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Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator

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AVG. SALARY

$53,570

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EDUCATION

High school (GED) +

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JOB OUTLOOK

Stable

Money & Outlook

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North Dakota Earnings

Average Annual Wage

$53,570

Entry Annual Wage

$40,160

Experienced Annual Wage

$68,380

Average Hourly Wage

$25.76

Entry Hourly Wage

$19.31

Experienced Hourly Wage

$32.88

Median Hourly Wage

$24.41

North Dakota Regional Earnings

North Dakota Metropolitan Areas Wages

Region Average Entry Level Experienced
Bismarck MSA $57,000 or $27.41/hr $41,590 or $19.99/hr $68,380 or $32.88/hr
Fargo ND-MN MSA $62,580 or $30.09/hr $39,220 or $18.86/hr $83,290 or $40.04/hr
Grand Forks ND-MN MSA $57,140 or $27.47/hr $47,410 or $22.79/hr $73,720 or $35.44/hr

North Dakota Geographical Areas Wages

Region Average Entry Level Experienced
East North Dakota nonmetropolitan area $51,480 or $24.75/hr $38,380 or $18.45/hr $63,290 or $30.43/hr
West North Dakota nonmetropolitan area $53,370 or $25.66/hr $40,170 or $19.31/hr $67,700 or $32.55/hr

North Dakota's Employment and Outlook (State-wide)

Outlook Stable
Growth rate is estimated to be 1%
Job Openings 48 estimated annual job openings
Employment 493 were employed in this occupation
Industries Large concentrations of this occupation are found in these industries
  • Water, sewage and other systems (NAICS221300) (45.76%)
  • Fruit and vegetable preserving and specialty food manufacturing (NAICS311400) (16.95%)
  • Aerospace product and parts manufacturing (NAICS336400) (10.17%)
  • Business, professional, labor, political, and similar organizations (NAICS813900) (10.17%)
  • Waste treatment and disposal (NAICS562200) (8.47%)
  • Electric power generation, transmission and distribution (NAICS221100) (6.78%)
  • Management, scientific, and technical consulting services (NAICS541600) (1.69%)

North Dakota's Regional Employment and Outlook

Regions with stable outlook (0 to 20% growth rate expected)

Region Employment Projected Growth Rate Annual Openings (growth) Annual Openings (replacement) Annual Openings
Region 1 60 12% 1 6 7
Region 5 62 5% 6 6
Region 8 99 1% 10 10

Regions with decreasing outlook (negative growth rate expected)

Region Employment Projected Growth Rate Annual Openings (growth) Annual Openings (replacement) Annual Openings
Region 2 54 -4% 5 5
Region 3 45 -13% -1 4 3
Region 4 64 -6% 6 6
Region 6 27 -7% 3 3
Region 7 80 -1% 8 8

National Earnings

Average Annual Wage

$55,690

Average Hourly Wage

$26.78

Average Annual Range

$34,100 to $81,210

Note: variations in salaries reflect differences in size of firm, location, level of education and professional credentials.

Where do these numbers come from?


National Employment and Outlook

Outlook decreasing
  The employment change from 2021 to 2031 is estimated to be -7%.
(The National average for all occupations is +5%)
Job Openings very small number
  A total of 1080 average annual openings are expected for this occupation between 2021 and 2031.
(The National Average for all occupations is 1,757 openings)
Employment small occupation
  This was a small occupation in the United States, employing 125,200 workers in 2021.
(The National average for all occupations is 142,207 workers)
Growth Declining growth
  As water and wastewater treatment plants become more advanced with automated systems to manage treatment processes, fewer workers may be needed. Although some work can be automated, plants will still need skilled workers to operate increasingly complex controls and water and wastewater systems. 
Non Traditional Occupation This is a non-traditional occupation for women in 2022.
Industries Large concentrations of this occupation are found in these industries
  • Local government, excluding education and hospitals (74.9%)
  • Utilities (NAICS220000) (12.1%)
  • Water, sewage and other systems (NAICS221300) (11.7%)

Contact

  • Email Support
  • 1-800-GO-TO-XAP (1-800-468-6927)
    From outside the U.S., please call +1 (424) 750-3900
  • North Dakota Career Resource Network
    ndcrn@nd.gov | (701) 328-9733

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