Water treatment operator vs waste treatment operator

The differences between water treatment operators and waste treatment operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a water treatment operator and a waste treatment operator. Additionally, a water treatment operator has an average salary of $48,112, which is higher than the $47,317 average annual salary of a waste treatment operator.

The top three skills for a water treatment operator include water treatment plant, SCADA and water samples. The most important skills for a waste treatment operator are OSHA, water samples, and hazardous materials.

Water treatment operator vs waste treatment operator overview

	Water Treatment Operator	Waste Treatment Operator
Yearly salary	$48,112	$47,317
Hourly rate	$23.13	$22.75
Growth rate	-7%	-7%
Number of jobs	32,838	29,892
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 34%	Associate Degree, 31%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	12	12

Water treatment operator vs waste treatment operator salary

Water treatment operators and waste treatment operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Water Treatment Operator	Waste Treatment Operator
Average salary	$48,112	$47,317
Salary range	Between $35,000 And $65,000	Between $34,000 And $64,000
Highest paying City	Los Angeles, CA	-
Highest paying state	Washington	-
Best paying company	Jacobs Engineering Group	-
Best paying industry	Energy	-

Differences between water treatment operator and waste treatment operator education

There are a few differences between a water treatment operator and a waste treatment operator in terms of educational background:

	Water Treatment Operator	Waste Treatment Operator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 34%	Associate Degree, 31%
Most common major	Environmental Control Technologies/Technicians	Environmental Control Technologies/Technicians
Most common college	Duke University	Duke University

Water treatment operator vs waste treatment operator demographics

Here are the differences between water treatment operators' and waste treatment operators' demographics:

	Water Treatment Operator	Waste Treatment Operator
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 91.0% Female, 9.0%	Male, 92.8% Female, 7.2%
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, 7.5% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 12.3% Asian, 1.8% White, 71.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.6%
LGBT Percentage	5%	5%

Differences between water treatment operator and waste treatment operator duties and responsibilities

Water treatment operator example responsibilities.

Manage chemical transfers and plant feed, abiding by OSHA regulations.
Monitor ground water treatment facility through SCADA computer system and data collection and analysis.
Handle blowers, thickeners, SBR's, effluent and influent pumps, and sludge blanket judges.
Maintain, troubleshoot, and repair all instrumentation.
Complete necessary math equations and paperwork for plant records.
Inventory on PPE supplies, solvents, and chemicals.

Waste treatment operator example responsibilities.

Manage and perform preventive maintenance, electrical repairs, millwright work, and MSHA safety functions.
Position require license issue by Illinois EPA.
Perform basic repairs and maintenance using plumbing and mechanical skills.
Perform repairs on all waste treatment and plating machinery, including electrical, mechanical, and plumbing relate breakdowns.
Work directly with production, engineering and maintenance personnel in the electroplating department.
Monitor, maintain and improve the operations of the industrial laboratory associate with the in house electroplating operation.

Water treatment operator vs waste treatment operator skills

Common water treatment operator skills

Water Treatment Plant, 8%
SCADA, 6%
Water Samples, 5%
Plant Equipment, 4%
Process Control, 4%
Water Quality, 4%

Common waste treatment operator skills

OSHA, 9%
Water Samples, 8%
Hazardous Materials, 7%
Test Water, 6%
Plumbing, 6%
Safety Procedures, 5%

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Water Treatment Operator
Water Treatment Operator vs Waste Treatment Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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