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How to hire a water quality specialist

Water quality specialist hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring water quality specialists in the United States:

  • In the United States, the median cost per hire a water quality specialist is $1,633.
  • It takes between 36 and 42 days to fill the average role in the US.
  • Human Resources use 15% of their expenses on recruitment on average.
  • On average, it takes around 12 weeks for a new water quality specialist to become settled and show total productivity levels at work.

How to hire a water quality specialist, step by step

To hire a water quality specialist, consider the skills and experience you are looking for in a candidate, allocate a budget for the position, and post and promote the job opening to reach potential candidates. Follow these steps to hire a water quality specialist:

Here's a step-by-step water quality specialist hiring guide:

  • Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
  • Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
  • Step 3: Make a budget
  • Step 4: Write a water quality specialist job description
  • Step 5: Post your job
  • Step 6: Interview candidates
  • Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new water quality specialist
  • Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a water quality specialist do?

Typically working for government agencies, a water quality specialist is in charge of conducting studies to test the quality and environmental sources of water, identifying potential issues should there be any. Among their responsibilities include traveling to various areas with water access points, gathering samples for laboratory tests, performing site inspections, and maintaining records of procedures. Through the research and test findings, a water quality test specialist draws conclusions and alerts the authorities for any problems. Moreover, aside from government agencies, a water quality specialist may also work for other institutions and private companies.

Learn more about the specifics of what a water quality specialist does
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  1. Identify your hiring needs

    Before you post your water quality specialist job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a water quality specialist for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

    Determine employee vs contractor status
    Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

    A water quality specialist's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, water quality specialists from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

    This list shows salaries for various types of water quality specialists.

    Type of Water Quality SpecialistDescriptionHourly rate
    Water Quality SpecialistNatural sciences managers supervise the work of scientists, including chemists, physicists, and biologists. They direct activities related to research and development, and coordinate activities such as testing, quality control, and production.$16-38
    Water Resource Project ManagerA water resource project manager administers a water quality monitoring network, nutrient or irrigation efficiency management initiative, and static water level program. Water resource project managers establish regulations and rules for the management and protection of drinking water quality... Show more$32-55
  2. Create an ideal candidate profile

    Common skills:
    • Customer Service
    • Extraction
    • Water Damage
    • MSDS
    • Plumbing
    • Site Inspections
    • Water ACT
    • Management Practices
    • NPDES
    • GIS
    • Analyze Data
    • Regulatory Compliance
    • Water Quality Tests
    • Tmdl
    Check all skills
    Responsibilities:
    • Manage IDDE program that consists of GIS documentation, field sampling and reporting.
    • Manage performance improvement and quality improvement projects design to assess and improve health outcomes for Medicaid members.
    • Map interpretation for wetland, floodplain and shoreland.
    • Field orienteering using GPS, topographical maps, aerial photos, basic compass
    • Gather data points using survey quality GPS units at sample site locations.
    • Analyze soil and water extracts according to EPA commercial and contract laboratory protocols.
    More water quality specialist duties
  3. Make a budget

    Including a salary range in your water quality specialist job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A water quality specialist salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

    For example, the average salary for a water quality specialist in Tennessee may be lower than in Rhode Island, and an entry-level water quality specialist usually earns less than a senior-level water quality specialist. Additionally, a water quality specialist with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

    Average water quality specialist salary

    $53,609yearly

    $25.77 hourly rate

    Entry-level water quality specialist salary
    $35,000 yearly salary
    Updated January 30, 2026

    Average water quality specialist salary by state

    RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
    1Delaware$72,135$35
    2District of Columbia$70,812$34
    3New Jersey$68,138$33
    4California$67,212$32
    5Maryland$59,489$29
    6Washington$56,710$27
    7Oregon$54,800$26
    8Virginia$54,280$26
    9Oklahoma$52,438$25
    10Colorado$48,199$23
    11Indiana$48,168$23
    12Idaho$48,166$23
    13Arizona$46,699$22
    14New Mexico$46,340$22
    15Texas$46,167$22
    16Hawaii$43,050$21

    Average water quality specialist salary by company

    RankCompanyAverage salaryHourly rateJob openings
    1DC Water$76,400$36.731
    2City of Scottsdale$76,134$36.602
    3HDR$72,924$35.0629
    4The Research Corporation of the University of Hawai'i$69,255$33.30
    5Stantec$69,250$33.29159
    6BELFOR Property Restoration$63,195$30.3836
    7American Water$62,967$30.277
    8Washington State University$61,438$29.54
    9Anheuser-Busch$56,546$27.193
    10Michael & Son Services$55,624$26.74
    11Commonwealth Of Pennsylvania$54,552$26.23
    12American Leak Detection$54,377$26.146
    13City of Meridian, Idaho - Government$54,171$26.04
    14Serco$54,125$26.02
    15Colorado State Express$54,125$26.02
    16E C O$54,076$26.00
    17Americorps$54,024$25.973
    18State of West Virginia$53,461$25.709
    19California Water Service Group$51,671$24.842
    20Navarro Group$51,216$24.62
  4. Writing a water quality specialist job description

    A job description for a water quality specialist role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a water quality specialist job description:

    Water quality specialist job description example

    What's required to be successful

    Two (2) years of experience in water/wastewater treatment and laboratory preferred.

    Bachelor's Degree with a major in Biology, Chemistry, Water Related Sciences or Engineering preferred.

    Strong background in surface water and wastewater laboratory and quality assurance control practices.

    Knowledge of Water Quality and Wastewater standards and environmental regulations (County, State and Federal Government); Company procedures and Water and Wastewater Treatment functions.

    Other important facts about this job

    As an EPCOR employee, you will enjoy a variety of benefits such as a competitive salary, an incentive award program, an excellent benefit package including medical, dental, vision and other insurance coverage, retirement plan with substantial company contribution, generous time-off schedules, training opportunities, tuition reimbursement, and certification support. We've been voted as a Best Places to Work employer and we value the safety of each of our team members through our robust safety training and celebration of safety milestones.

    Headquartered in Phoenix, EPCOR USA owns, operates and builds water, wastewater and natural gas infrastructure and is among the largest private water utilities in the Southwest. EPCOR USA is an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of EPCOR Utilities Inc. We invest in and look after our communities and the environment. We're proud of the work we do and the people we hire to do it.

    Please note the following information:

    • A requirement of working for EPCOR is that you are at least 18 years of age and legally entitled to work in the United States.
    • If you are considered for the position, clearance on all applicable background checks (which may include criminal, driving, educational, and/or credit) and professional reference checks is required.
    • To meet the physical demands required of some positions, candidates must be in good physical condition and willing to work in all weather conditions. Clearance on pre-employment drug testing will be required.
  5. Post your job

    To find the right water quality specialist for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

    • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
    • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with water quality specialists they would recommend.
    • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit water quality specialists who meet your education requirements.
    • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.
    Post your job online:
    • Post your water quality specialist job on Zippia to find and recruit water quality specialist candidates who meet your exact specifications.
    • Use field-specific websites.
    • Post a job on free websites.
  6. Interview candidates

    Recruiting water quality specialists requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

    Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

    The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

  7. Send a job offer and onboard your new water quality specialist

    Once you've found the water quality specialist candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

    It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

    To prepare for the new water quality specialist first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

  8. Go through the hiring process checklist

    • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
    • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
    • Define job responsibilities and requirements
    • Establish budget and timeline
    • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
    • Write job description
    • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
    • Promote the job internally
    • Process applications through applicant tracking system
    • Review resumes and cover letters
    • Shortlist candidates for screening
    • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
    • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
    • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
    • Conduct background checks on top candidates
    • Check references of top candidates
    • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
    • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
    • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
    • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
    • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
    • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)
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How much does it cost to hire a water quality specialist?

Hiring a water quality specialist comes with both the one-time cost per hire and ongoing costs. The cost of recruiting water quality specialists involves promoting the job and spending time conducting interviews. Ongoing costs include employee salary, training, benefits, insurance, and equipment. It is essential to consider the cost of water quality specialist recruiting as well the ongoing costs of maintaining the new employee.

You can expect to pay around $53,609 per year for a water quality specialist, as this is the median yearly salary nationally. This can vary depending on what state or city you're hiring in. If you're hiring for contract work or on a per-project basis, hourly rates for water quality specialists in the US typically range between $16 and $38 an hour.

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