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What does a Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators salary really buy you in Minnesota?
Minnesota is 2.3% cheaper than the US averageData: BLS OEWS 2025 + BEA Regional Price Parities 2022 • Updated 2026-05-19
Minnesota's Regional Price Parity (RPP) is 97.7, meaning prices are 2.3% lower the national average. A Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators earning $74,670 in Minnesota has the equivalent purchasing power of $76,427 in an average-cost US state.
Every dollar goes further in low-cost states. Here is how each salary percentile compares after adjusting for Minnesota's cost of living.
| Percentile | Nominal Salary | COL-Adjusted | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th Percentile (P10) | $52,130 | $53,357 | +$1,227 |
| 25th Percentile (P25) | $62,850 | $64,329 | +$1,479 |
| Median (P50) | $74,670 | $76,427 | +$1,757 |
| 75th Percentile (P75) | $79,590 | $81,463 | +$1,873 |
| 90th Percentile (P90) | $87,250 | $89,303 | +$2,053 |
Minnesota's cost of living is close to the national average, so $74,670 keeps most of its value at $76,427 in real terms. Location choice here is more about career opportunities than cost arbitrage.
With an RPP of 97.7, Minnesota is within a few percent of the national cost-of-living baseline. Salary adjustment for Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators is therefore minor — what you earn is close to what you'd keep in real purchasing power.
After adjusting for Minnesota's cost of living, $74,670 nominal nets out to $76,428 in real purchasing power — a small 2.4% gain. The state's cost profile is close enough to average that COL alone shouldn't drive location decisions for this Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators.
Ranked on COL-adjusted median pay for Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators, Minnesota places #2 of 50 states — top quartile. Either nominal wages run high, cost of living runs low, or both.
Where does Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators salary stretch the furthest? Top 10 states ranked by COL-adjusted median salary.
Minnesota ranks #2 out of 50 states for Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators after cost-of-living adjustment.
How much do you actually take home? See Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators take-home pay in Minnesota after taxes →
A Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators in Minnesota earns a median salary of $74,670 per year. After adjusting for Minnesota's cost of living (RPP=97.7), the real purchasing power is $76,427 — a +2.4% difference.
Minnesota's cost of living is 2.3% lower than the national average according to the BEA Regional Price Parities (2022). The RPP index for Minnesota is 97.7 (US average = 100).
Regional Price Parities (RPPs) are price indexes published by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) that measure differences in price levels across states. They are expressed as a percentage of the national average (US = 100). Higher RPP means higher cost of living.
The adjusted salary is calculated as: Nominal Salary x (100 / RPP). For a Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators in Minnesota: $74,670 x (100 / 97.7) = $76,427. This represents what the salary would be worth in a state with average living costs.
From a purchasing power perspective, yes. A Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators in Minnesota enjoys 2.4% more buying power than the nominal salary suggests, because living costs are below the national average. However, other factors like job availability, career growth, and quality of life also matter.
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