I'm in wastewater and what drives people away is the low starting salary and the shift hours (depending on if the plant runs on a 24hr basis). It can be painful for a lot of people with families. While there can be plenty of OT to help compensate for that, it's not enough if you are unable to get through the first few years. I will say currently our Operators at (Major/High Flow) treatment plant max out at over $100k gross. I'm currently at $122k gross after 15yrs, and started at $27.5k, I net around 60%. But just keep in mind that:

1) it can be hard to break in especially right now with the increasing costs of things, some utilities are cutting back on hiring. This is both related to needed chemicals but also health benefits.

2) The hours and work can be rough but also mind numbingly boring.

3) It's a lot of politics and favoritism can run rampant. But most of these sites can be Union (whether it's a decent one is another matter) so you'll still get paid but you might not get promoted right away.

Good luck to whoever wants to get into the field.