Purification operator vs wastewater treatment operator

The differences between purification 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 purification operator and a wastewater treatment operator. Additionally, a wastewater treatment operator has an average salary of $45,618, which is higher than the $35,631 average annual salary of a purification operator.

The top three skills for a purification operator include cell culture, GMP and clean room environment. The most important skills for a wastewater treatment operator are plant equipment, process control, and blowers.

Purification operator vs wastewater treatment operator overview

	Purification Operator	Wastewater Treatment Operator
Yearly salary	$35,631	$45,618
Hourly rate	$17.13	$21.93
Growth rate	-7%	-7%
Number of jobs	28,516	32,561
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 61%	Bachelor's Degree, 31%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	12	12

Purification operator vs wastewater treatment operator salary

Purification operators and wastewater treatment operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Purification Operator	Wastewater Treatment Operator
Average salary	$35,631	$45,618
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $47,000	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 purification operator and wastewater treatment operator education

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

	Purification Operator	Wastewater Treatment Operator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 61%	Bachelor's Degree, 31%
Most common major	Business	Environmental Control Technologies/Technicians
Most common college	North Carolina State University	Duke University

Purification operator vs wastewater treatment operator demographics

Here are the differences between purification operators' and wastewater treatment operators' demographics:

	Purification Operator	Wastewater Treatment Operator
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 85.7% Female, 14.3%	Male, 91.0% Female, 9.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 7.6% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 12.4% Asian, 1.8% White, 71.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.3%	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 purification operator and wastewater treatment operator duties and responsibilities

Purification operator example responsibilities.

Revise procedures, set examples for other operators in GMP, housekeeping and production standards.
Perform downstream processing of monoclonal antibodies in the GMP classify USFDA approve production facility.
Maintain proper personal hygiene as required by cGMP s. Demonstrate punctuality and sense of responsibility through adherence to department attendance guidelines.
Maintain proper personal hygiene as required by cGMP s. Demonstrate punctuality and sense of responsibility through adherence to department attendance guidelines.

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.

Purification operator vs wastewater treatment operator skills

Common purification operator skills

Cell Culture, 71%
GMP, 21%
Clean Room Environment, 8%

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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Purification Operator
Purification Operator vs Wastewater Treatment Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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