Auxiliary plant operator vs wastewater treatment operator

The differences between auxiliary plant operators and wastewater 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 wastewater treatment operator. Additionally, a wastewater treatment operator has an average salary of $45,618, 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 wastewater treatment operator are plant equipment, process control, and blowers.

Auxiliary plant operator vs wastewater treatment operator overview

	Auxiliary Plant Operator	Wastewater Treatment Operator
Yearly salary	$45,592	$45,618
Hourly rate	$21.92	$21.93
Growth rate	-7%	-7%
Number of jobs	35,335	32,561
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 30%	Bachelor's Degree, 31%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	12	12

Auxiliary plant operator vs wastewater treatment operator salary

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

	Auxiliary Plant Operator	Wastewater Treatment Operator
Average salary	$45,592	$45,618
Salary range	Between $32,000 And $64,000	Between $32,000 And $64,000
Highest paying City	-	Mercer Island, WA
Highest paying state	-	Idaho
Best paying company	-	Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Best paying industry	-	Professional

Differences between auxiliary plant operator and wastewater treatment operator education

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

	Auxiliary Plant Operator	Wastewater Treatment Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 30%	Bachelor's 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 wastewater treatment operator demographics

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

	Auxiliary Plant Operator	Wastewater Treatment Operator
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 94.4% Female, 5.6%	Male, 91.0% Female, 9.0%
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, 7.6% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 12.4% Asian, 1.8% White, 71.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.5%
LGBT Percentage	5%	5%

Differences between auxiliary plant operator and wastewater 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.

Wastewater treatment operator example responsibilities.

Manage and perform preventive maintenance, electrical repairs, millwright work, and MSHA safety functions.
Monitor plant and lift station performance by regularly checking SCADA system on computer.
Inspect facilities, equipment and plumbing for effects for corrosive, flammable and combustible gas.
Optimize internal controls and process to comply with new parameters set by EPA and JCA.
Review and remain current on OSHA standards and regulations for general industry and perform safety audits.
Utilize computers for SCADA monitoring, data input, work order tracking and other uses of technology.

Auxiliary plant operator vs wastewater treatment operator skills

Common auxiliary plant operator skills

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

Common wastewater treatment operator skills

Plant Equipment, 5%
Process Control, 5%
Blowers, 5%
Preventative Maintenance, 5%
Ladders, 4%
Plant Operations, 4%

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Auxiliary Plant Operator
Auxiliary Plant Operator vs Wastewater Treatment Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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