How To Become A Water Quality Technician: What It Is and Career Path

What is a water quality technician and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Clean water is essential not only to remain safe from disease but also to maintain good health. Becoming a water quality technician will give you the opportunity to ensure that people have the clean water they need to live a healthy life. Water quality technicians determine if the water we use and drink meets EPA standards. They do this by testing for microbes for chemical contaminants in drinking water and wastewater.

They perform these tests in a variety of settings, including water treatment plants, laboratories, and even onsite. In order to do this job well, water quality technicians need to adhere to established protocols. They must ensure environmental compliance by checking continuous process control monitors. Other tasks performed by these specialists include collecting and analyzing samples, maintaining lab equipment, and managing log sheets and quality control records. Qualifications for this career include an Associate's degree in chemistry and biology along with experience conducting tests in a laboratory setting.

ScoreWater Quality TechnicianUS Average

Salary

3.1

Avg. Salary $39,725

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

6.4

Growth rate 9%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

4.8

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.98%

Asian 10.18%

Black or African American 9.35%

Hispanic or Latino 16.56%

Unknown 5.72%

White 57.21%

Gender

female 32.78%

male 67.22%

Age - 35

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 35

Stress level

6.4

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.2

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

3.8

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a water quality technician

Explore water quality technician education requirements

Most common water quality technician degrees

Bachelor's

68.5 %

Associate

14.1 %

High School Diploma

8.9 %

Start to develop specific water quality technician skills

Skills	Percentages
Laboratory Equipment	15.59%
Data Collection	8.28%
EPA	7.25%
GPS	6.89%
Water Treatment	6.81%

Complete relevant water quality technician training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New water quality technicians learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a water quality technician based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real water quality technician resumes.

Research water quality technician duties and responsibilities

Manage daily RCRA inspections and mechanical, electrical, and electronic equipment preventive/corrective maintenance procedures.
Collect and migrate GIS data using field instrumentation such as computers, ArcPad, and GPS units.
Operate GPS to assure coordinates and accuracy of reporting.
Check network connectivity to HVAC units physically and through the end user workstation.

Prepare your water quality technician resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your water quality technician resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a water quality technician resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable water quality technician resume templates

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