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Water quality technician vs hazardous waste technician

The differences between water quality technicians and hazardous waste technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a water quality technician and a hazardous waste technician. Additionally, a hazardous waste technician has an average salary of $41,776, which is higher than the $39,725 average annual salary of a water quality technician.

The top three skills for a water quality technician include laboratory equipment, data collection and EPA. The most important skills for a hazardous waste technician are DOT, OSHA, and HAZWOPER.

Water quality technician vs hazardous waste technician overview

Water Quality TechnicianHazardous Waste Technician
Yearly salary$39,725$41,776
Hourly rate$19.10$20.08
Growth rate9%9%
Number of jobs70,99213,899
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 69%Bachelor's Degree, 37%
Average age3838
Years of experience22

Water quality technician vs hazardous waste technician salary

Water quality technicians and hazardous waste technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

Water Quality TechnicianHazardous Waste Technician
Average salary$39,725$41,776
Salary rangeBetween $25,000 And $61,000Between $26,000 And $66,000
Highest paying City-San Mateo, CA
Highest paying state-California
Best paying company-Tesla
Best paying industry-Manufacturing

Differences between water quality technician and hazardous waste technician education

There are a few differences between a water quality technician and a hazardous waste technician in terms of educational background:

Water Quality TechnicianHazardous Waste Technician
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 69%Bachelor's Degree, 37%
Most common majorBiologyEnvironmental Science
Most common collegeStanford UniversityStanford University

Water quality technician vs hazardous waste technician demographics

Here are the differences between water quality technicians' and hazardous waste technicians' demographics:

Water Quality TechnicianHazardous Waste Technician
Average age3838
Gender ratioMale, 67.2% Female, 32.8%Male, 84.6% Female, 15.4%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 9.4% Unknown, 5.7% Hispanic or Latino, 16.6% Asian, 10.2% White, 57.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%Black or African American, 9.5% Unknown, 5.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.9% Asian, 10.4% White, 56.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%
LGBT Percentage8%8%

Differences between water quality technician and hazardous waste technician duties and responsibilities

Water quality technician example 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.
  • Conduct internal ISO audits of shipping/receiving, inventory, returns management and repair operations.
  • Verify part conformance to specification of injection mold components according to requirements detail on inspection cards or SPC files.
  • Show more

Hazardous waste technician example responsibilities.

  • Manage the logistics of incoming and outgoing shipments
  • Manage daily RCRA inspections and mechanical, electrical, and electronic equipment preventive/corrective maintenance procedures.
  • Pick up trash recycle plastic and pick up yard waste
  • Administer first aid and CPR.
  • Dispose waste and recycle items.
  • Used specific tools, ladders, and extinguishers.
  • Show more

Water quality technician vs hazardous waste technician skills

Common water quality technician skills
  • Laboratory Equipment, 16%
  • Data Collection, 8%
  • EPA, 7%
  • GPS, 7%
  • Water Treatment, 7%
  • Water Quality Data, 6%
Common hazardous waste technician skills
  • DOT, 13%
  • OSHA, 8%
  • HAZWOPER, 7%
  • Spill Response, 7%
  • Safety Procedures, 6%
  • Household Hazardous Waste, 5%

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