SOC 51-8031 · Abilene, TX metro

Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators Salary in Abilene, TX

The average salary for water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators in Abilene, Texas is $47,400 a year ($22.79 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $46,660: half of the 90 people in this job in the Abilene, TX metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 24% less than the U.S. average for this job ($62,540).

$47,400average per year

$22.79 / hourMedian $46,660Take-home ≈ $40,266

  • $38K10th
  • $43K25th
  • $47KMedian
  • $49K75th
  • $61K90th

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

90people in this job
-24%vs U.S. average
#17 of 24Texas metros
90cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators pay range in Abilene

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $37,900 a year or less, while the top 10% make $61,040 or more. The middle half of water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators in Abilene earn between $43,240 and $49,360.

  • $38K10th
  • $43K25th
  • $47KMedian
  • $49K75th
  • $61K90th

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

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$47,400$3,950$22.79
Median$46,660$3,888$22.43
Entry level (25th percentile)$43,240$3,603$20.79
Experienced (75th percentile)$49,360$4,113$23.73

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

Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators pay in Abilene vs. Texas and the U.S.

Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators in Abilene earn 9% less than the Texas average ($51,920) and 24% less than the U.S. average ($62,540). At the median the gap is -22% against the U.S. median of $60,020.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Abilene$47,400$46,660$37,900$61,04090
Texas$51,920$49,460$36,550$70,27010,520
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 Abilene

On the average salary of $47,400, a single filer in Abilene takes home about $40,266 a year, or $3,355 a month and $1,549 every two weeks. Taxes take 15% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and no state income tax.

Texas paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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

Prices in the Abilene area are 10% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 90.4), so the average $47,400 buys what about $52,455 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.1 times the median wage of all jobs in Abilene ($44,340). A typical home costs $217,009, or 4.6 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $47,400 is worth in another city

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

Abilene ranks 17th of 24 Texas metro areas for this job; Austin pays the most ($60,450).

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

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 Abilene: questions

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

$22.79 an hour on average, and $22.43 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

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

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $37,900 a year and the 25th percentile is $43,240, a fair guide to starting pay.

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

About $40,266 a year ($3,355 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $47,400. Texas has no state income tax.

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

The average here is 24% less than 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 Abilene, TX (10180). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.9%.
  • 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 no state income tax.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 1.39, this job is 1.4 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.

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