What are the main factors that influence a Water Jet Operator's salary?

The primary factors are: 1) Experience Level, 2) Geographic Location, 3) Education/Skills, 4) Company Size & Industry

What industry pays the highest salary for Water Jet Operator?

The Biotechnology industry offers the highest average compensation for Water Jet Operator roles, with salaries approximately 40% above the market median.

How does experience change A Water Jet Operator's salary?

A Water Jet Operator's salary grows with experience: a CNC Machine Operator I (1-3 years)earns $43,672, a Water Jet Operator (3-5 years)earns $55,312, a CNC Machine Operator III (5-7 years)earns $62,900,

What are the highest paying cities for a Water Jet Operator?

Water Jet Operator salary varies significantly by city. The top 3 highest paying cities in Arkansas for Water Jet Operator roles are San Jose $77,726, San Francisco $76,875, Oakland $75,255.

How much do different types of Water Jet Operator roles make?

Salaries for Water Jet Operator level roles vary by specialization: Water System Operator: $97,015; Water Systems Operator: $94,927; Water Plant Operator: $62,816; WATER RECLAMATION OPERATOR: $55,788; Waste Water Operator: $55,333.

What specialized skills increase a Water Jet Operator's salary?

Skills with high demand and low supply, such as Initiative (up to 4% premium), Written Communication (up to 3% premium), Lean (up to 2% premium), directly translate to higher compensation. Employers pay more for these capabilities to gain a competitive edge.

Water Jet Operator Salary in Rison, AR

How much does a Water Jet Operator make in Rison, AR?

As of July 01, 2026, the average salary for a Water Jet Operator in Rison, AR is $54,920 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $26.

However, a Water Jet Operator's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

Top Earners (90th percentile): $66,315
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $49,289 to $60,885
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $44,162

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Water Jet Operator Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$60,885	$5,074	$1,171	$29
Average	$54,920	$4,577	$1,056	$26
25th Percentile	$49,289	$4,107	$948	$24

You may get higher pay by adjusting the following factors:

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Key Factors That Influence Water Jet Operator Salaries

A Water Jet Operator'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.

Top Paying Cities for Water Jet Operators

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: $77,726
San Francisco: $76,875
Oakland: $75,255

San Jose, CA $77,726

San Francisco, CA $76,875

Oakland, CA $75,255

New York, NY $70,953

Paramus, NJ $70,090

Queens Village, NY $70,087

Passaic, NJ $70,029

Bergenfield, NJ $70,023

Stamford, CT $69,888

Huntington, NY $69,862

Newark, NJ $69,407

Bridgeport, CT $69,277

Vallejo, CA $69,154

New Brunswick, NJ $69,130

Petaluma, CA $69,093

Middlesex, NJ $68,976

Somerset, NJ $68,932

Santa Cruz, CA $68,852

Boston, MA $68,476

Monterey, CA $68,260

Seattle, WA $68,119

Santa Rosa, CA $68,107

Los Angeles, CA $68,088

Juneau, AK $67,928

Washington, DC $67,860

Orange, CA $67,641

Santa Ana, CA $67,478

Long Beach, CA $67,417

Anaheim, CA $67,404

Anchorage, AK $67,373

Santa Maria, CA $67,189

Everett, WA $67,176

Danbury, CT $66,959

Bremerton, WA $66,874

Tacoma, WA $66,652

New Suffolk, NY $66,651

Sacramento, CA $66,634

Santa Barbara, CA $66,566

Trenton, NJ $66,498

San Diego, CA $66,498

Brockton, MA $66,431

Fairbanks, AK $66,280

Lompoc, CA $66,122

Lowell, MA $66,073

Ventura, CA $66,061

Nashua, NH $66,048

Stockton, CA $66,042

Modesto, CA $65,592

Poughkeepsie, NY $65,457

Olympia, WA $65,340

Kennewick, WA $65,340

New Haven, CT $65,315

Lawrence, MA $65,093

Hartford, CT $65,032

Riverside, CA $65,019

New Bedford, MA $64,958

Richland, WA $64,958

Bakersfield, CA $64,871

San Bernardino, CA $64,847

New Britain, CT $64,841

Atlantic City, NJ $64,841

New London, CT $64,816

Norwich, CT $64,798

Portsmouth, NH $64,785

Boulder, CO $64,655

Portland, OR $64,570

Worcester, MA $64,563

Minneapolis, MN $64,372

Philadelphia, PA $64,286

Honolulu, HI $64,083

Saint Paul, MN $64,053

Vineland, NJ $64,040

Providence, RI $63,861

Chicago, IL $63,682

Bellingham, WA $63,608

Springfield, MA $63,559

Baltimore, MD $63,540

Chico, CA $63,386

Pittsfield, MA $63,220

Manchester, NH $63,103

Spokane, WA $62,832

Denver, CO $62,826

Albany, NY $62,536

Troy, NY $62,511

Nassau, NY $62,445

Schenectady, NY $62,382

Wilmington, DE $62,333

Burlington, VT $62,246

Salem, OR $62,222

Portland, ME $62,031

Yakima, WA $61,969

Rochester, MN $61,778

Reno, NV $61,747

Fresno, CA $61,747

Milwaukee, WI $61,692

Detroit, MI $61,630

Ann Arbor, MI $61,620

Allentown, PA $61,612

Colorado Springs, CO $61,507

Syracuse, NY $61,476

Carson City, NV $61,476

Houston, TX $61,390

Eugene, OR $61,359

Gary, IN $61,285

Springfield, OR $61,236

Bismarck, ND $61,223

Galveston, TX $61,180

Medford, OR $61,088

Fort Collins, CO $61,063

Concord, NH $61,032

Austin, TX $61,014

Mesa, AZ $60,884

Reading, PA $60,878

Phoenix, AZ $60,872

Dallas, TX $60,854

Saint Cloud, MN $60,794

Madison, WI $60,712

Utica, NY $60,545

Rochester, NY $60,447

Des Moines, IA $60,441

Raleigh, NC $60,435

Atlanta, GA $60,342

Battle Creek, MI $60,324

Salt Lake City, UT $60,305

Lancaster, PA $60,213

Harrisburg, PA $60,126

Kansas City, MO $60,065

Champaign, IL $60,052

Kansas City, KS $60,052

Fort Worth, TX $60,046

Columbus, OH $60,036

Boca Raton, FL $60,022

Pittsburgh, PA $59,997

Richmond, VA $59,972

Indianapolis, IN $59,960

Cleveland, OH $59,954

Las Vegas, NV $59,880

Cincinnati, OH $59,880

Petersburg, VA $59,788

Huntsville, AL $59,695

Lansing, MI $59,654

Lebanon, PA $59,646

Pueblo, CO $59,640

Appleton, WI $59,621

Buffalo, NY $59,596

Dayton, OH $59,578

Racine, WI $59,566

Charlotte, NC $59,559

Saint Louis, MO $59,541

York, PA $59,504

Elkhart, IN $59,504

Gastonia, NC $59,492

Billings, MT $59,478

Beaumont, TX $59,461

Lorain, OH $59,449

Benton Harbor, MI $59,436

Toledo, OH $59,424

Binghamton, NY $59,393

Rock Hill, SC $59,387

Rockford, IL $59,356

Springfield, IL $59,331

Elyria, OH $59,325

Fargo, ND $59,325

Flagstaff, AZ $59,282

Fort Lauderdale, FL $59,245

Duluth, MN $59,208

Miami, FL $59,208

Cheyenne, WY $59,165

Grand Forks, ND $59,165

Bangor, ME $59,030

Cedar Rapids, IA $58,962

Durham, NC $58,936

Louisville, KY $58,931

Grand Rapids, MI $58,919

Hialeah, FL $58,912

Casper, WY $58,826

Scranton, PA $58,752

New Orleans, LA $58,734

Virginia Beach, VA $58,728

Akron, OH $58,697

Peoria, IL $58,617

Sarasota, FL $58,604

Nashville, TN $58,561

Omaha, NE $58,561

Green Bay, WI $58,561

Baton Rouge, LA $58,530

Charleston, SC $58,518

Jamestown, NY $58,487

Davenport, IA $58,487

Tucson, AZ $58,456

Saint Petersburg, FL $58,419

Tampa, FL $58,407

Evansville, IN $58,370

Port Arthur, TX $58,370

Bradenton, FL $58,346

Santa Fe, NM $58,235

Orlando, FL $58,124

Clearwater, FL $58,105

Canton, OH $57,976

La Crosse, WI $57,976

Albuquerque, NM $57,939

Newport News, VA $57,933

High Point, NC $57,914

Ogden, UT $57,889

Corpus Christi, TX $57,840

Norfolk, VA $57,803

Laramie, WY $57,803

Rock Island, IL $57,766

Saginaw, MI $57,754

Jacksonville, FL $57,748

Salisbury, NC $57,735

Boise, ID $57,723

Moline, IL $57,692

Fort Myers, FL $57,674

Memphis, TN $57,661

Tulsa, OK $57,631

Waterloo, IA $57,594

Spartanburg, SC $57,532

Lincoln, NE $57,501

Fort Wayne, IN $57,489

Provo, UT $57,483

Cedar Falls, IA $57,409

San Antonio, TX $57,384

Greensboro, NC $57,360

South Bend, IN $57,353

Savannah, GA $57,286

Muskegon, MI $57,261

Birmingham, AL $57,255

Winston Salem, NC $57,225

Lake Charles, LA $57,076

Anderson, IN $57,064

Lexington, KY $57,045

Augusta, GA $57,027

Greenville, SC $57,027

Lima, OH $56,977

Wichita, KS $56,971

Tuscaloosa, AL $56,971

Columbia, SC $56,916

Springfield, OH $56,904

Asheville, NC $56,805

Bloomington, IN $56,762

Knoxville, TN $56,540

Shreveport, LA $56,534

Wilmington, NC $56,454

Roanoke, VA $56,454

Topeka, KS $56,343

Frankfort, KY $56,336

Oklahoma City, OK $56,293

Chillicothe, OH $56,269

Longview, TX $56,263

Melbourne, FL $56,256

Sioux Falls, SD $56,158

Mobile, AL $56,152

Terre Haute, IN $56,127

Altoona, PA $56,090

Amarillo, TX $56,047

Killeen, TX $56,028

Fayetteville, AR $55,979

Chattanooga, TN $55,961

Sioux City, IA $55,905

Idaho Falls, ID $55,893

Lynchburg, VA $55,844

Gainesville, FL $55,763

Portsmouth, OH $55,733

Little Rock, AR $55,720

Lafayette, LA $55,696

Youngstown, OH $55,696

Daytona Beach, FL $55,659

Clarksville, TN $55,653

Pensacola, FL $55,646

Temple, TX $55,642

Hopkinsville, KY $55,462

Erie, PA $55,449

Florence, SC $55,425

Charleston, WV $55,326

Great Falls, MT $55,295

Macon, GA $55,209

Tallahassee, FL $55,203

Fayetteville, NC $55,190

Waco, TX $55,178

Helena, MT $55,135

Pine Bluff, AR $55,111

Vincennes, IN $55,036

Lubbock, TX $55,012

Alamogordo, NM $54,975

Twin Falls, ID $54,919

Rapid City, SD $54,901

Jackson, MS $54,790

Huntington, WV $54,785

Greenville, MS $54,784

Parkersburg, WV $54,721

Montgomery, AL $54,710

Wichita Falls, TX $54,648

Springfield, MO $54,648

Biloxi, MS $54,617

Monroe, LA $54,556

Johnstown, PA $54,513

Sumter, SC $54,488

Columbus, GA $54,482

Pascagoula, MS $54,365

Abilene, TX $54,365

Kingsport, TN $54,204

Albany, GA $54,204

Gulfport, MS $54,186

Alexandria, LA $53,983

Fort Smith, AR $53,828

El Paso, TX $53,662

Las Cruces, NM $53,385

Harlingen, TX $53,228

Pocatello, ID $53,218

Florence, AL $53,138

Brownsville, TX $53,126

Mcallen, TX $52,997

Dothan, AL $52,910

Columbus, MS $52,544

Altus, OK $52,257

Lawton, OK $52,140

Pierre, SD $51,918

What Skills Can Increase a Water Jet Operator's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

Troubleshooting (Mentioned in 1.78% Job Postings): Troubleshooting is a form of problem solving, often applied to repair failed products or processes on a machine or a system. It is a logical, systematic search for the source of a problem in order to solve it, and make the product or process operational again. Troubleshooting is needed to identify the symptoms. Determining the most likely cause is a process of elimination—eliminating potential causes of a problem. Finally, troubleshooting requires confirmation that the solution restores the product or process to its working state. In general, troubleshooting is the identification or diagnosis of "trouble" in the management flow of a system caused by a failure of some kind. The problem is initially described as symptoms of malfunction, and troubleshooting is the process of determining and remedying the causes of these symptoms. A system can be described in terms of its expected, desired or intended behavior (usually, for artificial systems, its purpose). Events or inputs to the system are expected to generate specific results or outputs. (For example, selecting the "print" option from various computer applications is intended to result in a hardcopy emerging from some specific device). Any unexpected or undesirable behavior is a symptom. Troubleshooting is the process of isolating the specific cause or causes of the symptom. Frequently the symptom is a failure of the product or process to produce any results. (Nothing was printed, for example). Corrective action can then be taken to prevent further failures of a similar kind.
Preventative Maintenance (Mentioned in 1.3% Job Postings): Developing and implementing maintenance strategies to increase equipment life expectancy and avoid unplanned downtime.
Preventive Maintenance (Mentioned in 0.98% 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.

See More Skills

Skills	Demand Percentage
Troubleshooting	1.78%
Preventative Maintenance	1.3%
Preventive Maintenance	0.98%

What skills can make your compensation higher?

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 Water Jet Operator's salary.

Initiative: Can increase your salary by up to 4%.
Written Communication: Can increase your salary by up to 3%.
Lean: Can increase your salary by up to 2%.

Skill	Salary	Salary % Increase
Initiative	$57,117	4%
Written Communication	$56,568	3%
Lean	$56,019	2%
Visual Inspection	$55,470	1%
CAD	$55,470	1%
Problem Solving	$55,470	1%

Get Latest Data

Water Jet Operator Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

For Water Jet Operator roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential by as much as 80% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries). Data shows that the Biotechnology and Aerospace & Defense sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 40% above the average. In contrast, Water Jet Operator positions in Retail & Wholesale or Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit typically offer lower base pay, as these industries often view Water Jet Operator as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.

The top paying industries for a Water Jet Operator

Industry Sector	Average Annual Salary	Average Hourly Rate	Pay vs.Avg
Biotechnology	$76,889	$37.0	40%
Aerospace & Defense	$71,397	$34.0	30%
Energy & Utilities	$63,159	$30.0	15%

Water Jet Operator Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Water Jet Operator'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.

Last Updated on July 01, 2026

$49,289

Average $54,920/year

$60,885

$4,107

Average $4,577/month

$5,074

$948

Average $1,056/week

$1,171

$24

Average $26/hour

$29

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$60,885	$5,074	$1,171	$29
Average	$54,920	$4,577	$1,056	$26
25th Percentile	$49,289	$4,107	$948	$24

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