Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between water treatment operators and operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become a water treatment operator, becoming an operator takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a water treatment operator has an average salary of $48,112, which is higher than the $37,928 average annual salary of an operator.
The top three skills for a water treatment operator include water treatment plant, SCADA and water samples. The most important skills for an operator are safety procedures, CDL, and emergency calls.
| Water Treatment Operator | Operator | |
| Yearly salary | $48,112 | $37,928 |
| Hourly rate | $23.13 | $18.23 |
| Growth rate | -7% | 7% |
| Number of jobs | 32,838 | 159,077 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 34% | High School Diploma, 40% |
| Average age | 47 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 4 |
A water treatment operator oversees the daily operations at water treatment plants, ensuring everything runs smoothly and efficiently. Among their responsibilities include operating machines and equipment, collecting and testing water samples, maintaining records of meter and gauge readings, and adding chemicals according to protocols. They must also keep the cleanliness of facilities, monitor the meters and gauges, and perform equipment adjustments when necessary. Moreover, a water treatment operator must adhere to safety policies and government regulations and conduct inspections to ensure compliance in other areas.
Operators are skilled workers who are in charge of working on an industrial machine or a specific aspect of the manufacturing business. They are trained to operate machines, learning how to use them. They are also responsible for the maintenance and repair of the machine, and they should be able to troubleshoot problems and provide remedies to them. They must be knowledgeable about the different parts of the machine and how to mitigate any challenges that may arise. Operators should be alert, detail-oriented, and familiar with safety and health guidelines.
Water treatment operators and operators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Water Treatment Operator | Operator | |
| Average salary | $48,112 | $37,928 |
| Salary range | Between $35,000 And $65,000 | Between $27,000 And $53,000 |
| Highest paying City | Los Angeles, CA | San Jose, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | North Dakota |
| Best paying company | Jacobs Engineering Group | Microsoft |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Technology |
There are a few differences between a water treatment operator and an operator in terms of educational background:
| Water Treatment Operator | Operator | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 34% | High School Diploma, 40% |
| Most common major | Environmental Control Technologies/Technicians | Business |
| Most common college | Duke University | - |
Here are the differences between water treatment operators' and operators' demographics:
| Water Treatment Operator | Operator | |
| Average age | 47 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 91.0% Female, 9.0% | Male, 73.0% Female, 27.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.8% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 12.7% Asian, 1.8% White, 70.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.6% | Black or African American, 16.2% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 18.6% Asian, 2.5% White, 57.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 4% |