SOC 51-8031 · Eau Claire, WI metro

Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators Salary in Eau Claire, WI

The average salary for water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators in Eau Claire, Wisconsin is $63,300 a year ($30.43 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $63,550: half of the 80 people in this job in the Eau Claire, WI metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is about the same as the U.S. average for this job ($62,540).

$63,300average per year

$30.43 / hourMedian $63,550Take-home ≈ $50,793

  • $60K10th
  • $64K25th
  • $64KMedian
  • $64K75th
  • $73K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

80people in this job
+1%vs U.S. average
#10 of 13Wisconsin metros
93cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators pay range in Eau Claire

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $60,170 a year or less, while the top 10% make $73,100 or more. The middle half of water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators in Eau Claire earn between $63,550 and $63,550.

  • $60K10th
  • $64K25th
  • $64KMedian
  • $64K75th
  • $73K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$63,300$5,275$30.43
Median$63,550$5,296$30.55
Entry level (25th percentile)$63,550$5,296$30.55
Experienced (75th percentile)$63,550$5,296$30.55

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.

Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators pay in Eau Claire vs. Wisconsin and the U.S.

Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators in Eau Claire earn about the same as the Wisconsin average ($64,070) and about the same as the U.S. average ($62,540). At the median the gap is +6% against the U.S. median of $60,020.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Eau Claire$63,300$63,550$60,170$73,10080
Wisconsin$64,070$63,550$50,340$78,7902,230
United States$62,540$60,020$39,110$91,060128,490

State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.

Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators salary after taxes in Eau Claire

On the average salary of $63,300, a single filer in Eau Claire takes home about $50,793 a year, or $4,233 a month and $1,954 every two weeks. Taxes take 20% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules).

Wisconsin paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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Is Eau Claire a good place for water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Eau Claire area are 7% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 92.8), so the average $63,300 buys what about $68,214 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.3 times the median wage of all jobs in Eau Claire ($48,100). A typical home costs $327,164, or 5.2 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $63,300 is worth in another city

Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators salary in other Wisconsin cities

Eau Claire ranks 10th of 13 Wisconsin metro areas for this job; Sheboygan pays the most ($70,070).

All Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators salaries in Wisconsin

Highest-paying cities for water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators

San Francisco, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($116,800).

Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators salary by city

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Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators salary in Eau Claire: questions

How much do water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators make an hour in Eau Claire?

$30.43 an hour on average, and $30.56 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators salary in Eau Claire?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $60,170 a year and the 25th percentile is $63,550, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators take-home pay in Eau Claire?

About $50,793 a year ($4,233 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $63,300.

Do water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators earn more in Eau Claire than elsewhere?

The average here is about the same as the U.S. average for this job ($62,540).

Sources and how to read this page

  • Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 51-8031; area Eau Claire, WI (20740). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.4%.
  • U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
  • Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
  • Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
  • Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules).
  • Job concentration: location quotient 1.17, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

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