Auxiliary plant operator vs water technician

The differences between auxiliary plant operators and water technicians 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 technician. Additionally, an auxiliary plant operator has an average salary of $45,592, which is higher than the $38,723 average annual salary of a water technician.

The top three skills for an auxiliary plant operator include LOTO, plant equipment and hand tools. The most important skills for a water technician are customer service, work ethic, and hand tools.

Auxiliary plant operator vs water technician overview

	Auxiliary Plant Operator	Water Technician
Yearly salary	$45,592	$38,723
Hourly rate	$21.92	$18.62
Growth rate	-7%	-7%
Number of jobs	35,335	34,702
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 30%	High School Diploma, 42%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	12	12

Auxiliary plant operator vs water technician salary

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

	Auxiliary Plant Operator	Water Technician
Average salary	$45,592	$38,723
Salary range	Between $32,000 And $64,000	Between $28,000 And $53,000
Highest paying City	-	Redmond, WA
Highest paying state	-	Idaho
Best paying company	-	Vishay
Best paying industry	-	Government

Differences between auxiliary plant operator and water technician education

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

	Auxiliary Plant Operator	Water Technician
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 30%	High School Diploma, 42%
Most common major	Industrial Technology	Business
Most common college	SUNY College of Technology at Alfred	Duke University

Auxiliary plant operator vs water technician demographics

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

	Auxiliary Plant Operator	Water Technician
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 94.4% Female, 5.6%	Male, 91.2% Female, 8.8%
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, 7.9% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 12.9% Asian, 1.8% White, 70.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.4%
LGBT Percentage	5%	5%

Differences between auxiliary plant operator and water technician 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 technician example responsibilities.

Manage water usage plumbing repair electronics repair inventory control.
Water extraction, dry outs, roof tarps, board ups, mold clean up, demolition, fire clean up
mow, string trim, blow off.
Climb ladders, crawl, stoop, bend and work in confine spaces.
Use HEPA vac, antimicrobial, possibly sand, wipe studs and walls, and wear PPE.
Have HVAC an carpet cleaning experience.

Auxiliary plant operator vs water technician skills

Common auxiliary plant operator skills

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

Common water technician skills

Customer Service, 10%
Work Ethic, 7%
Hand Tools, 6%
Water Samples, 6%
Cleanliness, 5%
Plumbing, 5%

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Auxiliary Plant Operator
Auxiliary Plant Operator vs Water Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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