How to hire a water treatment technician

How to hire a water treatment technician, step by step

Here's a step-by-step water treatment 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 treatment technician job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new water treatment technician
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a water treatment technician do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the water treatment technician you need to hire. Certain water treatment technician roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   A water treatment technician's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, water treatment technicians from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list shows salaries for various types of water treatment technicians.

   Type of Water Treatment Technician	Description	Hourly rate
   Water Treatment 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.	$13-32
   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
   Utility Operator	Utility Operators are skilled employees who work with different machines, fixtures, and equipment. They operate a number of machines related to the maintenance of office facilities... Show more	$13-24

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • PPE
   • Water Samples
   • Waste Water
   • Plumbing
   • Patients
   • Hazardous Waste
   • OSHA
   • Water Quality
   • Preventative Maintenance
   • Water Treatment Plant
   • Cooling Towers
   • EPA
   • Troubleshoot
   • Vital Signs

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Learned the chemistry behind HVAC water treatment.
   • Operate, maintain, and defend a water supply and treatment system under combat, and garrison conditions.
   • Operate heavy wheel combat vehicles in a variety of terrain and environmental conditions.
   • Monitor, maintain and improve the operations of the industrial laboratory associate with the in house electroplating operation.
   • Test raw water determining chemical dosages need of lime, iron, chlorine, ammonia and carbon.
   • Add chemicals such as ammonia, chlorine, or lime to disinfect and deodorize water and other liquids.

   More water treatment technician duties

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, water treatment technicians' average salary in oklahoma is 54% less than in alaska.
   • Seniority. Entry-level water treatment technicians 57% less than senior-level water treatment technicians.
   • Certifications. A water treatment 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 treatment technician's salary.

   Average water treatment technician salary

   $44,399yearly

   $21.35 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level water treatment technician salary

   $29,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 30, 2026

   Average water treatment technician salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Maine	$61,998	$30
   2	California	$51,227	$25
   3	Massachusetts	$49,277	$24
   4	District of Columbia	$45,466	$22
   5	New York	$45,315	$22
   6	Illinois	$44,846	$22
   7	Oregon	$41,719	$20
   8	Wisconsin	$41,153	$20
   9	Arizona	$40,878	$20
   10	Michigan	$39,048	$19
   11	Colorado	$38,985	$19
   12	Minnesota	$38,601	$19
   13	Montana	$37,163	$18
   14	Tennessee	$34,640	$17
   15	Florida	$33,641	$16
   16	Kansas	$33,199	$16
   17	Texas	$31,452	$15
   18	New Mexico	$30,503	$15

   Average water treatment technician salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Vicor	$89,801	$43.17
   2	Lear	$65,840	$31.65	2
   3	Covanta	$65,499	$31.49
   4	Southcoast Health	$60,441	$29.06
   5	Woodard & Curran	$50,766	$24.41	29
   6	Sanmina	$49,462	$23.78	2
   7	WaterOne	$48,954	$23.54
   8	Harsco	$48,632	$23.38
   9	Clean Harbors	$47,241	$22.71	13
   10	Aqua	$46,889	$22.54	8
   11	Cue Health	$46,060	$22.14
   12	Clemens Food Group	$44,525	$21.41
   13	Mayo Clinic	$44,395	$21.34	6
   14	Ahmad, Zavitsanos, Anaipakos, Alavi & Mensing P.c. Or Aza	$43,871	$21.09	4
   15	B. Braun Medical	$43,635	$20.98
   16	Engineering Consulting Services	$43,350	$20.84
   17	GE Appliances	$43,252	$20.79
   18	HKA Enterprises	$42,447	$20.41	9
   19	Growth Works	$42,284	$20.33
   20	Evoqua Water Technologies	$42,245	$20.31

4. Writing a water treatment technician job description

   A job description for a water treatment 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 treatment technician job description:

   Water treatment technician job description example

   • High School Diploma / GED / Home School Certification
   • Ability to travel ~50%
   • Valid Driver's License and acceptable motor vehicle record
   • 3-5 years of work experience in a field using mechanical principles
   • Experience in water treatment or related industry a plus
   • Ability to work a flexible schedule with several days of travel followed by several days off
   • Able to pass a drug and background check per the company requirements
   • Must be able to perform physical work that requires bending, stooping, reaching, twisting, turning, and lifting and moving inventory and products that weigh 50 lbs
   • Able to manage time and priorities independently without supervision
   • Excellent verbal and written communication skills

   
   

   Fresh Water Systems Core Values

   • Integrity: I am honest and authentic in all interactions, speaking only truth and making my best efforts to deliver as promised. Integrity is core value upon which all of the others rest.
   • Initiative : I am a self-starter who diligently acts to fulfill our Vision, Mission, and Strategy by paying close attention to detail and proactively supporting and communicating with my team members without having to be requested
   • Grit: I passionately and courageously persevere through challenges to ensure a team win. I choose excellence over perfection. Excellence is an attitude that prioritizes progress over perfection, while perfection is a destructive illusion.
   • Thirst for Knowledge: I continuously improve myself by learning on my own, sharing ideas with my team, growing through experience, and becoming a subject matter expert.
   • Communication: I am aware of my team's information needs and proactively communicate with my team at times when I need help or support, when my team needs help or support, when I identify opportunities for improvement, and when I see an issue that may impact a customer, partner, or guest.

   
   
   

   Benefits to You

   Benefits for this full-time position include competitive salary, paid time off including paid holidays; medical, dental, vision, and life insurance; HSA contributions; and 401k matching.

   
   

   Let's Connect

   We believe that great work begins with great people. If you value excellence, meaningful connections with others, and leaving things better than they were found, then let's talk.

   freshwatersystems.com/careers

   linkedin.com/company/fresh-water-systems

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find water treatment technicians for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

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

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with water treatment technician candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   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 treatment technician

   Once you've found the water treatment technician candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

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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How much does it cost to hire a water treatment technician?