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Incinerator operator education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an incinerator operator. Incinerator operators usually study business, general studies, or electrical engineering. 56% of incinerator operators hold a high school diploma, and 18% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 122 real incinerator operator resumes to see exactly what incinerator operator education sections show.

The most common colleges for incinerator operators are the Fayetteville State University and the Fayetteville State University.

There are also many online incinerator operator courses to help get the education required to be an incinerator operator.

What education do you need to become an incinerator operator?

What degree do you need to be an incinerator operator?

The most common degree for incinerator operators is high school diploma, with 56% of incinerator operators earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 18% and associate degree degree at 15%.
  • High School Diploma, 56%
  • Associate, 18%
  • Bachelor's, 15%
  • Diploma, 12%

What should I major in to become an incinerator operator?

You should major in business to become an incinerator operator. 29% of incinerator operators major in business. Other common majors for an incinerator operator include general studies and electrical engineering.

Most common colleges for incinerator operators

Incinerator operators often get their degrees at Fayetteville State University, Miami University, and North Central College. Here are the most common colleges for incinerator operators in the US based on their resumes.
Incinerator operator common collegePercentages
Fayetteville State University8.33%
Miami University8.33%
North Central College8.33%
Lorain County Community College8.33%
Sam Houston State University8.33%

Best majors for incinerator operators

Best colleges for incinerator operators

The best colleges for incinerator operators are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Duke University.

An incinerator operator with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for incinerator operators. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become incinerator operators.

1. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Troy, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$53,880

Enrollment

6,590

2. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

3. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

4. University of Louisiana at Lafayette

Lafayette, LA • Private

In-state tuition

$9,912

Enrollment

14,245

5. SUNY College of Technology at Alfred

Alfred, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,570

Enrollment

3,721

6. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

7. Sacred Heart University

Fairfield, CT • Private

In-state tuition

$41,420

Enrollment

5,907

8. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

9. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

10. Siena Heights University

Adrian, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$27,124

Enrollment

2,035

20 best online courses for incinerator operators

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Top 10 most affordable universities for incinerator operators

The most affordable schools for incinerator operators are SUNY Farmingdale, california state university - bakersfield, and baruch college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for incinerator operators are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for incinerator operators.

1. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

2. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

3. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

4. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

5. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

6. SUNY Polytechnic Institute

Utica, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,238

Cost of attendance

21,567

7. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

8. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

9. SUNY Stony Brook

Stony Brook, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,625

Cost of attendance

24,718

10. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Bayamon

Bayamon, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$5,940

Cost of attendance

13,508

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for incinerator operators

The hardest universities for incinerator operators to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Duke University.

Some great schools for incinerator operators are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for incinerator operators based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

3. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

9%

SAT average

1,516

4. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

5. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Troy, NY • Private

Admissions rate

43%

SAT average

1,415

6. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

7. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

8. University of Tulsa

Tulsa, OK • Private

Admissions rate

41%

SAT average

1,321

9. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

10. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions rate

40%

SAT average

1,376

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for incinerator operators

The easiest schools for incinerator operators to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, notre dame de namur university, and notre dame college.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an incinerator operator without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for incinerator operators.

1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

2. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

3. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

4. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

5. LIM College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,061

6. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

7. Presentation College

Aberdeen, SD • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,050

8. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

9. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

10. Life University

Marietta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

979

Average incinerator operator salary by education level

Incinerator operators with a Bachelor's degree earn more than those without, at $45,040 annually. With a Associate degree, incinerator operators earn a median annual income of $39,272 compared to $37,683 for incinerator operators with an High School Diploma degree.
Incinerator operator education levelIncinerator operator salary
High School Diploma or Less$37,683
Bachelor's Degree$45,040
Some College/ Associate Degree$39,272

Incinerator operator education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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