Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators Salary
In Merced, CA, water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators earn $76,790 at the median, or about $36.92 an hour. The range runs from $48K at the entry level to $97K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 98.28), that's roughly $78,134 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,503/month, or 30% of estimated take-home pay.
Where the paycheck goes
What $77K actually covers in Merced, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Merced’s Regional Price Parity (98.28). 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 Merced
Merced sits well above the national pay line for water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators, local pay runs about 28% higher than the U.S. median of $60K. Rent runs $1,503/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 30.5% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 98.28) 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 Merced, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $82K | $73K |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $83K | $78K |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $125K | $108K |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom | $86K | $81K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Merced, CA
Entry-level water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators (10th percentile) start around $48K. Mid-career wages sit at $77K. Top earners bring in $97K or more, a $49K 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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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a water and wastewater treatment plant and system operator afford a 2BR apartment alone in Merced?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $77K, rent takes 30.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,503/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,500/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 Merced?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators typically earn — is $48K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,269/month. At HUD’s $1,503/month FMR, rent would take 46% 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 Merced?
Local pay is 28% above the national median — $77K here vs. $60K nationally.
How does Merced compare to the national average for water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators?
Merced pays $77K median vs. the U.S. average of $60K — that’s +28%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 98.28), the purchasing-power equivalent is $78K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators make in Merced, CA?
The median is $76,790 a year, that works out to about $37 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $47,720, and experienced water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators can clear $97,180. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $77K enough to live in Merced?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,927/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,503/month, which eats 30.5% 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 Merced?
Merced has a Regional Price Parity of 98.28 (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 $78,134 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.