Lead sewage plant operator vs wastewater treatment operator

The differences between lead sewage plant operators and wastewater 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 a lead sewage plant operator and a wastewater treatment operator. Additionally, a lead sewage plant operator has an average salary of $59,180, which is higher than the $45,618 average annual salary of a wastewater treatment operator.

The top three skills for a lead sewage plant operator include line efficiency, lean manufacturing and manufacturing support. The most important skills for a wastewater treatment operator are plant equipment, process control, and blowers.

Lead sewage plant operator vs wastewater treatment operator overview

	Lead Sewage Plant Operator	Wastewater Treatment Operator
Yearly salary	$59,180	$45,618
Hourly rate	$28.45	$21.93
Growth rate	-7%	-7%
Number of jobs	38,315	32,561
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 68%	Bachelor's Degree, 31%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	12	12

Lead sewage plant operator vs wastewater treatment operator salary

Lead sewage plant operators and wastewater treatment operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Lead Sewage Plant Operator	Wastewater Treatment Operator
Average salary	$59,180	$45,618
Salary range	Between $37,000 And $92,000	Between $32,000 And $64,000
Highest paying City	-	Mercer Island, WA
Highest paying state	-	Idaho
Best paying company	-	Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Best paying industry	-	Professional

Differences between lead sewage plant operator and wastewater treatment operator education

There are a few differences between a lead sewage plant operator and a wastewater treatment operator in terms of educational background:

	Lead Sewage Plant Operator	Wastewater Treatment Operator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 68%	Bachelor's Degree, 31%
Most common major	Mechanical Engineering	Environmental Control Technologies/Technicians
Most common college	Northwestern University	Duke University

Lead sewage plant operator vs wastewater treatment operator demographics

Here are the differences between lead sewage plant operators' and wastewater treatment operators' demographics:

	Lead Sewage Plant Operator	Wastewater Treatment Operator
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 94.7% Female, 5.3%	Male, 91.0% Female, 9.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 5.3% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 8.8% Asian, 1.7% White, 77.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.4%	Black or African American, 7.6% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 12.4% Asian, 1.8% White, 71.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.5%
LGBT Percentage	5%	5%

Differences between lead sewage plant operator and wastewater treatment operator duties and responsibilities

Lead sewage plant operator example responsibilities.

Need method to proactively manage the business improving cross-functional collaboration & KPI visibility.
Lead compression shift of twenty-one operators and supporting staff in daily operations of manufacturing generic prescription medications in a GMP setting.
Project s progress are communicated to all levels of the organization and Amgen sites stakeholders.

Wastewater treatment operator example responsibilities.

Manage and perform preventive maintenance, electrical repairs, millwright work, and MSHA safety functions.
Monitor plant and lift station performance by regularly checking SCADA system on computer.
Inspect facilities, equipment and plumbing for effects for corrosive, flammable and combustible gas.
Optimize internal controls and process to comply with new parameters set by EPA and JCA.
Review and remain current on OSHA standards and regulations for general industry and perform safety audits.
Utilize computers for SCADA monitoring, data input, work order tracking and other uses of technology.

Lead sewage plant operator vs wastewater treatment operator skills

Common lead sewage plant operator skills

Line Efficiency, 53%
Lean Manufacturing, 19%
Manufacturing Support, 13%
Sigma, 12%
Maintenance Operations, 2%
Product Quality, 1%

Common wastewater treatment operator skills

Plant Equipment, 5%
Process Control, 5%
Blowers, 5%
Preventative Maintenance, 5%
Ladders, 4%
Plant Operations, 4%

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Lead Sewage Plant Operator
Lead Sewage Plant Operator vs Wastewater Treatment Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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