How To Become A Waste Water Operator: What It Is and Career Path

What is a waste water operator and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Wastewater is pretty much exactly what it sounds like--water that is now waste because it has been used by people to bathe, wash clothes, or flush a toilet. Wastewater needs to be treated and disposed of properly; otherwise, it can pollute rivers and oceans. A wastewater operator works in a plant that processes wastewater and makes sure it does not get into water sources.

Wastewater operators sometimes have to get their hands dirty and take water and sewage samples, but they spend most of their time with machines. They are in charge of monitoring all the machines used in the plant during the treatment process, making sure that they are purifying wastewater to the desired levels, and fixing machines when necessary.

Most universities don't have a major dedicated to dealing with dirty dishwater, which is why most wastewater operators learn on the job. In fact, only about 16% of wastewater operators hold bachelor's degrees. They learn how to test the water, operate machinery, and read gauges through practical experience. Once they are trained, wastewater operators earn an average salary of $42,144 a year.

ScoreWaste Water OperatorUS Average

Salary

3.4

Avg. Salary $43,470

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

8.6

Growth rate -7%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

3.6

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 2.50%

Asian 1.84%

Black or African American 7.72%

Hispanic or Latino 12.53%

Unknown 4.57%

White 70.85%

Gender

female 6.99%

male 93.01%

Age - 47.5

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 47.5

Stress level

8.6

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

6.2

Complexity level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work life balance

7.8

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a waste water operator

Explore waste water operator education requirements

Most common waste water operator degrees

High School Diploma

36.2 %

Bachelor's

25.9 %

Associate

22.8 %

Start to develop specific waste water operator skills

Skills	Percentages
Water Samples	8.62%
Preventative Maintenance	7.57%
Water Treatment Plant	6.87%
CDL	5.44%
Asphalt	4.52%

Complete relevant waste water operator training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New waste water operators learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a waste water operator based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real waste water operator resumes.

Obtain the necessary licensing

Becoming a licensed waste water operator usually doesn't require a college degree. However, you need to pass an exam to become a licensed waste water operator in most of states. 34 states require waste water operators to have license for their work. You can see the list of states below.

State	Education	Exam	License url
Alabama	-	-	Certified Water Treatment Operator
Arkansas	Specific course required	State exam required	Water Treatment Operator
California	-	State exam required	Water Treatment Operator
Colorado	-	State exam required	Plant Operators Certification
Connecticut	-	State exam required	Water Treatment Plant Operator - Class II

Research waste water operator duties and responsibilities

Maintain buildings HVAC / lighting automation systems and make adjustments as needed for tenant's comfort and to manage energy consumption.
Recommend measures to prevent accident and health hazards in compliance with OSHA regulations.
Exercise good safety practice in accordance with OSHA mandate confined space entry standards.
Prepare asphalt mixtures per customer requirements, load and unload tankers and monitor tanks and assist with paperwork

Prepare your waste water operator resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your waste water operator resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a waste water operator resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable waste water operator resume templates

Build a professional waste water operator resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your waste water operator resume.