New York City water operator salary, 2025
New York City is one government for all five boroughs. Its Sewage Treatment Workers and Water Treatment Plant Operators work for the Department of Environmental Protection.1 The city hires Sewage Treatment Workers without a state operator certificate: its 2024 exam notice asks for a commercial driver's license and fire department certificates of fitness instead.3 787 people worked as water operators for New York City in fiscal year 2025. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $140,316, overtime included.
What is the average water operator salary at New York City?
Official pay range, wastewater treatment operators2
$108,722 to $119,766
from the lowest entry salary to the top of the highest title for wastewater treatment operators, the largest group
Most of New York City's water operators (600 of 787) hold the title Sewage Treatment Worker, with an official salary of $108,722. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $138,831, $30,109 above the top of the range.
- Water operators
- 787
- 673 of them worked the full year
- Starting salary
- $53,679
- bottom of the Water Treatment Plant Operator (level 1) range
- Median total pay
- $140,373
- the middle water operator: half earned more, half less
- Overtime
- $20,518
- average per full-year water operator
What does each water operator title at New York City pay?
Each bar is the official range for one title, lowest first. The dot marks the average total pay of full-year staff in that title, where at least 5 people stand behind it.12 Official ranges are the city's current ones (2026), so they can be a little higher than the rates paid in fiscal year 2025. Hourly rates are shown as a yearly amount at the title's standard hours.
Wastewater treatment operators
- Sewage Treatment Worker$138,831
- Senior Sewage Treatment Worker$151,367
Water treatment operators
- Water Treatment Plant Operator (level 1)fewer than 5
- Water Treatment Plant Operator (levels 2 and 3)$96,289
official range average total pay, full year. "Fewer than 5" means too few full-year people in that title to show.
Questions about water operator pay at New York City
What is the average water operator salary at New York City?
Water operators at New York City who worked the full year earned an average of $140,316 in 2025, overtime included. The middle water operator earned $140,373: half earned more, half less. The official pay range across its water operator titles runs from $108,722 to $119,766.
How much overtime do water operators at New York City earn?
Full-year water operators were paid an average of $20,518 in overtime in 2025. The middle one was paid $18,712: a few people with a lot of overtime pull the average up.
Sources for the New York City figures
Every person who held a water operator position at New York City at any point in fiscal year 2025 (July 2024 to June 2025) counts toward the headcount. Pay figures use only people still employed at the end of June 2025 who worked at least 90% of a full year's regular hours at their title's standard week; for school staff, whose hours aren't recorded, regular pay of at least 90% of their own annual salary. Total pay is gross wages before tax, including overtime, lump sums and other pay. Averages lead; the median total pay is the middle person's, with half above and half below, and is less pulled by a few people with a lot of overtime. Every figure covers at least 5 people.
- City of New York, Citywide Payroll Data (Fiscal Year): titles, base salaries, regular pay, overtime and other pay of every city employee, fiscal year 2025 (July 2024 to June 2025).
- City of New York, Department of Citywide Administrative Services, Civil Service Titles: official minimum and maximum pay per title, current list (2026).
- City of New York, Department of Citywide Administrative Services, Notice of Examination: Sewage Treatment Worker, Exam No. 5131 (2024): requirements for the job: a commercial driver's license and fire department certificates of fitness.