How much do water quality analysts make in 2026?
Water quality analysts sit inside the BLS environmental science and protection technicians, including health series, where OEWS May 2025 reports a national median of $55,090 a year ($26.49 an hour) for SOC 19-4042, a bottom 10% near $38,170 and a top 10% at $94,160 across 34,670 workers. The code pools water analysts with air, soil and general environmental technicians, so this is not a water-only figure. What distinguishes the water specialism is that its output is legally consequential: results feed compliance reports under the Safe Drinking Water Act and NPDES discharge permits, which means the value is in defensibility rather than throughput. Analysts working in NELAP-accredited laboratories, running approved methods with documented QA/QC, holding method proficiency and able to defend a data package under audit, are paid distinctly better than technicians running screening tests. Adding a state drinking water or wastewater operator certification widens the field considerably, because utilities can then use the same person for both analysis and process control. Employment across the pooled technician series is projected to grow 4% through 2034 with roughly 5,600 openings a year. → Full water quality analyst career guide, career path, credentials & placement →
Note: $55,090 blends every experience level and every setting in this occupation. For pay by level alone, see Pay by Level below.
- Water Quality Analysts earn a national median $55,090/yr ($26.49/hr) (BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 19-4042); the P10 to P90 range is $38,170 to $94,160.
- Water analysts are pooled into the $55,090 environmental technician median, so the published figure covers air and soil technicians too and is not a water-specific number.
- Defensibility is what pays: approved methods, documented QA/QC and the ability to survive a data audit separate accredited-laboratory analysts from screening technicians.
- A state drinking water or wastewater operator certification alongside the analytical skill set is the widest-reaching single addition, because it makes one person useful for both testing and process control.
US Water Quality Analyst Pay Distribution · BLS OEWS May 2025
Pay by Level · BLS OEWS May 2025
How much do water quality analysts earn at each level?
BLS OEWS publishes one blended wage for the whole occupation and does not break pay out by credential or practice level. The levels below distribute the published percentile range across the credential tiers this role actually hires at.
Level medians are aligned to the BLS OEWS May 2025 percentile distribution for SOC 19-4042; GlobalCybers does not yet publish a verified placement sample for this role, so no verified median is shown.
Methodology & Sources
How the numbers on this page are built
Published (BLS): BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 19-4042, United States national estimate. Public, methodologically rigorous, but sampled on a rolling 3-year basis and published ~10 months after collection — so it reflects wages that are already 1–2 years old by the time you read them.
Level and certification medians: distributed across the published BLS percentile range for this SOC code (P10 through P90) according to the credential tiers this occupation actually hires at. They are modeled reference points, not separately surveyed wages.
State and metro figures: modeled — the BLS national median multiplied by the GlobalCybers state wage index, and for metros by the published metro index for that state. They are estimates of local pay, not BLS state or metropolitan-area observations, and are labelled as modeled in the tables below.
No verified placement sample:GlobalCybers does not yet publish a placement median for this role, so no "verified" figure appears anywhere on this page.
Pay by Career Level
How much does a water quality analyst earn at each career stage?
Water analyst pay follows method breadth and whether your data package survives an audit unassisted. Each median is anchored to the BLS OEWS distribution for SOC 19-4042.
By State
Which states pay water quality analysts the most in 2026?
These are modeled state estimates — the national environmental technician median scaled by the GlobalCybers state wage index — not BLS state observations. Water analyst pay depends heavily on employer type: municipal utilities pay to public scales while commercial accredited laboratories compete for the same scarce method-proficient staff.
6 of 51 state guides shown, ranked by median. Bar is relative to California ($63,350), the highest-paying state shown. See all role salary guides →
By Metro
Which cities pay water quality analysts the most?
Modeled metro estimates: the national median scaled by the state wage index and then by that state's published metro index. They estimate local wage levels and are not BLS metropolitan-area observations. Commercial environmental laboratories concentrate in a handful of metros per state, so analyst opportunities are far less dispersed than sampling work is.
BLS OEWS MSA estimates, May 2025. Nominal pay — weigh each metro against its cost of living before relocating.
Certification Impact
Which certifications raise a water quality analyst’s pay the most?
Median annual pay before and after each credential, based on GlobalCybers placement data cross-referenced with BLS. License upgrades move the needle most; stackable certs add on top.
Impacts are not additive, the licensing rows share the same career ladder. Browse all 167 certifications →
Trade Comparison
How does water quality analyst pay compare to related roles?
BLS OEWS national median across the closest trades. Water Quality Analysts sit mid-pack on median but carry one of the widest P10–P90 spreads, licensing and specialization drive the upside.
BLS OEWS May 2025. Verify water quality analyst wages on BLS.gov →
Take-Home Pay
What does a water quality analyst actually take home after taxes?
The medians above are gross base wage.
Estimates use 2026 federal brackets, standard deduction, and 7.65% FICA. Actual take-home varies with filing status, deductions, and local tax.
FAQ
Water Quality Analyst Salary, Frequently Asked Questions
Water Quality Analyst career research journey
Do your homework, then let the network do the rest.Get the job, then keep rising
FreeSet your intent, matching jobs come to you. No applying.
A roadmap to your next licence tier and higher pay band.
Once placed, we cover all certification, licence & career-guide fees.
Hiring water quality analysts?
Get a verified shortlist of 3–5 qualified candidates in 48 hours
GlobalCybers verifies active state licenses, trade certifications, Intent and right-to-work status before any candidate reaches your portal. Flat $2,999/mo RPO (Recruitment Process Outsourcing), up to 3 concurrent roles, or a free trial (pay on hire). 90-day written guarantee.
Related · Water Quality Analyst
Everything for water quality analysts in one place
Salary data, licensing, interview prep, and hiring, all cross-linked so you (and search engines) can move through the full water quality analyst cluster.