How to hire a water technician

How to hire a water technician, step by step

Here's a step-by-step water technician hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a water technician job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new water technician
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a water technician do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a water technician, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect water technician also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   The following list breaks down different types of water technicians and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Water Technician	Description	Hourly rate
   Water Technician	Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators manage a system of machines, often through the use of control boards, to transfer or treat water or wastewater.	$13-25
   Utility Plant Operative	A utility plant operator monitors, operates, repairs, and maintains utility equipment and systems. Utility plant operators work on the operation, maintenance, and repair of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems... Show more	$13-28
   Auxiliary Operator	An auxiliary operator controls and oversees various auxiliary equipment at facilities on a daily basis, ensuring everything runs smoothly and efficiently. Their responsibilities include conducting equipment readings, operating machinery and devices, maintaining records of procedures, and performing adjustments as needed... Show more	$20-39

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Customer Service
   • Work Ethic
   • Hand Tools
   • Water Samples
   • Cleanliness
   • Plumbing
   • Extraction
   • Good Communication
   • CDL
   • Preventive Maintenance
   • Demolition
   • Mold Remediation
   • Sketch
   • Safety Procedures

   Check all skills

   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.
   • Use HEPA vac, antimicrobial, possibly sand, wipe studs and walls, and wear PPE.
   • Have HVAC an carpet cleaning experience.

   More water technician duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your water technician job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A water technician can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, water technicians' average salary in south carolina is 49% less than in idaho.
   • Seniority. Entry-level water technicians 47% less than senior-level water technicians.
   • Certifications. A water technician with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a water technician's salary.

   Average water technician salary

   $38,723yearly

   $18.62 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level water technician salary

   $28,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 15, 2025

   Average water technician salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Washington	$53,287	$26
   2	California	$50,023	$24
   3	Colorado	$41,591	$20
   4	Maryland	$41,154	$20
   5	Massachusetts	$41,037	$20
   6	Oregon	$39,252	$19
   7	Ohio	$39,069	$19
   8	Wisconsin	$38,764	$19
   9	Virginia	$38,696	$19
   10	Florida	$38,030	$18
   11	Arizona	$37,084	$18
   12	Indiana	$36,772	$18
   13	Michigan	$34,321	$17
   14	Alabama	$33,902	$16
   15	Montana	$32,326	$16
   16	Texas	$31,485	$15
   17	Oklahoma	$30,860	$15
   18	Georgia	$30,420	$15
   19	South Carolina	$27,652	$13

   Average water technician salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Vishay	$75,590	$36.34	4
   2	BD	$49,034	$23.57
   3	Joby Aviation	$46,843	$22.52	2
   4	Broadcom	$44,157	$21.23	2
   5	San Antonio Water System	$43,321	$20.83
   6	DSM Services USA Inc	$42,895	$20.62
   7	Idahoan	$42,880	$20.62
   8	Land O'Lakes	$42,148	$20.26
   9	Veolia Water Tech	$42,101	$20.24	44
   10	City of Baltimore	$41,488	$19.95
   11	City of Tampa	$40,955	$19.69
   12	Amneal Pharmaceuticals	$40,853	$19.64
   13	BELFOR Franchise Group	$40,211	$19.33	31
   14	Roto	$40,086	$19.27	111
   15	Leprino Foods	$40,041	$19.25
   16	PharmaAssociatesInc	$40,012	$19.24
   17	MasTec	$39,852	$19.16	37
   18	Ashland MA Police	$39,747	$19.11
   19	Cambria	$39,726	$19.10
   20	Waste Management	$39,470	$18.98	1

4. Writing a water technician job description

   A job description for a water technician role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a water technician job description:

   Water technician job description example

   We are looking for construction laborers to perform property restoration services with a focus on water damage in Exton, PA! This is a general construction laborer position. You will be doing demolition, clean up, specifically revolving around water damage. Could be ripping up wet carpet one day, removing damaged furniture and sucking up water that is on the floor. We will teach you how to use a water moisture meter however if you know how to utilize a smart phone, it is easy to pick up on. We will also use computers to enter basic job/project information. Being on call once every 5 weeks is required for us. Being called upon is not a common occurrence, but can happen especially in the case of upcoming hurricanes.

   Skills:

   Labor, Demolition, hand and power tools, restoration, Construction, Environmental cleanup, Property restoration, Property damage, General labor

   Experience Level:

   Entry Level

   We are hiring additional remediation technicians to fulfill our needs throughout the winter. This is a stable work opportunity offering competitive, weekly pay with the option of benefits!

   To Learn More, Click "Apply"

   Email:

   Call our office:

   About Aerotek:

   We know that a company's success starts with its employees. We also know that an individual's success starts with the right career opportunity. As a Best of Staffing Client and Talent leader, Aerotek's people-focused approach yields competitive advantage for our clients and rewarding careers for our contract employees. Since 1983, Aerotek has grown to become a leader in recruiting and staffing services. With more than 250 non-franchised offices, Aerotek's 8,000 internal employees serve more than 300,000 contract employees and 18,000 clients every year. Aerotek is an Allegis Group company, the global leader in talent solutions. Learn more at

   The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regards to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find water technicians for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any water technicians they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level water technicians with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your water technician job on Zippia to find and recruit water technician candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit water technicians, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new water technician

   Once you have selected a candidate for the water technician position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new water technician. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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