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Water jet operator education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a water jet operator. Water jet operators usually study business, drafting and design, or precision metal working. 44% of water jet operators hold a high school diploma, and 21% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 596 real water jet operator resumes to see exactly what water jet operator education sections show.

The most common colleges for water jet operators are the Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania and the Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania.

There are also many online water jet operator courses to help get the education required to be a water jet operator.

What education do you need to become a water jet operator?

What degree do you need to be a water jet operator?

The most common degree for water jet operators is high school diploma, with 44% of water jet operators earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 21% and associate degree degree at 14%.
  • High School Diploma, 44%
  • Associate, 21%
  • Diploma, 14%
  • Bachelor's, 14%
  • Other Degrees, 7%

What should I major in to become a water jet operator?

You should major in business to become a water jet operator. 14% of water jet operators major in business. Other common majors for a water jet operator include drafting and design and precision metal working.

Most common colleges for water jet operators

Water jet operators often get their degrees at Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania, National University, and Fitchburg State University. Here are the most common colleges for water jet operators in the US based on their resumes.
Water jet operator common collegePercentages
Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania10.00%
National University6.67%
Fitchburg State University6.67%
Central State University6.67%
Baker College6.67%

Best majors for water jet operators

Best colleges for water jet operators

The best colleges for water jet operators are University of Tulsa, Rochester Institute of Technology, and Duke University.

A water jet operator with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for water jet operators. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become water jet operators.

1. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

2. Bucknell University

Lewisburg, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,092

Enrollment

3,583

3. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Troy, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$53,880

Enrollment

6,590

4. North Carolina State University

Raleigh, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$9,101

Enrollment

23,708

5. Santa Clara University

Santa Clara, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,711

Enrollment

5,504

6. Vermont Technical College

Randolph, VT • Private

In-state tuition

$15,108

Enrollment

1,350

7. Texas Christian University

Fort Worth, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$46,950

Enrollment

9,407

20 best online courses for water jet operators

Advertising disclosure

1. Material Jetting and Stereolithography

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This course looks at two photopolymer resin-based processes: material jetting and stereolithography. We walk through the build preparation, printing, and post-processing for both processes, and discuss the kinds of applications for which these processes are well suited. The necessary elements for each course are lecture videos, knowledge checks, and project completion. For additional information on certain topics, I've included supplemental readings and videos throughout various lessons that...

2. Sustainable Urban Water Systems

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The MOOC “Sustainable Urban Water Systems” aims to provide knowledge about modern and sustainable solutions for urban water management in water-sensitive cities. The focus is on stormwater control and water supply strategies for the mitigation of effects on the water cycles due to human settlements and climate change. In particular, the integration of Nature-based Solutions (NbS) into urban drainage systems, the use of alternative water resources, and the reduction of losses and waste, make...

3. Design of Water Treatment Systems for Beginners

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4.7
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Learn how to fully design a water treatment system for small to medium scale projects...

4. Water Treatment Process Design

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4.4
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design water treatment& RO/NF plants, sand& multimedia filter, iron& manganese removal filter, Ion exchange DI& softener...

5. Education on climate change: water and soil

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This course delves into the connection between water, climate change, and how living organisms adapt to these shifts. It also explores concepts related to agriculture, food, and food sovereignty. Additionally, it introduces a range of online games that enhance the integration and practical application of the developing conceptual knowledge...

6. Climate Change and Water in Mountains: A Global Concern

coursera

What is climate change ? How are mountain regions affected by the evolution of water resources and their uses ? What kind of risks need to be considered ? Mountains are recognized as particularly sensitive physical environments where intense and rapid changes have in the past, and may increasingly in the future, place pressure on their resource base. In this context, a team of roughly 100 experts worked from 2008 to 2013 for the European ACQWA project (www.acqwa.ch) which was coordinated by the...

7. Fusion 360 CAD/CAM for CNC routers

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Make any part using your CNC router with Fusion 360...

8. CNC Milling machine programming using G-Code

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Learning to read and write CNC programs with FANUC G Code has never been so easy...

9. 5G O-RAN (Open RAN): Architecture, Procedures And Use Cases

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4.4
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Path to O-RAN, RAN Functional Splits, Split 7.2x for O-RAN, O-RAN Virtualization, Non & Near RT RIC, Slicing in O-RAN...

10. Aerospace Engineering: Aircraft Fundamentals and Advanced

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Aerospace and Aeronautical Engineering: Master the Mechanics of Airplanes - Aerodynamics, Flight Maneuvers, JET Engines...

11. Introduction to CNC Programming

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Learn to program CNC Routers and CNC Milling machines that use the GCODE language...

12. Fusion 360 tutorial for CNC machinists

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4.3
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CAD CAM training for CNC machinists using fusion 360...

13. Operating Systems from scratch - Part 2

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Learn memory management in operating systems as operating system forms the core of computer science...

14. Operating Systems from scratch - Part 1

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Learn the concepts of Operating Systems from scratch as Operating System forms the core of Computer Science...

15. Aerospace Engineering: Airplanes, Airlines and Airports

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Understand how Airplanes generate Lift, how Airlines and Airports operate and what is Aerospace Engineering today...

16. Operating Systems Part 3: Synchronization and Deadlock

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Learn the concepts of Operating Systems from scratch as Operating System forms the core of Computer Science...

17. Operating Systems Final Part (4): File Systems & Threads

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Learn the concepts of Operating Systems from scratch as Operating System forms the core of Computer Science...

18. Heat Exchangers: Design , Operation & Maintenance

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A complete understanding of construction details , functionning and design of heat exchangers for successful operation...

19. Apache Kafka Series - Kafka Monitoring & Operations

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Kafka Monitoring Setup with Prometheus and Grafana, Kafka Operations and Kafka Cluster Upgrades Hands-On. Setup in AWS...

20. Functional Safety for Safety Instrumented Systems

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4.1
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The most complete course available on Functional Safety. 2+ hours of videos, case studies, assignments, & more...

Top 10 most affordable universities for water jet operators

The most affordable schools for water jet operators are Inter American University of Puerto Rico Bayamon, inter american university of puerto rico guayama, and inter american university of puerto rico san german.

If the best universities for water jet operators are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for water jet operators.

1. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Bayamon

Bayamon, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$5,940

Cost of attendance

13,508

2. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Guayama

Guayama, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$5,902

Cost of attendance

13,893

3. Inter American University of Puerto Rico San German

San German, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$5,940

Cost of attendance

14,322

4. University of New Mexico

Albuquerque, NM • Private

In-state tuition

$7,633

Cost of attendance

19,235

5. New York City College of Technology of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,120

Cost of attendance

13,997

6. SUNY College of Technology at Alfred

Alfred, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,570

Cost of attendance

23,713

7. Eastern New Mexico University

Portales, NM • Private

In-state tuition

$6,326

Cost of attendance

17,330

8. SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry

Syracuse, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,874

Cost of attendance

26,736

9. SUNY College of Technology at Canton

Canton, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,389

Cost of attendance

22,302

10. Montana Technological University

Butte, MT • Private

In-state tuition

$7,412

Cost of attendance

19,400

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for water jet operators

The hardest universities for water jet operators to get into are University of Tulsa, Rochester Institute of Technology, and Duke University.

Some great schools for water jet operators are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for water jet operators based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. University of Tulsa

Tulsa, OK • Private

Admissions rate

41%

SAT average

1,321

2. Rochester Institute of Technology

Rochester, NY • Private

Admissions rate

66%

SAT average

1,319

3. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

9%

SAT average

1,516

4. Saint Joseph's University

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

76%

SAT average

1,214

5. Santa Clara University

Santa Clara, CA • Private

Admissions rate

50%

SAT average

1,366

6. Creighton University

Omaha, NE • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,276

7. Bucknell University

Lewisburg, PA • Private

Admissions rate

33%

SAT average

1,353

8. SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry

Syracuse, NY • Private

Admissions rate

61%

SAT average

1,227

9. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

Admissions rate

56%

SAT average

1,269

10. North Carolina State University

Raleigh, NC • Private

Admissions rate

47%

SAT average

1,336

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for water jet operators

The easiest schools for water jet operators to get into are Saint Joseph's University, grand valley state university, and suny college of technology at canton.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a water jet operator without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for water jet operators.

1. Saint Joseph's University

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

76%

SAT average

1,214

2. Grand Valley State University

Allendale, MI • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,158

3. SUNY College of Technology at Canton

Canton, NY • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

997

4. Fitchburg State University

Fitchburg, MA • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,078

5. Ferris State University

Big Rapids, MI • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

1,070

6. Kent State University

Kent, OH • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,131

7. SUNY College of Technology at Alfred

Alfred, NY • Private

Admissions rate

63%

SAT average

1,071

8. University of New Mexico

Albuquerque, NM • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

1,120

9. Pennsylvania State University - Harrisburg

Middletown, PA • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,177

10. Western Kentucky University

Bowling Green, KY • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,162

Average water jet operator salary by education level

According to our data, water jet operators with a Bachelor's degree earn the highest average salary, at $36,881 annually. Water jet operators with a Associate degree earn an average annual salary of $36,669.
Water jet operator education levelWater jet operator salary
High School Diploma or Less$34,880
Bachelor's Degree$36,881
Some College/ Associate Degree$36,669

Water jet operator education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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