Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators Salary
In St. Cloud, MN, water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators earn $74,670 at the median, or about $35.9 an hour. The range runs from $60K at the entry level to $78K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 87.63), which stretches that salary to about $85,211 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,206/month, or 24.7% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $75K get you in St. Cloud?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by St. Cloud’s Regional Price Parity (87.63). 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 St. Cloud
St. Cloud sits well above the national pay line for water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators, local pay runs about 24% higher than the U.S. median of $60K. Rent runs $1,206/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 25.3% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 87.63 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 12% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. 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 St. Cloud, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington | $77K | $74K |
| Duluth | $66K | $74K |
| Rochester | $78K | $86K |
| Mankato | $70K | $77K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, St. Cloud, MN
Entry-level water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators (10th percentile) start around $60K. Mid-career wages sit at $75K. Top earners bring in $78K or more, a $18K 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 St. Cloud?
Yes — at the median salary of $75K, rent takes 25.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,206/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 St. Cloud?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators typically earn — is $60K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,605/month. At HUD’s $1,206/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 St. Cloud?
Local pay is 24% above the national median — $75K here vs. $60K nationally.
How does St. Cloud compare to the national average for water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators?
St. Cloud pays $75K median vs. the U.S. average of $60K — that’s +24%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 87.63), the purchasing-power equivalent is $85K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators make in St. Cloud, MN?
The median is $74,670 a year, that works out to about $36 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $60,090, and experienced water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators can clear $77,910. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $75K enough to live in St. Cloud?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,772/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,206/month, which eats 25.3% 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 St. Cloud?
St. Cloud has a Regional Price Parity of 87.63 (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 $85,211 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.