Auxiliary plant operator vs waste treatment operator

The differences between auxiliary plant operators and waste treatment operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both an auxiliary plant operator and a waste treatment operator. Additionally, a waste treatment operator has an average salary of $47,317, which is higher than the $45,592 average annual salary of an auxiliary plant operator.

The top three skills for an auxiliary plant operator include LOTO, plant equipment and hand tools. The most important skills for a waste treatment operator are OSHA, water samples, and hazardous materials.

Auxiliary plant operator vs waste treatment operator overview

	Auxiliary Plant Operator	Waste Treatment Operator
Yearly salary	$45,592	$47,317
Hourly rate	$21.92	$22.75
Growth rate	-7%	-7%
Number of jobs	35,335	29,892
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 30%	Associate Degree, 31%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	12	12

Auxiliary plant operator vs waste treatment operator salary

Auxiliary plant operators and waste treatment operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Auxiliary Plant Operator	Waste Treatment Operator
Average salary	$45,592	$47,317
Salary range	Between $32,000 And $64,000	Between $34,000 And $64,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between auxiliary plant operator and waste treatment operator education

There are a few differences between an auxiliary plant operator and a waste treatment operator in terms of educational background:

	Auxiliary Plant Operator	Waste Treatment Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 30%	Associate Degree, 31%
Most common major	Industrial Technology	Environmental Control Technologies/Technicians
Most common college	SUNY College of Technology at Alfred	Duke University

Auxiliary plant operator vs waste treatment operator demographics

Here are the differences between auxiliary plant operators' and waste treatment operators' demographics:

	Auxiliary Plant Operator	Waste Treatment Operator
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 94.4% Female, 5.6%	Male, 92.8% Female, 7.2%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 7.8% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 12.6% Asian, 1.8% White, 70.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.6%	Black or African American, 7.5% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 12.3% Asian, 1.8% White, 71.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.6%
LGBT Percentage	5%	5%

Differences between auxiliary plant operator and waste treatment operator duties and responsibilities

Auxiliary plant operator example responsibilities.

Manage and perform preventive maintenance, electrical repairs, millwright work, and MSHA safety functions.
Perform preventive maintenance with tools in mechanical rooms, HVAC, kitchen, and cooking equipment.
Prepare asphalt mixtures per customer requirements, load and unload tankers and monitor tanks and assist with paperwork
Operate small rotating biological contractor plant that utilize activated sludge with sand filters and UV disinfection to process wastewater.

Waste treatment operator example responsibilities.

Manage and perform preventive maintenance, electrical repairs, millwright work, and MSHA safety functions.
Position require license issue by Illinois EPA.
Perform basic repairs and maintenance using plumbing and mechanical skills.
Perform repairs on all waste treatment and plating machinery, including electrical, mechanical, and plumbing relate breakdowns.
Work directly with production, engineering and maintenance personnel in the electroplating department.
Monitor, maintain and improve the operations of the industrial laboratory associate with the in house electroplating operation.

Auxiliary plant operator vs waste treatment operator skills

Common auxiliary plant operator skills

LOTO, 39%
Plant Equipment, 34%
Hand Tools, 18%
Plant Systems, 7%
Water Pumps, 2%

Common waste treatment operator skills

OSHA, 9%
Water Samples, 8%
Hazardous Materials, 7%
Test Water, 6%
Plumbing, 6%
Safety Procedures, 5%

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Auxiliary Plant Operator
Auxiliary Plant Operator vs Waste Treatment Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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