SOC 51-8031 · Anniston-Oxford, AL metro

Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators Salary in Anniston, AL

The average salary for water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators in Anniston, Alabama is $48,530 a year ($23.33 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $48,130: half of the 50 people in this job in the Anniston-Oxford, AL metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 22% less than the U.S. average for this job ($62,540).

$48,530average per year

$23.33 / hourMedian $48,130Take-home ≈ $39,170

  • $33K10th
  • $38K25th
  • $48KMedian
  • $59K75th
  • $66K90th

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

50people in this job
-22%vs U.S. average
#12 of 12Alabama metros
86cost of living (U.S. = 100)
Advertisement

Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators pay range in Anniston

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $33,310 a year or less, while the top 10% make $65,930 or more. The middle half of water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators in Anniston earn between $38,180 and $59,400.

  • $33K10th
  • $38K25th
  • $48KMedian
  • $59K75th
  • $66K90th

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

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$48,530$4,044$23.33
Median$48,130$4,011$23.14
Entry level (25th percentile)$38,180$3,182$18.36
Experienced (75th percentile)$59,400$4,950$28.56

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

Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators pay in Anniston vs. Alabama and the U.S.

Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators in Anniston earn 12% less than the Alabama average ($55,300) and 22% less than the U.S. average ($62,540). At the median the gap is -20% against the U.S. median of $60,020.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Anniston$48,530$48,130$33,310$65,93050
Alabama$55,300$51,870$35,100$79,9502,770
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 Anniston

On the average salary of $48,530, a single filer in Anniston takes home about $39,170 a year, or $3,264 a month and $1,507 every two weeks. Taxes take 19% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). City occupational taxes (for example in Birmingham and Gadsden) are not included.

Alabama paycheck calculator: try your own salary

Advertisement

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

Prices in the Anniston area are 14% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 85.9), so the average $48,530 buys what about $56,464 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.1 times the median wage of all jobs in Anniston ($42,680). A typical home costs $170,653, or 3.5 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $48,530 is worth in another city

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

Anniston ranks 12th of 12 Alabama metro areas for this job; Florence pays the most ($67,240).

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

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

Advertisement

Does this match what you are paid?

Anonymous, no account. Results update as visitors answer.

Share your pay anonymously

Reviewed before it counts. Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators in Anniston, AL.

Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators salary in Anniston: questions

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

$23.33 an hour on average, and $23.14 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

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

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $33,310 a year and the 25th percentile is $38,180, a fair guide to starting pay.

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

About $39,170 a year ($3,264 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $48,530. City occupational taxes (for example in Birmingham and Gadsden) are not included.

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

The average here is 22% 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 Anniston-Oxford, AL (11500). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 4.6%.
  • 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). City occupational taxes (for example in Birmingham and Gadsden) are not included.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 1.38, this job is 1.4 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.

Read the full methodology. Spotted an error? Tell us.