Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between wastewater treatment operators and wastewater 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 wastewater treatment operator and a wastewater plant operator. Additionally, a wastewater plant operator has an average salary of $45,658, which is higher than the $45,618 average annual salary of a wastewater treatment operator.
The top three skills for a wastewater treatment operator include plant equipment, process control and blowers. The most important skills for a wastewater plant operator are minor maintenance, plant operations, and plant equipment.
| Wastewater Treatment Operator | Wastewater Plant Operator | |
| Yearly salary | $45,618 | $45,658 |
| Hourly rate | $21.93 | $21.95 |
| Growth rate | -7% | -7% |
| Number of jobs | 32,561 | 38,412 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 31% | Associate Degree, 35% |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
Wastewater treatment operators and wastewater plant operators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Wastewater Treatment Operator | Wastewater Plant Operator | |
| Average salary | $45,618 | $45,658 |
| Salary range | Between $32,000 And $64,000 | Between $32,000 And $64,000 |
| Highest paying City | Mercer Island, WA | Redding, CA |
| Highest paying state | Idaho | Washington |
| Best paying company | Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory | Icma-rc |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Utilities |
There are a few differences between a wastewater treatment operator and a wastewater plant operator in terms of educational background:
| Wastewater Treatment Operator | Wastewater Plant Operator | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 31% | Associate Degree, 35% |
| Most common major | Environmental Control Technologies/Technicians | Environmental Control Technologies/Technicians |
| Most common college | Duke University | Duke University |
Here are the differences between wastewater treatment operators' and wastewater plant operators' demographics:
| Wastewater Treatment Operator | Wastewater Plant Operator | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 91.0% Female, 9.0% | Male, 92.9% Female, 7.1% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 7.8% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 12.7% Asian, 1.8% White, 70.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |