Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators Salary
In Texas, water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators earn $49,460 at the median, or about $23.78 an hour. The range runs from $37K at the entry level to $70K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 91.49), which stretches that salary to about $54,061 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,415/month, about 39.8% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Texas. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $49K get you in Texas?
About water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators
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What this looks like in Texas
Pay for water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators in Texas runs about 18% below the U.S. median of $60K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,415/month, which is 40.6% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 91.49 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 9% 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.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Texas
Entry-level water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators (10th percentile) start around $37K. Mid-career wages sit at $49K. Top earners bring in $70K or more, a $34K spread from bottom to top.
Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators salary by metro in Texas
24 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos | $62K | +25% | 850 |
| Waco | $61K | +23% | 140 |
| Corpus Christi | $55K | +11% | 120 |
| Beaumont-Port Arthur | $53K | +6% | 170 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands | $52K | +5% | 1,980 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | $52K | +5% | 1,910 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels | $52K | +4% | 600 |
| Sherman-Denison | $50K | +1% | 100 |
| El Paso | $50K | +1% | 270 |
| Tyler | $50K | +1% | 100 |
| College Station-Bryan | $50K | +1% | 80 |
| Midland | $48K | -3% | 220 |
| Lubbock | $47K | -4% | 80 |
| Victoria | $47K | -4% | 30 |
| Longview | $47K | -5% | 130 |
| Abilene | $47K | -6% | 90 |
| Killeen-Temple | $46K | -7% | 190 |
| Laredo | $45K | -9% | 70 |
| Wichita Falls | $45K | -9% | 130 |
| Amarillo | $43K | -13% | 80 |
| San Angelo | $43K | -14% | 70 |
| Brownsville-Harlingen | $41K | -16% | 180 |
| Texarkana | $39K | -21% | 40 |
| McAllen-Edinburg-Mission | $38K | -24% | 330 |
Showing 1–10 of 24 metros
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Frequently asked questions
Can a water and wastewater treatment plant and system operator afford a 2BR apartment alone in Texas?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $49K, rent takes 40.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,415/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 Texas?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators typically earn — is $37K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,193/month. At HUD’s $1,415/month FMR, rent would take 65% 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 Texas?
Local pay runs 18% below the national median — $49K here vs. $60K nationally. Cost of living is 9% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Texas compare to the national average for water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators?
Texas pays $49K median vs. the U.S. average of $60K — that’s -18%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 91.49), the purchasing-power equivalent is $54K — below the national median.
How much do water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators make in Texas?
The median is $49,460 a year, that works out to about $24 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $36,550, and experienced water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators can clear $70,270. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $49K enough to live in Texas?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,482/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,415/month, which eats 40.6% 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 Texas?
Texas has a Regional Price Parity of 91.49 (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 $54,061 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.