How To Become A Water System Operator: What It Is and Career Path

What is a water system operator and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a water system operator. For example, did you know that they make an average of $19.63 an hour? That's $40,831 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow -7% and produce -8,600 job opportunities across the U.S.

ScoreWater System OperatorUS Average

Salary

3.2

Avg. Salary $40,831

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

8.6

Growth rate -7%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

3.6

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 2.61%

Asian 1.83%

Black or African American 7.54%

Hispanic or Latino 12.26%

Unknown 4.57%

White 71.19%

Gender

female 8.52%

male 91.48%

Age - 47.5

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 - 47.5

Stress level

8.6

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

6.2

Complexity level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work life balance

7.8

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a water system operator

Explore water system operator education requirements

Most common water system operator degrees

Bachelor's

40.3 %

Associate

23.4 %

High School Diploma

23.4 %

Start to develop specific water system operator skills

Skills	Percentages
Hand Tools	14.10%
SCADA	11.05%
Potable Water	8.31%
Plumbing	8.13%
Water Distribution System	6.44%

Complete relevant water system operator training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New water system operators 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 system operator based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real water system operator resumes.

Research water system operator duties and responsibilities

Manage and oversee all aspects of waste water operation including liaison work with the DNR EPA and city officials.
Operate heavy machinery such as bobcat equipment and also operate and pave asphalt perform demolition work.
Measure acidity and alkalinity of clarifier overflow to determine efficiency of impurity recovery, using pH meter.

Prepare your water system operator resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your water system operator 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 system operator 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 system operator resume templates

Build a professional water system operator resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your water system operator resume.