Water pumper vs waste treatment operator

The differences between water pumpers and waste treatment 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 water pumper and a waste treatment operator. Additionally, a water pumper has an average salary of $56,410, which is higher than the $47,317 average annual salary of a waste treatment operator.

The top three skills for a water pumper include pump stations, and . The most important skills for a waste treatment operator are OSHA, water samples, and hazardous materials.

Water pumper vs waste treatment operator overview

	Water Pumper	Waste Treatment Operator
Yearly salary	$56,410	$47,317
Hourly rate	$27.12	$22.75
Growth rate	-7%	-7%
Number of jobs	4,146	29,892
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 57%	Associate Degree, 31%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	12	12

Water pumper vs waste treatment operator salary

Water pumpers and waste treatment operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Water Pumper	Waste Treatment Operator
Average salary	$56,410	$47,317
Salary range	Between $31,000 And $101,000	Between $34,000 And $64,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between water pumper and waste treatment operator education

There are a few differences between a water pumper and a waste treatment operator in terms of educational background:

	Water Pumper	Waste Treatment Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 57%	Associate Degree, 31%
Most common major	Business	Environmental Control Technologies/Technicians
Most common college	Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute	Duke University

Water pumper vs waste treatment operator demographics

Here are the differences between water pumpers' and waste treatment operators' demographics:

	Water Pumper	Waste Treatment Operator
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 89.4% Female, 10.6%	Male, 92.8% Female, 7.2%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 7.2% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 13.2% Asian, 1.9% White, 71.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.3%	Black or African American, 7.5% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 12.3% Asian, 1.8% White, 71.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.6%
LGBT Percentage	5%	5%

Differences between water pumper and waste treatment operator duties and responsibilities

Water pumper example responsibilities.

Manage water usage plumbing repair electronics repair inventory control.
Calculate dimensions and tolerances using knowledge of mathematics and instruments such as micrometers and vernier calipers.
Clean tanks and gravity filter beds including sedimentation clarifiers.
Measure acidity and alkalinity of clarifier overflow to determine efficiency of impurity recovery, using pH meter.

Waste treatment operator example responsibilities.

Manage and perform preventive maintenance, electrical repairs, millwright work, and MSHA safety functions.
Position require license issue by Illinois EPA.
Perform basic repairs and maintenance using plumbing and mechanical skills.
Perform repairs on all waste treatment and plating machinery, including electrical, mechanical, and plumbing relate breakdowns.
Work directly with production, engineering and maintenance personnel in the electroplating department.
Monitor, maintain and improve the operations of the industrial laboratory associate with the in house electroplating operation.

Water pumper vs waste treatment operator skills

Common water pumper skills

Pump Stations, 100%

Common waste treatment operator skills

OSHA, 9%
Water Samples, 8%
Hazardous Materials, 7%
Test Water, 6%
Plumbing, 6%
Safety Procedures, 5%

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Water Pumper vs Waste Treatment Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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