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Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators pay in Illinois

$71,820avg. a year
$34.53 an hour · 3,500 employed

Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators in Illinois earn an average of $71,820 a year. That is $9,280 (15%) more than the U.S. average of $62,540. The best-paying metro area is Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN at $80,080.

Pay by cityCompare states
$67,810Median pay
$34.53Average hourly
+18%Avg. pay since 2020
#7Of 50 states

Top-paying Illinois metro areas

Average pay for water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators by metro area. Swipe to see all 12.

11,770 jobs
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
$80,080
$38.50 an hour
290 jobs
Rockford, IL
$76,090
$36.58 an hour
360 jobs
Bloomington, IL
$73,300
$35.24 an hour
450 jobs
Springfield, IL
$67,240
$32.33 an hour
550 jobs
Decatur, IL
$66,350
$31.90 an hour
690 jobs
Champaign-Urbana, IL
$64,580
$31.05 an hour
7120 jobs
Peoria, IL
$64,280
$30.90 an hour
8220 jobs
Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL
$63,250
$30.41 an hour
91,220 jobs
St. Louis, MO-IL
$61,380
$29.51 an hour
1070 jobs
Kankakee, IL
$59,660
$28.68 an hour
1160 jobs
Cape Girardeau, MO-IL
$54,380
$26.15 an hour
1270 jobs
Paducah, KY-IL
$53,100
$25.53 an hour

Why people trust JobPayFacts

Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
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Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators pay in Illinois, charted

Pay over time

Illinois, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian

Where Illinois water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators work

Employment by metro area, May 2025

Average pay by state

May 2025 · Illinois highlighted · tap a state
AKMEWIVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILMINYMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTRICAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL
Under $55k$55k–$62k$62k–$69k$69k+Illinois

Illinois vs. neighbors

Average pay, May 2025
AreaAvg. payHourly
United States$62,540$30.07
Illinois$71,820$34.53
Wisconsin$64,070$30.80
Iowa$60,790$29.23
Indiana$56,680$27.25
Missouri$53,190$25.57
Kentucky$47,770$22.97

Related jobs in Illinois

All jobs in Illinois

Average pay, Illinois, May 2025

Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS

Questions and answers

How much do water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators make in Illinois?

The average is $71,820 a year, and the median is $67,810. That is $9,280 (15%) more than the U.S. average of $62,540.

What is the hourly wage in Illinois?

$34.53 an hour on average; the median is $32.60.

Where in Illinois do they earn the most?

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN ($80,080), followed by Rockford, IL ($76,090). The lowest average among 12 metro areas with data is Paducah, KY-IL ($53,100).

How does Illinois rank?

Illinois ranks #7 of 50 states (including D.C.) with published data for this job, by average pay.

Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 51-8031. State rank compares average pay across states with published data. Metro figures cover metropolitan statistical areas; a metro area can cross state lines. See also the national water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators page. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.