Water treatment technician vs utility plant operative

The differences between water treatment technicians and utility plant operatives 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 technician and a utility plant operative. Additionally, a water treatment technician has an average salary of $44,399, which is higher than the $42,253 average annual salary of a utility plant operative.

The top three skills for a water treatment technician include PPE, water samples and waste water. The most important skills for a utility plant operative are plant equipment, auxiliary equipment, and HVAC.

Water treatment technician vs utility plant operative overview

	Water Treatment Technician	Utility Plant Operative
Yearly salary	$44,399	$42,253
Hourly rate	$21.35	$20.31
Growth rate	-7%	-7%
Number of jobs	16,677	19,159
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 44%	Associate Degree, 41%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	12	12

What does a water treatment technician do?

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.

What does a utility plant operative do?

A utility plant operator monitors, operates, repairs, and maintains utility equipment and systems. Utility plant operators work on the operation, maintenance, and repair of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems. They operate and maintain a drainage and sewerage system as well as a neutralized acid waste system. The skills and knowledge they need include electronic control systems, underground cables, and the electrical generating system characteristics. Also, they are expected to know the basics of electrical practice.

Water treatment technician vs utility plant operative salary

Water treatment technicians and utility plant operatives have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Water Treatment Technician	Utility Plant Operative
Average salary	$44,399	$42,253
Salary range	Between $29,000 And $67,000	Between $29,000 And $59,000
Highest paying City	Portland, ME	Highland, CA
Highest paying state	Alaska	Washington
Best paying company	Vicor	Yale University
Best paying industry	Manufacturing	Energy

Differences between water treatment technician and utility plant operative education

There are a few differences between a water treatment technician and a utility plant operative in terms of educational background:

	Water Treatment Technician	Utility Plant Operative
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 44%	Associate Degree, 41%
Most common major	Psychology	Business
Most common college	Duke University	Duke University

Water treatment technician vs utility plant operative demographics

Here are the differences between water treatment technicians' and utility plant operatives' demographics:

	Water Treatment Technician	Utility Plant Operative
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 64.1% Female, 35.9%	Male, 95.5% Female, 4.5%
Race ratio	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%	Black or African American, 8.0% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 12.9% Asian, 1.8% White, 70.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.3%
LGBT Percentage	5%	5%

Differences between water treatment technician and utility plant operative duties and responsibilities

Water treatment technician example 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.

Utility plant operative example responsibilities.

Maintain buildings HVAC / lighting automation systems and make adjustments as needed for tenant's comfort and to manage energy consumption.
Conduct work in an FDA regulate environment.
Enforce and comply with operational guidelines, OSHA and EPA regulations.
Maintain compliance with state regulators, cGMP, FDA and insurance company.
Last year of employment work include 20 hour each week doing plumbing work exclusively.
Perform some plumbing repairs, minor electrical work, some carpentry, plus general maintenance at plant and offices.

Water treatment technician vs utility plant operative skills

Common water treatment technician skills

PPE, 13%
Water Samples, 7%
Waste Water, 7%
Plumbing, 7%
Patients, 5%
Hazardous Waste, 5%

Common utility plant operative skills

Plant Equipment, 9%
Auxiliary Equipment, 7%
HVAC, 7%
Plant Operations, 6%
Control Systems, 5%
Cooling Towers, 5%

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Water Treatment Technician vs Utility Plant Operative

Updated January 8, 2025

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