Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators

Median salary

$60,020

Average salary

$62,540

Employment

128,490

Projected growth

6.5% decline

Annual openings

10,700

Typical entry education

High school diploma or equivalent

What Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and 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.

See full salary breakdown & percentiles →

Career Outlook

National employment outlook, 2024–2034.

Related work experience: None
On-the-job training: Long-term on-the-job training
Self-employed: 1.1%

Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.

How Much Preparation Does This Take?

Job Zone 2 of 5

Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed

Experience: Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience.
Education: Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Job training: Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.

Source: O*NET Job Zones.

Key Knowledge Areas

Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.

Public Safety and Securityimportance 4.2/5
Mechanicalimportance 3.6/5
English Languageimportance 3.5/5
Chemistryimportance 3.4/5
Administration and Managementimportance 3.4/5
Mathematicsimportance 3.4/5
Education and Trainingimportance 3.4/5
Customer and Personal Serviceimportance 3.3/5

Work Environment

What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.

E-Mail4.8/5
Telephone Conversations4.8/5
Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.8/5
Outdoors, Exposed to All Weather Conditions4.7/5
In an Enclosed Vehicle or Operate Enclosed Equipment4.6/5
Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets4.5/5

Careers With Similar Skills

Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.

Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders97% skill match
Nuclear Technicians96% skill match
Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders96% skill match
Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders96% skill match
Gas Plant Operators96% skill match
Power Plant Operators96% skill match
Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and Tenders96% skill match
Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders96% skill match

Transferable Skills

Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.

Operation and Controlimportance 4.0/5
Operations Monitoringimportance 3.9/5
Equipment Maintenanceimportance 3.1/5
Troubleshootingimportance 3.1/5
Repairingimportance 3.1/5
Quality Control Analysisimportance 3.1/5
Coordinationimportance 3.0/5
Complex Problem Solvingimportance 3.0/5

Software & Technologies

Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.

Hot Technologies

Other Software Used

Work Style

Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.

Attention to Detail
Cautiousness
Dependability
Integrity
Stress Tolerance
Cooperation
Perseverance

Career Interests

This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.

RealisticHigh
ConventionalMedium
InvestigativeLow
EnterprisingLow
SocialLow
ArtisticLow

This page includes information from the O*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.

Where This Career Is Most Concentrated

Metro areas where water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).