Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator pay range
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania · class code 97310
- Class code
- 97310
- Pay scale group
- ST 04
- Pay unit
- Year
- Bargaining unit
- J1
- State
- Pennsylvania
- The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania published pay range for Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator is $41,506 to $61,927 per year.
- Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Office of Administration keys this classification as class code 97310.
- This is the range the plan authorises, not the salary of any individual employee.
Class specification
The Commonwealth job specification for this class is published by Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Office of Administration. The passages below are quoted from it as published, not paraphrased, and cut to their opening sentences; the full specification is the authority on duties and qualifications. It was last revised 01/01/2021.
What the state says the job is
This is skilled work in the operation and maintenance of wastewater treatment plants. An employee in this job maintains plant operations to process wastewater in an environmentally safe and efficient manner according to standard operating procedures and regulatory requirements. Positions at this level have responsible charge for assigned facilities or support the responsible charge operator of a complex facility. Work involves operating and maintaining motors, pumps, aerators, filters, digestors, chlorinators, flow meters, and related equipment to control the flow and processing of wastewater; sustaining biological processes by adding air and nutrients to achieve natural self-purification processes, including coagulation of solids, oxidation, and nitrification; performing chemical tests of plant influent and effluent; and documenting and maintaining data regarding plant operations for qu ...
Examples of the work
• Serves as responsible charge operator for wastewater treatment plants that are not large and complex. • Makes process control decisions regarding plant operation when in responsible charge. • Develops standard operating procedures to be used by others to implement process control decisions. • Performs duties in support of large and complex wastewater treatment plant operations under the direction of an operator with responsible charge. • Operates and maintains wastewater treatment, sludge processing, and disposal equipment, along with collection and conveyance systems to control flow and processing of wastewater.
Minimum qualifications
• Successful completion of the Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator Trainee (commonwealth title) program and certification as a wastewater treatment plant operator for any class and type of plant; or • Possession of a valid certification issued by the Pennsylvania State Board for Certification of Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant Operators as a wastewater treatment plant operator for any class and type of plant.
Special requirements
• Certain positions require possession of a valid certification issued by the Pennsylvania State Board for Certification of Water and Wastewater System Operators as a wastewater treatment plant operator that is equal to or greater than the classification and subclassification of the wastewater syste ...
Quoted from the Commonwealth job specification, read 2026-10-21.
Where this comes from
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Office of Administration publishes this figure in Classification and Pay Plan (online, current annual salary ranges). Every number on this page is read from that document; nothing is estimated, modelled or averaged.
The Commonwealth also links this class code to its own job title and specification. That page is the official description of the classification; this page publishes its pay range.
The listed pay scale is available in the Commonwealth's current ST schedule.