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Water treatment technician education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a water treatment technician. Water treatment technicians usually study psychology, business, or criminal justice. 44% of water treatment technicians hold a bachelor's degree, and 27% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 1,024 real water treatment technician resumes to see exactly what water treatment technician education sections show.

The most common colleges for water treatment technicians are the University of Southern Mississippi and the University of Southern Mississippi.

There are also many online water treatment technician courses to help get the education required to be a water treatment technician.

There are certain water treatment technician certifications that you should consider. These water treatment technician certifications include OSHA Safety Certificate and First Aid, CPR and AED Instructor.

What education do you need to become a water treatment technician?

What degree do you need to be a water treatment technician?

The most common degree for water treatment technicians is bachelor's degree, with 44% of water treatment technicians earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 27% and associate degree degree at 17%.
  • Bachelor's, 44%
  • Associate, 27%
  • High School Diploma, 17%
  • Master's, 4%
  • Other Degrees, 8%

What should I major in to become a water treatment technician?

You should major in psychology to become a water treatment technician. 21% of water treatment technicians major in psychology. Other common majors for a water treatment technician include business and criminal justice.

Most common colleges for water treatment technicians

Water treatment technicians often get their degrees at University of Southern Mississippi, University of Mississippi, and Southeast Missouri State University. Here are the most common colleges for water treatment technicians in the US based on their resumes.
Water treatment technician common collegePercentages
University of Southern Mississippi20.35%
University of Mississippi11.50%
Southeast Missouri State University9.73%
Delta State University6.19%
Central State University5.31%

Best majors for water treatment technicians

RankMajorPercentages
1Psychology20.7%
2Business12.3%
3Criminal Justice8.1%
4Social Work7.2%
5Biology6.0%

Best colleges for water treatment technicians

The best colleges for water treatment technicians are Duke University, Northwestern University, and Johns Hopkins University.

A water treatment technician with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for water treatment technicians. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become water treatment technicians.

1. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

3. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

4. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

5. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

6. SUNY Stony Brook

Stony Brook, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,625

Enrollment

17,407

7. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

8. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

9. Sacred Heart University

Fairfield, CT • Private

In-state tuition

$41,420

Enrollment

5,907

10. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

20 best online courses for water treatment technicians

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3. Design of Water Treatment Systems for Beginners

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Learn how to fully design a water treatment system for small to medium scale projects...

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Top 10 most affordable universities for water treatment technicians

The most affordable schools for water treatment technicians are California State University - Bakersfield, california state university - long beach, and suny farmingdale.

If the best universities for water treatment technicians are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for water treatment technicians.

1. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

2. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

3. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

4. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

5. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

6. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

7. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

8. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

9. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

10. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for water treatment technicians

The hardest universities for water treatment technicians to get into are Duke University, Northwestern University, and Johns Hopkins University.

Some great schools for water treatment technicians are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for water treatment technicians based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

9%

SAT average

1,516

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

3. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

4. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

5. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

6. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

7. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

8. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

9. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

Admissions rate

23%

SAT average

1,434

10. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for water treatment technicians

The easiest schools for water treatment technicians to get into are D'Youville College, bluefield college, and oklahoma wesleyan university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a water treatment technician without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for water treatment technicians.

1. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

2. Bluefield College

Bluefield, VA • Private

Admissions rate

95%

SAT average

980

3. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

4. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

5. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

6. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

7. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

8. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

9. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

10. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

Average water treatment technician salary by education level

Water treatment technicians with a Bachelor's degree earn more than those without, at $49,249 annually. With a Associate degree, water treatment technicians earn a median annual income of $48,689 compared to $44,080 for water treatment technicians with an High School Diploma degree.
Water treatment technician education levelWater treatment technician salary
High School Diploma or Less$44,080
Bachelor's Degree$49,249
Some College/ Associate Degree$48,689

Water treatment technician education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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