Career
Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators
Keep drinking water clean and wastewater treated.
$60,020
Median pay
-5.7%
Job growth, 2025–35
10,000
Openings a year
High school diploma or equivalent
Typical education
None required
Typical time after high school
Here's what you actually need to know.
The work
What people in this job do
- 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.
The outlook
How the forecast changed this year
The deeper question
What kind of person does this path ask you to become?
What this work centers on
O*NET interest profile, scored 1–7.
The work
Do you want most of your days spent on objects & tools, then information & systems?
Responsibility
Are you willing to be the one responsible for this?
“Collect and test water and sewage samples, using test equipment and color analysis standards.”
Development
What would you need to build over the next 5–10 years?
Operation and Control, Operations Monitoring, Monitoring, Troubleshooting.
Trade-offs
What does it ask of you in exchange?
No degree beyond high school, though long-term on-the-job training is typical, for a median of $60,020 a year and 10,000 openings nationally each year.
Paths in
Degrees that lead here
- Water Quality and Wastewater Treatment Management and Recycling Technology/TechnicianCIP 15.0506
Paths across
Careers that use similar skills
- Chemical Plant and System Operators$78,120 · -5.2%
- Biomass Plant Technicians
- Power Plant Operators$102,040 · -5.1%
- Hydroelectric Plant Technicians
- Gas Plant Operators$87,820 · -6.0%
Ask anything about this career.
“Would this make sense if I don't want to sit at a desk all day?” Answers will come from the sources on this page, with citations. Coming soon.
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Sources
- BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- BLS Employment Projections, 2024–34 (archived), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- O*NET 31.0 Database (August 2026), National Center for O*NET Development / U.S. Department of Labor. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk, NCES and BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-01.