Water system operator education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a water system operator. Water system operators usually study business, environmental control technologies/technicians, or criminal justice. 40% of water system operators hold a bachelor's degree, and 23% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 188 real water system operator resumes to see exactly what water system operator education sections show.

The most common colleges for water system operators are the California State University - Sacramento and the California State University - Sacramento.

There are also many online water system operator courses to help get the education required to be a water system operator.

What education do you need to become a water system operator?

What degree do you need to be a water system operator?

The most common degree for water system operators is bachelor's degree, with 40% of water system operators earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 23% and associate degree degree at 23%.

Bachelor's, 40%

Associate, 23%

High School Diploma, 23%

Master's, 1%

Other Degrees, 13%

What should I major in to become a water system operator?

You should major in business to become a water system operator. 13% of water system operators major in business. Other common majors for a water system operator include environmental control technologies/technicians and criminal justice.

Business, 13%

Environmental Control Technologies/Technicians, 13%

Criminal Justice, 9%

Electrical Engineering Technology, 7%

Other Majors, 58%

Most common colleges for water system operators

Water system operators often get their degrees at California State University - Sacramento, Colorado State University, and University of Denver. Here are the most common colleges for water system operators in the US based on their resumes.

Water system operator common college	Percentages
California State University - Sacramento	12.50%
Colorado State University	8.33%
University of Denver	8.33%
University of Alaska Fairbanks	4.17%
Santa Monica College	4.17%

Show more common water system operator colleges

Best majors for water system operators

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	12.5%
2	Environmental Control Technologies/Technicians	12.5%
3	Criminal Justice	8.9%
4	Electrical Engineering Technology	7.1%
5	Electrical Engineering	7.1%

Show more common water system operator majors

Best colleges for water system operators

The best colleges for water system operators are University of Tulsa, Rochester Institute of Technology, and Duke University.

A water system operator with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for water system operators. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become water system operators.

1. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

2. Bucknell University

Lewisburg, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,092

Enrollment

3,583

3. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Troy, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$53,880

Enrollment

6,590

4. North Carolina State University

Raleigh, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$9,101

Enrollment

23,708

5. Santa Clara University

Santa Clara, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,711

Enrollment

5,504

6. Vermont Technical College

Randolph, VT • Private

In-state tuition

$15,108

Enrollment

1,350

7. Texas Christian University

Fort Worth, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$46,950

Enrollment

9,407

20 best online courses for water system operators

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Top 10 most affordable universities for water system operators

The most affordable schools for water system operators are Inter American University of Puerto Rico Bayamon, inter american university of puerto rico guayama, and inter american university of puerto rico san german.

If the best universities for water system operators are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for water system operators.

1. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Bayamon

Bayamon, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$5,940

Cost of attendance

13,508

2. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Guayama

Guayama, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$5,902

Cost of attendance

13,893

3. Inter American University of Puerto Rico San German

San German, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$5,940

Cost of attendance

14,322

4. University of New Mexico

Albuquerque, NM • Private

In-state tuition

$7,633

Cost of attendance

19,235

5. New York City College of Technology of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,120

Cost of attendance

13,997

6. SUNY College of Technology at Alfred

Alfred, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,570

Cost of attendance

23,713

7. Eastern New Mexico University

Portales, NM • Private

In-state tuition

$6,326

Cost of attendance

17,330

8. SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry

Syracuse, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,874

Cost of attendance

26,736

9. SUNY College of Technology at Canton

Canton, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,389

Cost of attendance

22,302

10. Montana Technological University

Butte, MT • Private

In-state tuition

$7,412

Cost of attendance

19,400

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for water system operators

The hardest universities for water system operators to get into are University of Tulsa, Rochester Institute of Technology, and Duke University.

Some great schools for water system operators are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for water system operators based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. University of Tulsa

Tulsa, OK • Private

Admissions rate

41%

SAT average

1,321

2. Rochester Institute of Technology

Rochester, NY • Private

Admissions rate

66%

SAT average

1,319

3. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,516

4. Saint Joseph's University

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

76%

SAT average

1,214

5. Santa Clara University

Santa Clara, CA • Private

Admissions rate

50%

SAT average

1,366

6. Creighton University

Omaha, NE • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,276

7. Bucknell University

Lewisburg, PA • Private

Admissions rate

33%

SAT average

1,353

8. SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry

Syracuse, NY • Private

Admissions rate

61%

SAT average

1,227

9. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

Admissions rate

56%

SAT average

1,269

10. North Carolina State University

Raleigh, NC • Private

Admissions rate

47%

SAT average

1,336

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for water system operators

The easiest schools for water system operators to get into are Saint Joseph's University, grand valley state university, and suny college of technology at canton.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a water system operator without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for water system operators.

1. Saint Joseph's University

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

76%

SAT average

1,214

2. Grand Valley State University

Allendale, MI • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,158

3. SUNY College of Technology at Canton

Canton, NY • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

997

4. Fitchburg State University

Fitchburg, MA • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,078

5. Ferris State University

Big Rapids, MI • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

1,070

6. Kent State University

Kent, OH • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,131

7. SUNY College of Technology at Alfred

Alfred, NY • Private

Admissions rate

63%

SAT average

1,071

8. University of New Mexico

Albuquerque, NM • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

1,120

9. Pennsylvania State University - Harrisburg

Middletown, PA • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,177

10. Western Kentucky University

Bowling Green, KY • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,162

Average water system operator salary by education level

According to our data, water system operators with a Bachelor's degree earn the highest average salary, at $43,955 annually. Water system operators with a Associate degree earn an average annual salary of $43,599.

Water system operator education level	Water system operator salary
High School Diploma or Less	$40,622
Bachelor's Degree	$43,955
Some College/ Associate Degree	$43,599

Water system operator education FAQs

What is the best college for Water System Operators?

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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