Water & Wastewater Treatment Plant & System Operators

Also Called: Process Operator (Process Op), Wastewater Operator (WW Operator), Water Plant Operator, Water Treatment Plant Operator

High School Diploma/GED

usually needed

Not Available
(Students Only)
Match Percentage

$36,680

Entry Salary

Below Average

Job outlook

What Water & Wastewater Treatment Plant & System Operators do

Operate or control an entire process or system of machines, often through the use of control boards, to transfer or treat water or wastewater.

  • Add chemicals, such as ammonia, chlorine, or lime, to disinfect and deodorize water and other liquids.
  • Collect and test water and sewage samples, using test equipment and color analysis standards.
  • Record operational data, personnel attendance, or meter and gauge readings on specified forms.
Industry Areas:

Automotive & Machine Repair • Construction • Renewable Resources and Energy

Training Program Areas:

Building Construction Technology • Facilities Maintenance • OCT-Only Automotive & Machine Repair • OCT-Only Construction • OCT-Only Renewable Resources & Energy • Petroleum Technician • Smart Meter & Instrumentation Technician • Solar Energy • Stationary Engineering • Wastewater Treatment • Weatherization

Expand For Additional Details

Work Context

  • Face-to-Face Discussions
  • Structured versus Unstructured Work
  • Telephone
  • Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets
  • Exposed to Contaminants

Tools

  • Ultrafiltration equipment
  • Mixers or agitators
  • Chlorine handling equipment
  • Nitrogen or nitrate or nitrite analyzer
  • Packaged water treatment systems

Technology

Industrial control software
Human machine interface HMI software
Supervisory control and data acquisition SCADA software
Presentation software
Microsoft PowerPoint
Data base user interface and query software
Data logging software
Database software

The Education & Training You Need

Skills

  • Operation Monitoring
  • Operation and Control
  • Monitoring
  • Active Listening
  • Quality Control Analysis

Knowledge

Math and Science
chemistry
biology
Engineering and Technology
mechanical
product and service development
Manufactured or Agricultural Goods
manufacture and distribution of products
Safety and Government
public safety and security

Education

  • 42% High school diploma or equivalent
  • 25% Post-secondary certificate
  • 21% Some college, no degree

Experience

Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.

What are some related occupations at different educational levels?


Job Training Match

Water & Wastewater Treatment Plant & System Operators Currently Selected

Educational Level

High School Diploma or Equivalent

 Job Training Match

Ship Engineers

Educational Level

Post-secondary, non-degree

 Job Training Match

First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades & Extraction Workers

Educational Level

Associate's Degree

 Job Training Match

Government Property Inspectors & Investigators

Educational Level

Bachelor's Degree

 Job Training Match

Agricultural Technicians

Educational Level

Advanced Degree

What are your training options on the pathway to this occupation?

Advanced Training

  • Albuquerque - Job Corps

    Albuquerque, New Mexico

  • Arecibo Job Corps

    Garrochales, Puerto Rico

ACT & College

  • Alpena Community College

    Alpena, MI

  • Anna Maria College

    Paxton, MA

Apprenticeships

Earn while you learn. Apprenticeships combines paid training & specialized classes to help workers enter highly skilled occupations. Click here for to locate an apprenticeship near you.

Military

The Military offers exciting career opportunities that align with your interests. Click here to explore military careers and find a recruiter near you.

Are You a Good Fit?

Occupation Traits

    • Conventional (Organizer)
    • Realistic (Doer)

Work Styles

  • Integrity
  • Dependability
  • Attention to Detail
  • Independence
  • Concern for Others
  • Initiative

Values

  • Support
  • Independence
  • Achievement

Abilities

  • Verbal
  • Ideas and Logic

This is what Water & Wastewater Treatment Plant & System Operators across the country typically make.

$17.64 / hour
$36,680 /year

Entry Level

$26.39 / hour
$54,890 /year

Median Level

$39.95 / hour
$83,090 /year

Experienced Level

Income information reflects a regional average.
Income information reflects a national average.

This career’s National Job Outlook is

Below Average

Please be sure to verify the outlook of this occupation with your instructor.

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