Waste treatment operator vs plant operator

The differences between waste treatment operators and plant 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 waste treatment operator and a plant operator. Additionally, a waste treatment operator has an average salary of $47,317, which is higher than the $42,697 average annual salary of a plant operator.

The top three skills for a waste treatment operator include OSHA, water samples and hazardous materials. The most important skills for a plant operator are plant equipment, plant operations, and preventative maintenance.

Waste treatment operator vs plant operator overview

	Waste Treatment Operator	Plant Operator
Yearly salary	$47,317	$42,697
Hourly rate	$22.75	$20.53
Growth rate	-7%	-7%
Number of jobs	29,892	43,388
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 31%	High School Diploma, 34%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	12	12

Waste treatment operator vs plant operator salary

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

	Waste Treatment Operator	Plant Operator
Average salary	$47,317	$42,697
Salary range	Between $34,000 And $64,000	Between $32,000 And $56,000
Highest paying City	-	Sacramento, CA
Highest paying state	-	Idaho
Best paying company	-	NW Natural
Best paying industry	-	Finance

Differences between waste treatment operator and plant operator education

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

	Waste Treatment Operator	Plant Operator
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 31%	High School Diploma, 34%
Most common major	Environmental Control Technologies/Technicians	Business
Most common college	Duke University	Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Waste treatment operator vs plant operator demographics

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

	Waste Treatment Operator	Plant Operator
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 92.8% Female, 7.2%	Male, 93.5% Female, 6.5%
Race ratio	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%	Black or African American, 7.8% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 12.7% Asian, 1.8% White, 70.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.5%
LGBT Percentage	5%	5%

Differences between waste treatment operator and plant operator duties and responsibilities

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.

Plant operator example responsibilities.

Manage and operate the DCS system or control board.
Manage and perform preventive maintenance, electrical repairs, millwright work, and MSHA safety functions.
Maintain buildings HVAC / lighting automation systems and make adjustments as needed for tenant's comfort and to manage energy consumption.
Used basic math skills to calculate the weight of the ammonia by the price it are per ton.
Operate compressors, scrubbers, pipeline, pumps, coolers, and evaporators to liquefy or compress gas.
Maintain and repair all equipment involve in plant processes to keep within OSHA safety standards and EPA environmental codes.

Waste treatment operator vs plant operator skills

Common waste treatment operator skills

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

Common plant operator skills

Plant Equipment, 7%
Plant Operations, 6%
Preventative Maintenance, 5%
Boilers, 5%
Minor Maintenance, 4%
Ladders, 4%

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Waste Treatment Operator
Waste Treatment Operator vs Plant Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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