How much does a Wastewater Plant Operator I make in Ramsay, MT?
As of October 01, 2026, the average salary for a Wastewater Plant Operator I in Ramsay, MT is $46,072 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $22.
However, a Wastewater Plant Operator I's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:
Top Earners (90th percentile): $54,330
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $41,810 to $50,395
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $37,930
10%$37,930
50% (Median)$46,072
90%$54,330
Wastewater Plant Operator I Salaries by Percentile
Key Factors That Influence Wastewater Plant Operator I Salaries
A Wastewater Plant Operator I's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors.
Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, skills and company size can directly affect your earning potential.
How Experience Level Affects Wastewater Plant Operator I Salaries?
Experience is a primary driver of a Wastewater Plant Operator I's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:
Wastewater Plant Operator I (0-1 years): $46,072
Waste Water Treatment Technician II (1-3 years): $51,667
Waste Water Treatment Technician III (3-5 years): $58,245
Waste Water Treatment Superintendent (5+ years): $89,168
Waste Water Treatment Plant Manager (5+ years): $101,752
Top Paying Cities for Wastewater Plant Operator Is
Salaries can also vary between different cities.
Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay.
Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:
San Jose: $61,917
San Francisco: $61,239
Oakland: $59,949
San Jose, CA$61,917
San Francisco, CA$61,239
Oakland, CA$59,949
New York, NY$56,522
Paramus, NJ$55,834
Queens Village, NY$55,832
Passaic, NJ$55,785
Bergenfield, NJ$55,781
Stamford, CT$55,673
Huntington, NY$55,653
Newark, NJ$55,290
Bridgeport, CT$55,186
Vallejo, CA$55,089
New Brunswick, NJ$55,069
Petaluma, CA$55,040
Middlesex, NJ$54,946
Somerset, NJ$54,912
Santa Cruz, CA$54,848
Boston, MA$54,549
Monterey, CA$54,377
Seattle, WA$54,264
Santa Rosa, CA$54,254
Los Angeles, CA$54,240
Juneau, AK$54,112
Washington, DC$54,058
Orange, CA$53,883
Santa Ana, CA$53,754
Long Beach, CA$53,704
Anaheim, CA$53,695
Anchorage, AK$53,670
Santa Maria, CA$53,523
Everett, WA$53,513
Danbury, CT$53,340
Bremerton, WA$53,272
Tacoma, WA$53,096
New Suffolk, NY$53,095
Sacramento, CA$53,081
Santa Barbara, CA$53,027
Trenton, NJ$52,973
San Diego, CA$52,973
Brockton, MA$52,919
Fairbanks, AK$52,799
Lompoc, CA$52,674
Lowell, MA$52,634
Ventura, CA$52,624
Nashua, NH$52,615
Stockton, CA$52,610
Modesto, CA$52,251
Poughkeepsie, NY$52,143
Olympia, WA$52,050
Kennewick, WA$52,050
New Haven, CT$52,030
Lawrence, MA$51,854
Hartford, CT$51,805
Riverside, CA$51,795
New Bedford, MA$51,746
Richland, WA$51,746
Bakersfield, CA$51,677
San Bernardino, CA$51,657
New Britain, CT$51,652
Atlantic City, NJ$51,652
New London, CT$51,633
Norwich, CT$51,618
Portsmouth, NH$51,608
Boulder, CO$51,504
Portland, OR$51,437
Worcester, MA$51,432
Minneapolis, MN$51,279
Philadelphia, PA$51,211
Honolulu, HI$51,049
Saint Paul, MN$51,025
Vineland, NJ$51,014
Providence, RI$50,872
Chicago, IL$50,730
Bellingham, WA$50,671
Springfield, MA$50,631
Baltimore, MD$50,617
Chico, CA$50,494
Pittsfield, MA$50,361
Manchester, NH$50,268
Spokane, WA$50,052
Denver, CO$50,047
Albany, NY$49,817
Troy, NY$49,797
Nassau, NY$49,744
Schenectady, NY$49,694
Wilmington, DE$49,655
Burlington, VT$49,586
Salem, OR$49,566
Portland, ME$49,414
Yakima, WA$49,365
Rochester, MN$49,213
Reno, NV$49,188
Fresno, CA$49,188
Milwaukee, WI$49,144
Detroit, MI$49,095
Ann Arbor, MI$49,087
Allentown, PA$49,080
Colorado Springs, CO$48,997
Syracuse, NY$48,972
Carson City, NV$48,972
Houston, TX$48,903
Eugene, OR$48,879
Gary, IN$48,820
Springfield, OR$48,781
Bismarck, ND$48,771
Galveston, TX$48,737
Medford, OR$48,663
Fort Collins, CO$48,643
Concord, NH$48,619
Austin, TX$48,604
Mesa, AZ$48,501
Reading, PA$48,496
Phoenix, AZ$48,491
Dallas, TX$48,476
Saint Cloud, MN$48,429
Madison, WI$48,363
Utica, NY$48,231
Rochester, NY$48,152
Des Moines, IA$48,147
Raleigh, NC$48,143
Atlanta, GA$48,069
Battle Creek, MI$48,054
Salt Lake City, UT$48,039
Lancaster, PA$47,966
Harrisburg, PA$47,897
Kansas City, MO$47,848
Champaign, IL$47,838
Kansas City, KS$47,838
Fort Worth, TX$47,833
Columbus, OH$47,825
Boca Raton, FL$47,814
Pittsburgh, PA$47,794
Richmond, VA$47,774
Indianapolis, IN$47,765
Cleveland, OH$47,760
Las Vegas, NV$47,701
Cincinnati, OH$47,701
Petersburg, VA$47,627
Huntsville, AL$47,553
Lansing, MI$47,521
Lebanon, PA$47,514
Pueblo, CO$47,509
Appleton, WI$47,495
Buffalo, NY$47,475
Dayton, OH$47,460
Racine, WI$47,450
Charlotte, NC$47,445
Saint Louis, MO$47,431
York, PA$47,401
Elkhart, IN$47,401
Gastonia, NC$47,392
Billings, MT$47,380
Beaumont, TX$47,367
Lorain, OH$47,357
Benton Harbor, MI$47,347
Toledo, OH$47,337
Binghamton, NY$47,313
Rock Hill, SC$47,308
Rockford, IL$47,283
Springfield, IL$47,264
Elyria, OH$47,259
Fargo, ND$47,259
Flagstaff, AZ$47,225
Fort Lauderdale, FL$47,195
Duluth, MN$47,166
Miami, FL$47,166
Cheyenne, WY$47,131
Grand Forks, ND$47,131
Bangor, ME$47,023
Cedar Rapids, IA$46,969
Durham, NC$46,949
Louisville, KY$46,945
Grand Rapids, MI$46,935
Hialeah, FL$46,930
Casper, WY$46,861
Scranton, PA$46,802
New Orleans, LA$46,788
Virginia Beach, VA$46,783
Akron, OH$46,758
Peoria, IL$46,694
Sarasota, FL$46,685
Nashville, TN$46,650
Omaha, NE$46,650
Green Bay, WI$46,650
Baton Rouge, LA$46,626
Charleston, SC$46,616
Jamestown, NY$46,591
Davenport, IA$46,591
Tucson, AZ$46,567
Saint Petersburg, FL$46,537
Tampa, FL$46,528
Evansville, IN$46,498
Port Arthur, TX$46,498
Bradenton, FL$46,478
Santa Fe, NM$46,390
Orlando, FL$46,302
Clearwater, FL$46,287
Canton, OH$46,184
La Crosse, WI$46,184
Albuquerque, NM$46,154
Newport News, VA$46,150
High Point, NC$46,135
Ogden, UT$46,115
Corpus Christi, TX$46,076
Norfolk, VA$46,046
Laramie, WY$46,046
Rock Island, IL$46,017
Saginaw, MI$46,007
Jacksonville, FL$46,002
Salisbury, NC$45,992
Boise, ID$45,983
Moline, IL$45,958
Fort Myers, FL$45,943
Memphis, TN$45,934
Tulsa, OK$45,909
Waterloo, IA$45,880
Spartanburg, SC$45,830
Lincoln, NE$45,806
Fort Wayne, IN$45,796
Provo, UT$45,791
Cedar Falls, IA$45,732
San Antonio, TX$45,713
Greensboro, NC$45,693
South Bend, IN$45,688
Savannah, GA$45,634
Muskegon, MI$45,614
Birmingham, AL$45,610
Winston Salem, NC$45,585
Lake Charles, LA$45,467
Anderson, IN$45,457
Lexington, KY$45,443
Augusta, GA$45,428
Greenville, SC$45,428
Lima, OH$45,389
Wichita, KS$45,384
Tuscaloosa, AL$45,384
Columbia, SC$45,340
Springfield, OH$45,330
Asheville, NC$45,251
Bloomington, IN$45,217
Knoxville, TN$45,040
Shreveport, LA$45,035
Wilmington, NC$44,971
Roanoke, VA$44,971
Topeka, KS$44,883
Frankfort, KY$44,878
Oklahoma City, OK$44,844
Chillicothe, OH$44,824
Longview, TX$44,819
Melbourne, FL$44,814
Sioux Falls, SD$44,736
Mobile, AL$44,731
Terre Haute, IN$44,711
Altoona, PA$44,682
Amarillo, TX$44,647
Killeen, TX$44,633
Fayetteville, AR$44,593
Chattanooga, TN$44,579
Sioux City, IA$44,534
Idaho Falls, ID$44,525
Lynchburg, VA$44,485
Gainesville, FL$44,422
Portsmouth, OH$44,397
Little Rock, AR$44,387
Lafayette, LA$44,368
Youngstown, OH$44,368
Daytona Beach, FL$44,338
Clarksville, TN$44,333
Pensacola, FL$44,328
Temple, TX$44,325
Hopkinsville, KY$44,181
Erie, PA$44,171
Florence, SC$44,152
Charleston, WV$44,073
Great Falls, MT$44,048
Macon, GA$43,980
Tallahassee, FL$43,975
Fayetteville, NC$43,965
Waco, TX$43,955
Helena, MT$43,921
Pine Bluff, AR$43,902
Vincennes, IN$43,842
Lubbock, TX$43,823
Alamogordo, NM$43,793
Twin Falls, ID$43,749
Rapid City, SD$43,734
Jackson, MS$43,646
Huntington, WV$43,642
Greenville, MS$43,641
Parkersburg, WV$43,591
Montgomery, AL$43,582
Wichita Falls, TX$43,533
Springfield, MO$43,533
Biloxi, MS$43,508
Monroe, LA$43,459
Johnstown, PA$43,425
Sumter, SC$43,405
Columbus, GA$43,400
Pascagoula, MS$43,307
Abilene, TX$43,307
Kingsport, TN$43,180
Albany, GA$43,180
Gulfport, MS$43,165
Alexandria, LA$43,003
Fort Smith, AR$42,880
El Paso, TX$42,748
Las Cruces, NM$42,527
Harlingen, TX$42,402
Pocatello, ID$42,394
Florence, AL$42,330
Brownsville, TX$42,320
Mcallen, TX$42,217
Dothan, AL$42,149
Columbus, MS$41,857
Altus, OK$41,628
Lawton, OK$41,535
Pierre, SD$41,358
What Skills Can Increase a Wastewater Plant Operator I's Salary?
Demanded Skills for the Role:
Customer Service (Mentioned in 6.86% Job Postings): Customer service is the provision of service to customers before, during and after a purchase. The perception of success of such interactions is dependent on employees "who can adjust themselves to the personality of the guest". Customer service concerns the priority an organization assigns to customer service relative to components such as product innovation and pricing. In this sense, an organization that values good customer service may spend more money in training employees than the average organization or may proactively interview customers for feedback. From the point of view of an overall sales process engineering effort, customer service plays an important role in an organization's ability to generate income and revenue. From that perspective, customer service should be included as part of an overall approach to systematic improvement. One good customer service experience can change the entire perception a customer holds towards the organization.
Environmental Science (Mentioned in 1.88% Job Postings): Environmental science refers to a grouping of scientific disciplines that are all concerned with the physical, chemical and biological characteristics of the surroundings in which organisms live.
Preventive Maintenance (Mentioned in 1.64% Job Postings): Preventive maintenance is the act of performing regularly scheduled maintenance activities to help prevent unexpected failures in the future. Put simply, it's about fixing things before they break.
Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay.
Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Wastewater Plant Operator I's salary.
Budgeting: Can increase your salary by up to 60%.
AutoCAD: Can increase your salary by up to 42%.
Project Management: Can increase your salary by up to 40%.
Wastewater Plant Operator I Salary by Company Size: Startups vs. Enterprise
Wastewater Plant Operator I salary potential scales significantly with company size.
Data shows that Enterprise companies (5,000+ employees) pay the highest average salary at around $51,338.
While startup companies pay approximate $43,517.
Wastewater Plant Operator I Salary by Company Size
Company Size
Employees
Average Salary
Startup
1~50
$43,517
Growth Stage
51~500
$45,998
Established
501~5000
$49,585
Enterprise
5000+
$51,338
Wastewater Plant Operator I Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors
For Wastewater Plant Operator I roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential
by as much as 57% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries).
Data shows that the Energy & Utilities and Aerospace & Defense
sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 30% above the average.
In contrast, Wastewater Plant Operator positions in Retail & Wholesale or Hospitality & Leisure typically offer lower base pay,
as these industries often view Wastewater Plant Operator I as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.
The top paying industries for a Wastewater Plant Operator I
Industry Sector
Average Annual Salary
Average Hourly Rate
Pay vs.Avg
Energy & Utilities
$63,817
$31.0
30%
Aerospace & Defense
$61,362
$30.0
25%
Biotechnology
$56,453
$27.0
15%
MFG Durable
$53,999
$26.0
10%
Construction
$51,544
$25.0
5%
Wastewater Plant Operator I Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay
Understanding how a Wastewater Plant Operator I's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting.
Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role.
Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.
Yearly
Monthly
Weekly
Hourly
Table View
Last Updated on October 01, 2026
$41,810
Average$46,072/year
$50,395
$3,484
Average$3,839/month
$4,200
$804
Average$886/week
$969
$20
Average$22/hour
$24
Annual Salary
Monthly Pay
Weekly Pay
Hourly Wage
75th Percentile
$50,395
$4,200
$969
$24
Average
$46,072
$3,839
$886
$22
25th Percentile
$41,810
$3,484
$804
$20
Wastewater Plant Operator I Salary Growth & Career Path
For a Wastewater Plant Operator I, the most direct path to higher earnings is advancing to the Wastewater Plant Operator II role.
This promotion typically comes with a significant pay increase, bringing the average annual salary to
$51,667 - a projected growth of
12%
over your current level.
Salaries of Jobs related to Wastewater Plant Operator I
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Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?
Salary.com salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third-party data sources.
We also provide multiple percentiles of salary information for your reference, click here to know Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial to Getting Pay Equity Right.
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