Water Treatment Plant and System Operators in Wisconsin

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

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

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

• Water Treatment Plant and System Operators in Wisconsin earn higher 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 Wisconsin?

2,080 people worked as Water Treatment Plant and System Operators in 2018 in this state.

There were 2,140 Water Treatment Plant and System Operators employed in this state in 2017.

That’s a decline of 60 jobs between 2017 and 2018.

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

Job Projections for Wisconsin

Jobs for Water Treatment Plant and System Operators in this state are not growing, but it is a similar decline to the national projection of -3.2% decline.

Wisconsin Annual Job Openings

The BLS is projecting 220 annual Water Treatment Plant and System Operators job openings in Wisconsin, and 2,730 total jobs in the year 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 Wisconsin?

In 2018 wages for Water Treatment Plant and System Operators ranged from $35,240 to $68,460 with $51,110 being the median annual salary.

Broken down to an hourly rate, workers in this field made anywhere from $16.94 to $32.91. The median hourly rate was $24.57.

Workers in this field were paid a median of $24.66 an hour in 2017.

The hourly rate declined by $0.09.

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

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Top Wisconsin 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
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI	2,180	$64,030
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI	1,360	$60,150
Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI	380	$61,510
Duluth, MN-WI	250	$57,520
Madison, WI	140	$55,730
Green Bay, WI	80	$54,470
Eau Claire, WI	70	$50,660
Oshkosh-Neenah, WI	70	$56,070
Janesville-Beloit, WI	60	$52,000
Racine, WI	50	$48,310
Appleton, WI	50	$54,860
Fond du Lac, WI	50	$46,700
Sheboygan, WI	40	$57,780
Wausau, WI	40	$50,480
La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN	40	$48,080

Top States for Water Treatment Plant and System Operators Employment

The table below shows the states 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.