Auxiliary plant operator vs water operator

The differences between auxiliary plant operators and water 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 water operator. Additionally, an auxiliary plant operator has an average salary of $45,592, which is higher than the $43,748 average annual salary of a water operator.

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

Auxiliary plant operator vs water operator overview

	Auxiliary Plant Operator	Water Operator
Yearly salary	$45,592	$43,748
Hourly rate	$21.92	$21.03
Growth rate	-7%	-7%
Number of jobs	35,335	38,012
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 30%	Bachelor's Degree, 34%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	12	12

Auxiliary plant operator vs water operator salary

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

	Auxiliary Plant Operator	Water Operator
Average salary	$45,592	$43,748
Salary range	Between $32,000 And $64,000	Between $32,000 And $58,000
Highest paying City	-	Bellevue, WA
Highest paying state	-	Washington
Best paying company	-	Continental Resources
Best paying industry	-	Manufacturing

Differences between auxiliary plant operator and water operator education

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

	Auxiliary Plant Operator	Water Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 30%	Bachelor's Degree, 34%
Most common major	Industrial Technology	Business
Most common college	SUNY College of Technology at Alfred	Duke University

Auxiliary plant operator vs water operator demographics

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

	Auxiliary Plant Operator	Water Operator
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 94.4% Female, 5.6%	Male, 89.5% Female, 10.5%
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, 12.3% Asian, 1.8% White, 71.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.6%
LGBT Percentage	5%	5%

Differences between auxiliary plant operator and water 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.

Water operator example responsibilities.

Maintain buildings HVAC / lighting automation systems and make adjustments as needed for tenant's comfort and to manage energy consumption.
Learned how to mig and tig weld before being promote.
Programme and run Omax water jet, as well as solicited new project opportunities.
Work with various metals including: aluminum, stainless steel, ballistic steel, mild steel, and titanium.
Project experience includes working with steel, aluminum, stainless steel, glass, granite, wood, plastics and laminate.
Operate Gerber laser cutting system.

Auxiliary plant operator vs water operator skills

Common auxiliary plant operator skills

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

Common water operator skills

Treatment Facilities, 8%
Water Samples, 6%
CDL, 6%
Water Treatment Plant, 4%
Pump Stations, 4%
Water Quality, 4%

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Auxiliary Plant Operator
Auxiliary Plant Operator vs Water Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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