SOC 51-8031 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators — New Jersey
New Jersey · 3 metro areas compared
The median wage for Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators in New Jersey is $78,760 per year, well above the national median of $60,020.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
How pay has moved
The next ten years
Projected to decline
- Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
- -6.5%
- Openings per year
- 10,700
- Typical entry-level education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- On-the-job training
- Long-term on-the-job training
Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.
Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for New Jersey.
Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.
Salary overview
The median wage for Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators in New Jersey is $78,760 per year, well above the national median of $60,020. The gap of 31.2% is among the widest recorded for this occupation. Pay ranges from under $51,050 at the tenth percentile to more than $99,240 at the ninetieth, with the interquartile range running from $62,280 to $93,520.
Employment stands at 2,500, or 0.6 jobs per thousand held locally. Among the 50 states with published data for this occupation, New Jersey ranks 5th by median wage. Vineland leads the state's metro areas for this occupation, at $80,040. Set against every other occupation measured in the same area, it ranks 280th of 736 by median pay.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $51,050 | −14.9% |
| 25th | $62,280 | +3.8% |
| Median (50th) | $78,760 | +31.2% |
| 75th | $93,520 | +55.8% |
| 90th | $99,240 | +65.3% |
| Mean | $77,530 | +29.2% |
Highest-paying metro areas in New Jersey
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vineland | $80,040 | 60 | |
| 2 | Atlantic City | $65,300 | 140 | |
| 3 | Trenton | $63,130 | 150 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in New Jersey run 8.8% above the national average, so the median of $78,760 buys what $72,390 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way the gap against the national median narrows to 20.6% above the national median in real terms.
Published median
$78,760as reported by BLSLocal price level
108.8US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$72,390US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $78,760 a year, 31.2% above the national median.
- Published pay spans $51,050 to $99,240 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 2,500 jobs in this occupation.
- It ranks 5th of 50 states for this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Vineland, at $80,040.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators in New Jersey?
The median annual wage is $78,760, or $37.87 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.
Is that higher than the national average?
The national median for this occupation is $60,020, so pay in New Jersey is 31.2% higher. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.
What do the top earners make?
The top tenth of this occupation in New Jersey earns more than $99,240 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $51,050 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.
Which area nearby pays the most?
The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in Vineland, at $80,040 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 2,500 jobs in this occupation in New Jersey. Self-employed workers are not included.
Source and methodology
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.
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