Auxiliary plant operator vs water treatment operator

The differences between auxiliary plant operators and water 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 water treatment operator. Additionally, a water treatment operator has an average salary of $48,112, 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 water treatment operator are water treatment plant, SCADA, and water samples.

Auxiliary plant operator vs water treatment operator overview

	Auxiliary Plant Operator	Water Treatment Operator
Yearly salary	$45,592	$48,112
Hourly rate	$21.92	$23.13
Growth rate	-7%	-7%
Number of jobs	35,335	32,838
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 treatment operator salary

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

	Auxiliary Plant Operator	Water Treatment Operator
Average salary	$45,592	$48,112
Salary range	Between $32,000 And $64,000	Between $35,000 And $65,000
Highest paying City	-	Los Angeles, CA
Highest paying state	-	Washington
Best paying company	-	Jacobs Engineering Group
Best paying industry	-	Energy

Differences between auxiliary plant operator and water treatment operator education

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

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

Auxiliary plant operator vs water treatment operator demographics

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

	Auxiliary Plant Operator	Water 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, 7.8% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 12.7% Asian, 1.8% White, 70.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.6%
LGBT Percentage	5%	5%

Differences between auxiliary plant operator and water 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.

Water treatment operator example responsibilities.

Manage chemical transfers and plant feed, abiding by OSHA regulations.
Monitor ground water treatment facility through SCADA computer system and data collection and analysis.
Handle blowers, thickeners, SBR's, effluent and influent pumps, and sludge blanket judges.
Maintain, troubleshoot, and repair all instrumentation.
Complete necessary math equations and paperwork for plant records.
Inventory on PPE supplies, solvents, and chemicals.

Auxiliary plant operator vs water treatment operator skills

Common auxiliary plant operator skills

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

Common water treatment operator skills

Water Treatment Plant, 8%
SCADA, 6%
Water Samples, 5%
Plant Equipment, 4%
Process Control, 4%
Water Quality, 4%

Auxiliary Plant Operator vs. similar jobs

Auxiliary Plant Operator related careers

Auxiliary Plant Operator related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Production and Manufacturing Industry
Auxiliary Plant Operator
Auxiliary Plant Operator vs Water Treatment Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse production and manufacturing jobs