Incinerator operator vs water technician

The differences between incinerator operators and water technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become an incinerator operator, becoming a water technician takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, an incinerator operator has an average salary of $40,114, which is higher than the $38,723 average annual salary of a water technician.

The top three skills for an incinerator operator include OSHA, hand tools and incinerators. The most important skills for a water technician are customer service, work ethic, and hand tools.

Incinerator operator vs water technician overview

	Incinerator Operator	Water Technician
Yearly salary	$40,114	$38,723
Hourly rate	$19.29	$18.62
Growth rate	4%	-7%
Number of jobs	31,897	34,702
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 56%	High School Diploma, 42%
Average age	50	47
Years of experience	2	12

Incinerator operator vs water technician salary

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

	Incinerator Operator	Water Technician
Average salary	$40,114	$38,723
Salary range	Between $28,000 And $57,000	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 incinerator operator and water technician education

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

	Incinerator Operator	Water Technician
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 56%	High School Diploma, 42%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute	Duke University

Incinerator operator vs water technician demographics

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

	Incinerator Operator	Water Technician
Average age	50	47
Gender ratio	Male, 92.5% Female, 7.5%	Male, 91.2% Female, 8.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 12.5% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 16.8% Asian, 7.9% White, 58.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%	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	4%	5%

Differences between incinerator operator and water technician duties and responsibilities

Incinerator operator example responsibilities.

Maintain buildings HVAC / lighting automation systems and make adjustments as needed for tenant's comfort and to manage energy consumption.
Ensure proper PPE are maintained and utilize by all personnel.
Ensure all waste are properly handle and dispose of per OSHA and AFOSH standards.
Advance to increasingly responsible positions, culminating in management role with oversight for a full-service building management.
Advance to increasingly responsible positions, culminating in management role with oversight for a full-service building management.

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.

Incinerator operator vs water technician skills

Common incinerator operator skills

OSHA, 51%
Hand Tools, 18%
Incinerators, 16%
Safety Procedures, 7%
Medical Waste, 5%
Liquid Waste, 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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Incinerator Operator
Incinerator Operator vs Water Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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