Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators pay in Washington

In Washington, the median pay for water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators is $38.85 an hour ($80,800 a year). About 2,030 people work in this job there.

$38.85Median hourly pay

$67,690–$99,940Middle half of workers, yearly

2,030People in this job in Washington

That is 35% higher than the U.S. median ($60,020). Washington ranks 3rd of 50 states and territories for this job’s median pay.

Pay range for water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators in Washington

Earns more than	Hourly	Yearly
10% of workers	$27.75	$57,720
25% of workers	$32.54	$67,690
Half of workers (median)	$38.85	$80,800
75% of workers	$48.05	$99,940
90% of workers	$51.09	$106,270

Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators pay in Washington metro areas

Metro area	Median yearly pay	People in this job
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue	$99,010	830
Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater	$88,270	70
Wenatchee-East Wenatchee	$87,840	40
Mount Vernon-Anacortes	$87,310	90
Bellingham	$81,430	80
Spokane-Spokane Valley	$81,240	130
Kennewick-Richland	$80,750	80
Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard	$79,100	90
Yakima	$75,290	90
Longview-Kelso	$64,420	30

Washington unemployment rate: 4.9% (August 2026), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Education, experience and outlook for water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators

Typical education to start: High school diploma or equivalent (BLS)
Related work experience most have: 6 months to 1 year (O*NET)
Training on the job: Long-term on-the-job training (BLS)
Job outlook: -5.7% over ten years, declining · about 10,000 openings a year (BLS)

Related jobs in Washington

Job	Median yearly pay
Civil Engineers	$110,000
Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders	$67,300
Septic Tank Servicers and Sewer Pipe Cleaners	$63,090
Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders	$56,160
Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers	$103,620
Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators	$91,530

Other job titles for this job

Water Quality TechnicianWater Quality TechWater Treatment SpecialistRelief OperatorSewer OperatorWater Plant OperatorWater Pump OperatorWater PumperBasin TenderBiosolids Management TechnicianBiosolids Management TechClarifying Plant Operator

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Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates. Figures are for wage and salary workers and do not include the self-employed. The median is the middle wage: half earn more, half earn less. Other job titles: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. JAI Bot has modified this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.