earners bring in $84K 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 |
| 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
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Frequently asked questions
Can a water and wastewater treatment plant and system operator afford a 2BR apartment alone in Madison?
Yes — at the median salary of $72K, rent takes 25% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,168/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators in Madison?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators typically earn — is $51K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,073/month. At HUD’s $1,168/month FMR, rent would take 38% 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 Madison?
Local pay is 20% above the national median — $72K here vs. $60K nationally.
How does Madison compare to the national average for water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators?
Madison pays $72K median vs. the U.S. average of $60K — that’s +20%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97.29), the purchasing-power equivalent is $74K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators make in Madison, WI?
The median is $71,850 a year, that works out to about $35 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $51,220, and experienced water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators can clear $83,700. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $72K enough to live in Madison?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,681/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,168/month, which eats 25% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators salary go in Madison?
Madison has a Regional Price Parity of 97.29 (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 $73,851 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.