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

What is a water technician and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

The importance of water can never be overestimated - it is the life blood of this planet and its inhabitants. However, not all water is clean enough for us to drink and use. This is where the water technician comes in. As a water technician, your purpose will be to oversee and maintain all equipment involved in a water treatment plant, to ensure the quality of water remains up to standards.

Some of the duties and responsibilities that you, as a water technician will be fulfilling include calibrating the machinery and collecting water samples to ensure the quality of water is up to standards and regulations. In addition, you will also adjust the level of different minerals and chemicals in the water and create reports based on your findings. Essential skills needed to succeed in this position include attention to detail, knowledge of federal and state water quality regulations, and communication.

To qualify for this position, you will need to attend either a year of vocational school training or two years of an associate's degree program. However, a high school diploma or a GED may suffice along with proven work experience. The average hourly pay for this position is $17.41, which amounts to more than $36,000 annually.

ScoreWater TechnicianUS Average

Salary

3.0

Avg. Salary $38,723

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

8.6

Growth rate -7%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

3.6

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 2.39%

Asian 1.85%

Black or African American 7.95%

Hispanic or Latino 12.89%

Unknown 4.51%

White 70.42%

Gender

female 8.83%

male 91.17%

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 technician

Explore water technician education requirements

Most common water technician degrees

High School Diploma

41.9 %

Bachelor's

21.7 %

Associate

18.7 %

Start to develop specific water technician skills

Skills	Percentages
Customer Service	10.15%
Work Ethic	7.32%
Hand Tools	5.81%
Water Samples	5.57%
Cleanliness	5.03%

Complete relevant water technician training and internships

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

Gain additional water technician certifications

Water technician certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific water technician certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for water technicians include Certified Water Specialist (CWS) and Master Water Restorer (MWR).

More About Certifications

Research water technician duties and responsibilities

Manage water usage plumbing repair electronics repair inventory control.
Water extraction, dry outs, roof tarps, board ups, mold clean up, demolition, fire clean up
mow, string trim, blow off.
Climb ladders, crawl, stoop, bend and work in confine spaces.

Prepare your water technician resume

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

Build a professional water technician 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 technician resume.