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Water operator education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a water operator. Water operators usually study business, environmental control technologies/technicians, or general studies. 34% of water operators hold a bachelor's degree, and 27% hold an high school diploma. We analyzed 1,224 real water operator resumes to see exactly what water operator education sections show.
The most common colleges for water operators are the California State University - Sacramento and the California State University - Sacramento.
There are also many online water operator courses to help get the education required to be a water operator.
There are certain water operator certifications that you should consider. These water operator certifications include Wastewater Treatment Operator Class I and Water Distribution Operator Class I.
What education do you need to become a water operator?
What degree do you need to be a water operator?
- Bachelor's, 34%
- High School Diploma, 27%
- Associate, 26%
- Diploma, 8%
- Other Degrees, 5%
What should I major in to become a water operator?
- Business, 17%
- General Studies, 9%
- Other Majors, 54%
Most common colleges for water operators
| Water operator common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| California State University - Sacramento | 12.90% |
| Colorado State University | 9.68% |
| University of Phoenix | 8.06% |
| New Mexico State University | 6.45% |
| Sam Houston State University | 4.84% |
Best majors for water operators
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 17.3% |
| 2 | Environmental Control Technologies/Technicians | 12.2% |
| 3 | General Studies | 9.0% |
| 4 | Environmental Science | 8.3% |
| 5 | Biology | 7.2% |
Best colleges for water operators
The best colleges for water operators are University of Tulsa, Rochester Institute of Technology, and Duke University.
A water 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 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 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 operators
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Top 10 most affordable universities for water operators
The most affordable schools for water 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 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 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 operators
The hardest universities for water operators to get into are University of Tulsa, Rochester Institute of Technology, and Duke University.
Some great schools for water 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 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 operators
The easiest schools for water 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 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 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 operator salary by education level
| Water operator education level | Water operator salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $43,528 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $47,045 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $46,670 |
Water operator education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025