Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators
US occupation · SOC 51-8031
Job titles people report: Plant Operator, Process Operator (Process Op), Relief Operator, Waste Water Treatment Plant Operator (WWTP Operator), Wastewater Operator (WW Operator), Wastewater Technician (Wastewater Tech), Water Control Dispatcher, Water Plant Operator, Water Treatment Operator, Water Treatment Plant Operator
Pay and outlook
- Median annual wage, May 2025
- $60,020
- Half earn more, half earn less
- Middle half earn
- $48,040 – $74,780
- 25th to 75th percentile
- People employed, May 2025
- 128,490
- Wage and salary jobs (OEWS)
- Projected change, 2025–35
- -5.7%
- Shrinking (below 0%)
- Openings a year (projected)
- 10,000
- New jobs plus replacing people who leave
- Typical education to enter
- High school diploma or equivalent
- BLS
- All figures are for the United States as a whole. Pay varies a lot by state and city.
- Wages are for everyone working in the occupation in May 2025, at every career stage. They are not starting salaries or figures for new graduates.
- Growth and openings are BLS projections for 2025–35. They are estimates, not promises. Openings include jobs that open up when people retire or change occupation, not just new jobs.
What the work involves
Operate or control an entire process or system of machines, often through the use of control boards, to transfer or treat water or wastewater.
Main tasks
- Collect and test water and sewage samples, using test equipment and color analysis standards.
- Operate and adjust controls on equipment to purify and clarify water, process or dispose of sewage, and generate power.
- Record operational data, personnel attendance, or meter and gauge readings on specified forms.
- Add chemicals, such as ammonia, chlorine, or lime, to disinfect and deodorize water and other liquids.
- Inspect equipment or monitor operating conditions, meters, and gauges to determine load requirements and detect malfunctions.
- Direct and coordinate plant workers engaged in routine operations and maintenance activities.
- Clean and maintain tanks, filter beds, and other work areas, using hand tools and power tools.
- Maintain, repair, and lubricate equipment, using hand tools and power tools.
Description and tasks from the O*NET® 31.0 Database.
Getting in
- Typical education to enter (BLS)
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Training once hired: long-term on-the-job training
- O*NET Job Zone 1–2
- Little to some preparation
- Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Interests it suits
The strongest of the six O*NET interest types for this occupation, highest first. The short glosses are ours.
- Realistic: hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals
- Conventional: organising information, records and procedures
- Investigative: research, analysis and solving problems with ideas
Fields of study that lead here
From the federal CIP–SOC crosswalk, which links 1 programme to this occupation. A link means the programme prepares people for this kind of work. It doesn't mean the programme is required, or that it's the only route.
Fields
Our college matcher doesn't offer this field as a major, so we can't suggest colleges for it here.
Engineering/Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians
- Water Quality and Wastewater Treatment Management and Recycling Technology/Technician
Related careers
Related occupations from the O*NET database, in its order.
- Chemical Plant and System Operators
$78,120 median · -5.2% projected
- Power Plant Operators
$102,040 median · -5.1% projected
- Gas Plant Operators
$87,820 median · -6% projected
- Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
$51,610 median · -5.7% projected
- Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders
$58,040 median · +3.6% projected
- Septic Tank Servicers and Sewer Pipe Cleaners
$49,880 median · +7.8% projected
Sources
This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 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. CollegeMatcher has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. O*NET 31.0 Database · CC BY 4.0
Changes: we show the core tasks in the O*NET database with the highest importance ratings (up to eight, in that order), the top three O*NET interest types by score, and shortened Job Zone names. Titles, descriptions and task text are unchanged.
Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Projections, typical entry education and training: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–35. Fields of study: NCES and BLS CIP 2020–SOC 2018 Crosswalk. All public domain. OEWS · Employment Projections · CIP–SOC crosswalk