Incinerator operator vs water treatment technician

The differences between incinerator operators and water treatment 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 treatment technician takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a water treatment technician has an average salary of $44,399, 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 technician are PPE, water samples, and waste water.

Incinerator operator vs water treatment technician overview

	Incinerator Operator	Water Treatment Technician
Yearly salary	$40,114	$44,399
Hourly rate	$19.29	$21.35
Growth rate	4%	-7%
Number of jobs	31,897	16,677
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 56%	Bachelor's Degree, 44%
Average age	50	47
Years of experience	2	12

Incinerator operator vs water treatment technician salary

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

	Incinerator Operator	Water Treatment Technician
Average salary	$40,114	$44,399
Salary range	Between $28,000 And $57,000	Between $29,000 And $67,000
Highest paying City	-	Portland, ME
Highest paying state	-	Alaska
Best paying company	-	Vicor
Best paying industry	-	Manufacturing

Differences between incinerator operator and water treatment technician education

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

	Incinerator Operator	Water Treatment Technician
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 56%	Bachelor's Degree, 44%
Most common major	Business	Psychology
Most common college	Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute	Duke University

Incinerator operator vs water treatment technician demographics

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

	Incinerator Operator	Water Treatment Technician
Average age	50	47
Gender ratio	Male, 92.5% Female, 7.5%	Male, 64.1% Female, 35.9%
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, 70.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.3%
LGBT Percentage	4%	5%

Differences between incinerator operator and water treatment 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 treatment technician example responsibilities.

Learned the chemistry behind HVAC water treatment.
Operate, maintain, and defend a water supply and treatment system under combat, and garrison conditions.
Operate heavy wheel combat vehicles in a variety of terrain and environmental conditions.
Monitor, maintain and improve the operations of the industrial laboratory associate with the in house electroplating operation.
Test raw water determining chemical dosages need of lime, iron, chlorine, ammonia and carbon.
Add chemicals such as ammonia, chlorine, or lime to disinfect and deodorize water and other liquids.

Incinerator operator vs water treatment technician skills

Common incinerator operator skills

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

Common water treatment technician skills

PPE, 13%
Water Samples, 7%
Waste Water, 7%
Plumbing, 7%
Patients, 5%
Hazardous Waste, 5%

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Incinerator Operator
Incinerator Operator vs Water Treatment Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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