Sewage plant operator vs waste treatment operator

The differences between sewage plant operators and waste 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 sewage plant operator and a waste treatment operator. Additionally, a waste treatment operator has an average salary of $47,317, which is higher than the $45,459 average annual salary of a sewage plant operator.

The top three skills for a sewage plant operator include treatment plant, water treatment and SCADA. The most important skills for a waste treatment operator are OSHA, water samples, and hazardous materials.

Sewage plant operator vs waste treatment operator overview

	Sewage Plant Operator	Waste Treatment Operator
Yearly salary	$45,459	$47,317
Hourly rate	$21.86	$22.75
Growth rate	-7%	-7%
Number of jobs	35,505	29,892
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 33%	Associate Degree, 31%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	12	12

Sewage plant operator vs waste treatment operator salary

Sewage plant operators and waste treatment operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Sewage Plant Operator	Waste Treatment Operator
Average salary	$45,459	$47,317
Salary range	Between $32,000 And $63,000	Between $34,000 And $64,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between sewage plant operator and waste treatment operator education

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

	Sewage Plant Operator	Waste Treatment Operator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 33%	Associate Degree, 31%
Most common major	Business	Environmental Control Technologies/Technicians
Most common college	Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute	Duke University

Sewage plant operator vs waste treatment operator demographics

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

	Sewage Plant Operator	Waste Treatment Operator
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 95.8% Female, 4.2%	Male, 92.8% Female, 7.2%
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, 7.5% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 12.3% Asian, 1.8% White, 71.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.6%
LGBT Percentage	5%	5%

Differences between sewage plant operator and waste treatment operator duties and responsibilities

Sewage plant operator example responsibilities.

Maintain buildings HVAC / lighting automation systems and make adjustments as needed for tenant's comfort and to manage energy consumption.
Prepare asphalt mixtures per customer requirements, load and unload tankers and monitor tanks and assist with paperwork
Project s progress are communicated to all levels of the organization and Amgen sites stakeholders.

Waste treatment operator example responsibilities.

Manage and perform preventive maintenance, electrical repairs, millwright work, and MSHA safety functions.
Position require license issue by Illinois EPA.
Perform basic repairs and maintenance using plumbing and mechanical skills.
Perform repairs on all waste treatment and plating machinery, including electrical, mechanical, and plumbing relate breakdowns.
Work directly with production, engineering and maintenance personnel in the electroplating department.
Monitor, maintain and improve the operations of the industrial laboratory associate with the in house electroplating operation.

Sewage plant operator vs waste treatment operator skills

Common sewage plant operator skills

Treatment Plant, 35%
Water Treatment, 30%
SCADA, 14%
Federal Agencies, 10%
Plant Equipment, 8%
Pump Stations, 2%

Common waste treatment operator skills

OSHA, 9%
Water Samples, 8%
Hazardous Materials, 7%
Test Water, 6%
Plumbing, 6%
Safety Procedures, 5%

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Sewage Plant Operator
Sewage Plant Operator vs Waste Treatment Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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