Sewage plant operator vs wastewater treatment operator

The differences between 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 sewage plant operator and a wastewater treatment operator. Additionally, a wastewater treatment operator has an average salary of $45,618, 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 wastewater treatment operator are plant equipment, process control, and blowers.

Sewage plant operator vs wastewater treatment operator overview

	Sewage Plant Operator	Wastewater Treatment Operator
Yearly salary	$45,459	$45,618
Hourly rate	$21.86	$21.93
Growth rate	-7%	-7%
Number of jobs	35,505	32,561
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 33%	Bachelor's Degree, 31%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	12	12

Sewage plant operator vs wastewater treatment operator salary

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

	Sewage Plant Operator	Wastewater Treatment Operator
Average salary	$45,459	$45,618
Salary range	Between $32,000 And $63,000	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 sewage plant operator and wastewater treatment operator education

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

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

Sewage plant operator vs wastewater treatment operator demographics

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

	Sewage Plant Operator	Wastewater Treatment Operator
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 95.8% Female, 4.2%	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 sewage plant operator and wastewater 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.

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.

Sewage plant operator vs wastewater 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 wastewater treatment operator skills

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

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Sewage Plant Operator vs Wastewater Treatment Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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