Incinerator operator vs water treatment operator

The differences between incinerator operators and water treatment operators 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 treatment operator takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a water treatment operator has an average salary of $48,112, which is higher than the $40,114 average annual salary of an incinerator operator.

The top three skills for an incinerator operator include OSHA, hand tools and incinerators. The most important skills for a water treatment operator are water treatment plant, SCADA, and water samples.

Incinerator operator vs water treatment operator overview

	Incinerator Operator	Water Treatment Operator
Yearly salary	$40,114	$48,112
Hourly rate	$19.29	$23.13
Growth rate	4%	-7%
Number of jobs	31,897	32,838
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 56%	Bachelor's Degree, 34%
Average age	50	47
Years of experience	2	12

Incinerator operator vs water treatment operator salary

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

	Incinerator Operator	Water Treatment Operator
Average salary	$40,114	$48,112
Salary range	Between $28,000 And $57,000	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 incinerator operator and water treatment operator education

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

	Incinerator Operator	Water Treatment Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 56%	Bachelor's Degree, 34%
Most common major	Business	Environmental Control Technologies/Technicians
Most common college	Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute	Duke University

Incinerator operator vs water treatment operator demographics

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

	Incinerator Operator	Water Treatment Operator
Average age	50	47
Gender ratio	Male, 92.5% Female, 7.5%	Male, 91.0% Female, 9.0%
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, 7.8% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 12.7% Asian, 1.8% White, 70.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.6%
LGBT Percentage	4%	5%

Differences between incinerator operator and water treatment operator 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 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.

Incinerator operator vs water treatment operator skills

Common incinerator operator skills

OSHA, 51%
Hand Tools, 18%
Incinerators, 16%
Safety Procedures, 7%
Medical Waste, 5%
Liquid Waste, 2%

Common water treatment operator skills

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

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Incinerator Operator
Incinerator Operator vs Water Treatment Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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