Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators Salary
In Rockford, IL, water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators earn $77,830 at the median, or about $37.42 an hour. The range runs from $54K at the entry level to $90K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 92.15), which stretches that salary to about $84,460 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,175/month, or 23% of estimated take-home pay.
Where the paycheck goes
What $78K actually covers in Rockford, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Rockford’s Regional Price Parity (92.15). 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 Rockford
Rockford sits well above the national pay line for water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators, local pay runs about 30% higher than the U.S. median of $60K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,175/month, 23.8% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 92.15 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 8% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Combined with manageable housing costs, Rockford offers a genuinely strong financial position for water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators at the median.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators in metros near Rockford, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $79K | $77K |
| Peoria | $60K | $66K |
| Champaign-Urbana | $62K | $67K |
| Kankakee | $60K | $62K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Rockford, IL
Entry-level water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators (10th percentile) start around $54K. Mid-career wages sit at $78K. Top earners bring in $90K 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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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 Rockford?
Yes — at the median salary of $78K, rent takes 23.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,175/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 Rockford?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators typically earn — is $54K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,537/month. At HUD’s $1,175/month FMR, rent would take 33% 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 Rockford?
Local pay is 30% above the national median — $78K here vs. $60K nationally.
How does Rockford compare to the national average for water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators?
Rockford pays $78K median vs. the U.S. average of $60K — that’s +30%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 92.15), 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 Rockford, IL?
The median is $77,830 a year, that works out to about $37 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $53,580, and experienced water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators can clear $89,640. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $78K enough to live in Rockford?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,941/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,175/month, which eats 23.8% 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 Rockford?
Rockford has a Regional Price Parity of 92.15 (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 $84,460 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.