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The differences between water treatment operators and water treatment technicians 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 water treatment technician. Additionally, a water treatment operator has an average salary of $48,112, which is higher than the $44,399 average annual salary of a water treatment technician.
The top three skills for a water treatment operator include water treatment plant, SCADA and water samples. The most important skills for a water treatment technician are PPE, water samples, and waste water.
| Water Treatment Operator | Water Treatment Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $48,112 | $44,399 |
| Hourly rate | $23.13 | $21.35 |
| Growth rate | -7% | -7% |
| Number of jobs | 32,838 | 16,677 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 34% | Bachelor's Degree, 44% |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
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.
Water treatment technicians work every day in observing agricultural plant functions, which includes obtaining the daily requirements and making suitable adjustments to satisfy those demands. They carefully implement process sampling to exactly gauge and keep track of levels. Also, they perform strictly with adjoining farming operations to form sure land implementation of treated wastewater is manageable. Additionally, they work with the operating management within the establishment and assist with the maintenance of environmental compliance procedures. Other duties include assisting them in transcribing and implementing technical regulatory obligations.
Water treatment operators and water treatment technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Water Treatment Operator | Water Treatment Technician | |
| Average salary | $48,112 | $44,399 |
| Salary range | Between $35,000 And $65,000 | Between $29,000 And $67,000 |
| Highest paying City | Los Angeles, CA | Portland, ME |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Jacobs Engineering Group | Vicor |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a water treatment operator and a water treatment technician in terms of educational background:
| Water Treatment Operator | Water Treatment Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 34% | Bachelor's Degree, 44% |
| Most common major | Environmental Control Technologies/Technicians | Psychology |
| Most common college | Duke University | Duke University |
Here are the differences between water treatment operators' and water treatment technicians' demographics:
| Water Treatment Operator | Water Treatment Technician | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 91.0% Female, 9.0% | Male, 64.1% Female, 35.9% |
| 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, 7.9% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 12.9% Asian, 1.8% White, 70.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |