Water Treatment Plant and System Operators in Iowa

Want to work in Iowa as a Water Treatment Plant and System Operator? Read this first!

While jobs for Water Treatment Plant and System Operators in Iowa are decreasing, those who do work in these jobs get paid higher than average.

• Employment for Water Treatment Plant and System Operators in Iowa is expected to decrease.

• Water Treatment Plant and System Operators in Iowa earn lower salaries than the typical U.S. wage earner.

What Major Will Prepare You For a Water Treatment Plant and System Operator Career?

• Engineering Technologies
• Environmental Control Technology
• Water Quality & Wastewater Treatment Management & Recycling Technology

How Many Water Treatment Plant and System Operators Work in Iowa?

There were approximately 1,820 workers employed as Water Treatment Plant and System Operators in this state in 2018.

There were 1,950 Water Treatment Plant and System Operators employed in this state in 2017.

That’s a decline of 130 jobs between 2017 and 2018.

The typical state has 1,960 Water Treatment Plant and System Operators working in it, which means Iowa has fewer Water Treatment Plant and System Operators than average.

Job Projections for Iowa

Jobs for Water Treatment Plant and System Operators in this state are declining at a rate of 4.5% which is a faster decline than the nationwide estimated projection of -3.2%.

Iowa Annual Job Openings

The BLS estimates 150 annual job openings, and a total of 1,920 jobs for Iowa Water Treatment Plant and System Operators in 2026.

Nationwide, the prediction is 9,200 annual jobs and 115,400 total jobs in 2026.

What do Water Treatment Plant and System Operators Make in Iowa?

In 2018 wages for Water Treatment Plant and System Operators ranged from $25,370 to $63,940 with $45,590 being the median annual salary.

Broken down to an hourly rate, workers in this field made anywhere from $12.2 to $30.74. The median hourly rate was $21.92.

In 2017 the median pay for this field was $21.94 an hour.

The hourly rate declined by $0.02.

The median salary in Iowa is higher than the nationwide median salary.

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Top Iowa Metros for Water Treatment Plant and System Operators

The table below shows some of the metros in this state with the most Water Treatment Plant and System Operators.

Metro	Number Employed	Annual Median Salary
Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL	230	$53,230
Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA	190	$56,930
Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA	160	$47,380
Cedar Rapids, IA	100	$53,480
Sioux City, IA-NE-SD	90	$50,000
Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA	80	$49,090
Iowa City, IA	80	$54,520
Ames, IA	40	$45,630

Top States for Water Treatment Plant and System Operators Employment

View the list below to see where most Water Treatment Plant and System Operators work.

State	Number Employed	Annual Median Salary
Texas	12,100	$37,320
California	11,980	$70,550
Florida	6,340	$46,840
Pennsylvania	5,340	$49,220
New York	4,720	$56,260
Ohio	4,610	$49,220
Illinois	4,220	$56,630
Georgia	3,780	$37,450
South Carolina	3,690	$42,150
North Carolina	3,350	$41,820
Indiana	3,180	$41,990
Michigan	3,180	$47,280
Minnesota	3,160	$55,400
Virginia	3,070	$44,390
Tennessee	2,950	$41,110
Washington	2,850	$61,910
Kentucky	2,780	$37,000
Arkansas	2,600	$32,910
Missouri	2,570	$41,840
New Jersey	2,500	$59,900

Below are the states where Water Treatment Plant and System Operators get paid the most:

State	Annual Median Salary
California	$70,550
Connecticut	$66,800
Nevada	$62,640
Washington	$61,910
Alaska	$61,790
New Jersey	$59,900
Massachusetts	$56,650
Illinois	$56,630
New York	$56,260
Oregon	$56,180

References

• Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)
• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online

More about our data sources and methodologies.