Wastewater treatment plant supervisor vs operation supervisor

The differences between wastewater treatment plant supervisors and operation supervisors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become a wastewater treatment plant supervisor, becoming an operation supervisor takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, an operation supervisor has an average salary of $57,279, which is higher than the $54,948 average annual salary of a wastewater treatment plant supervisor.

The top three skills for a wastewater treatment plant supervisor include treatment processes, process control and water treatment. The most important skills for an operation supervisor are logistics, safety procedures, and OSHA.

Wastewater treatment plant supervisor vs operation supervisor overview

	Wastewater Treatment Plant Supervisor	Operation Supervisor
Yearly salary	$54,948	$57,279
Hourly rate	$26.42	$27.54
Growth rate	-7%	6%
Number of jobs	11,675	94,116
Job satisfaction	-	5
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 55%	Bachelor's Degree, 57%
Average age	47	46
Years of experience	12	2

Wastewater treatment plant supervisor vs operation supervisor salary

Wastewater treatment plant supervisors and operation supervisors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Wastewater Treatment Plant Supervisor	Operation Supervisor
Average salary	$54,948	$57,279
Salary range	Between $32,000 And $93,000	Between $37,000 And $87,000
Highest paying City	-	Kansas City, KS
Highest paying state	-	Louisiana
Best paying company	-	Ropes & Gray
Best paying industry	-	Finance

Differences between wastewater treatment plant supervisor and operation supervisor education

There are a few differences between a wastewater treatment plant supervisor and an operation supervisor in terms of educational background:

	Wastewater Treatment Plant Supervisor	Operation Supervisor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 55%	Bachelor's Degree, 57%
Most common major	Environmental Control Technologies/Technicians	Business
Most common college	Stanford University	Stanford University

Wastewater treatment plant supervisor vs operation supervisor demographics

Here are the differences between wastewater treatment plant supervisors' and operation supervisors' demographics:

	Wastewater Treatment Plant Supervisor	Operation Supervisor
Average age	47	46
Gender ratio	Male, 98.0% Female, 2.0%	Male, 70.8% Female, 29.2%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 7.6% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 12.3% Asian, 1.8% White, 71.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.6%	Black or African American, 12.3% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 18.5% Asian, 4.6% White, 59.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	5%	6%

Differences between wastewater treatment plant supervisor and operation supervisor duties and responsibilities

Wastewater treatment plant supervisor example responsibilities.

Develop and lead training programs in preparation for combat.
Maintain and operate wastewater facility in combination with operating lab analysis to assure proper treatment according to EPA permit.
Serve as support staff to administrative assistant, treatment coordinators, and foster home directors.
Review monthly reports by coordinators.
Operate, monitor and troubleshoot the water/wastewater treatment facility.

Operation supervisor example responsibilities.

Manage labor and operating expenses to meet budget goals by utilizing KRONOS.
Manage the safety, quality, productivity, OEE, yields, & continuous improvement.
Manage the proper preparation of equipment for mechanical work as well as proper utilization of LOTO system.
Serve as member of HAZMAT team and manage all training, orientation and safety programs for entire facility.
Manage all inbound and outbound of product/inventory, and keep accurate counts in AS400 P.K.M.S warehouse management software.
Manage daily activities of up to 15 staff and up to 50 students at youth rehabilitation boarding facility.

Wastewater treatment plant supervisor vs operation supervisor skills

Common wastewater treatment plant supervisor skills

Treatment Processes, 19%
Process Control, 16%
Water Treatment, 13%
Plant Operators, 11%
Plant Equipment, 10%
Clarifiers, 9%

Common operation supervisor skills

Logistics, 7%
Safety Procedures, 7%
OSHA, 6%
Payroll, 5%
Customer Satisfaction, 5%
Continuous Improvement, 4%

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Wastewater Treatment Plant Supervisor
Wastewater Treatment Plant Supervisor vs Operation Supervisor

Updated January 8, 2025

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