Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators
Operate or control an entire process or system of machines, often through the use of control boards, to transfer or treat water or wastewater.
- O*NET-SOC code
51-8031.00 - Preparation Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
Wages
Median annual wage, U.S.$60,020
Employment, U.S.128,490
Median hourly wage$28.86
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $39,110 | $48,040 | $60,020 | $74,780 | $91,060 |
By state (50)
| State | Employment | Median annual | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 2,770 | $51,870 | 1.59 |
| Alaska | 750 | $60,160 | 2.79 |
| Arizona | 3,950 | $61,340 | 1.48 |
| Arkansas | 2,010 | $44,320 | 1.87 |
| California | 11,630 | $81,770 | 0.77 |
| Colorado | 2,620 | $74,200 | 1.10 |
| Connecticut | 980 | $78,820 | 0.70 |
| Delaware | 340 | $64,940 | 0.85 |
| Florida | 7,440 | $59,030 | 0.91 |
| Georgia | 3,310 | $48,930 | 0.82 |
| Hawaii | 610 | $65,560 | 1.17 |
| Idaho | 1,480 | $52,210 | 2.08 |
| Illinois | 3,500 | $67,810 | 0.69 |
| Indiana | 3,140 | $53,540 | 1.19 |
| Iowa | 2,370 | $60,990 | 1.84 |
| Kansas | 1,560 | $46,780 | 1.31 |
| Kentucky | 2,540 | $45,430 | 1.54 |
| Louisiana | 2,450 | $46,210 | 1.53 |
| Maine | 710 | $61,870 | 1.34 |
| Maryland | 1,770 | $61,870 | 0.77 |
| Massachusetts | 2,510 | $68,550 | 0.84 |
| Michigan | 3,400 | $59,270 | 0.93 |
| Minnesota | 2,290 | $74,670 | 0.94 |
| Mississippi | 1,150 | $46,480 | 1.20 |
| Missouri | 3,000 | $49,940 | 1.24 |
| Montana | 690 | $58,040 | 1.64 |
| Nebraska | 740 | $61,220 | 0.88 |
| Nevada | $81,440 | ||
| New Hampshire | 510 | $62,940 | 0.89 |
| New Jersey | 2,500 | $78,760 | 0.71 |
| New Mexico | 2,110 | $48,190 | 2.93 |
| New York | 5,300 | $63,990 | 0.66 |
| North Carolina | 3,620 | $51,680 | 0.89 |
| North Dakota | 550 | $60,470 | 1.56 |
| Ohio | 5,870 | $59,170 | 1.28 |
| Oklahoma | 2,280 | $45,890 | 1.62 |
| Oregon | 1,240 | $69,720 | 0.77 |
| Pennsylvania | 4,660 | $63,310 | 0.93 |
| Rhode Island | 420 | $61,820 | 1.01 |
| South Carolina | 2,650 | $52,090 | 1.39 |
| South Dakota | 1,060 | $53,370 | 2.82 |
| Tennessee | 3,140 | $50,670 | 1.16 |
| Texas | 10,520 | $49,460 | 0.91 |
| Utah | 1,900 | $61,290 | 1.33 |
| Vermont | 320 | $63,640 | 1.28 |
| Virginia | 3,460 | $59,420 | 1.02 |
| Washington | 2,030 | $80,800 | 0.69 |
| West Virginia | 1,100 | $47,560 | 1.90 |
| Wisconsin | 2,230 | $63,550 | 0.92 |
| Wyoming | 500 | $63,260 | 2.17 |
Similar occupations
Similarity is our measure: the cosine of importance x level over all 120 O*NET skills, knowledge areas and abilities. It is not an O*NET finding. More.
Circles are the 20 most similar occupations, coloured by Job Zone. Lines join pairs where one is among the other's 10 most similar; darker lines are pairs O*NET also lists as related. Drag a circle to move it out of the way; select one to open it.
| # | Occupation | Job Zone | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gas Plant Operators | 1-2 | 0.967 |
| 2 | Hydroelectric Plant Technicians | 3 | 0.965 |
| 3 | Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door | 3 | 0.960 |
| 4 | Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators | 3 | 0.958 |
| 5 | Geothermal Technicians | 1-2 | 0.957 |
| 6 | Nuclear Technicians | 3 | 0.955 |
| 7 | Non-Destructive Testing Specialists | 1-2 | 0.955 |
| 8 | Biomass Plant Technicians | 1-2 | 0.954 |
| 9 | Forest and Conservation Technicians | 3 | 0.950 |
| 10 | Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers | 1-2 | 0.949 |
One skill away
Among the 50 occupations most similar to Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators, those at the same Job Zone or lower, where exactly one skill rated at least 3 in importance needs a level more than 0.75 points higher (on O*NET's 0-7 level scale). Our definition. Change the thresholds.
| Occupation | Skill to build | Level gap | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Geothermal Technicians | Installation | 3.12 | 0.957 |
| Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters | Management of Personnel Resources | 1.25 | 0.942 |
| Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | Quality Control Analysis | 0.76 | 0.939 |
| Locksmiths and Safe Repairers | Installation | 2.50 | 0.933 |
Software to learn next
Software used by at least 3 of the 20 occupations most similar to Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators, excluding software Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators already lists and any you named. Ranked by how many of them use it, weighted by how much more common it is among them than across all occupations (lift). Our ranking.
| Software | Similar jobs using it | Lift |
|---|---|---|
| Computerized maintenance management system CMMS | 7 of 20 | 10.8x |
| Distributed control system DCS | 3 of 20 | 13.8x |
| Programmable logic controller PLC software | 3 of 20 | 6.6x |
| SAP software | 10 of 20 | 1.6x |
| National Instruments LabVIEW | 3 of 20 | 2.2x |
| Autodesk AutoCAD | 4 of 20 | 1.1x |
| Microsoft Windows | 4 of 20 | 0.8x |
| Microsoft Project | 3 of 20 | 0.7x |
| Microsoft Access | 6 of 20 | 0.7x |
| Email software | 3 of 20 | 0.5x |
Skills
From O*NET data. Importance is rated 1 to 5 and level 0 to 7.
| Skill | Type | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operation and Control | Transferable skill | 4.00 | 3.38 |
| Operations Monitoring | Transferable skill | 3.88 | 4.12 |
| Monitoring | Essential skill | 3.62 | 3.62 |
| Equipment Maintenance | Transferable skill | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Quality Control Analysis | Transferable skill | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Active Listening | Essential skill | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Repairing | Transferable skill | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Speaking | Essential skill | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Troubleshooting | Transferable skill | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Complex Problem Solving | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Coordination | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Critical Thinking | Essential skill | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Reading Comprehension | Essential skill | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Time Management | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Systems Evaluation | Transferable skill | 2.88 | 3.00 |
| Mathematics | Essential skill | 2.88 | 2.88 |
| Systems Analysis | Transferable skill | 2.88 | 2.88 |
| Active Learning | Essential skill | 2.75 | 2.88 |
| Instructing | Transferable skill | 2.75 | 2.88 |
| Writing | Essential skill | 2.75 | 2.88 |
| Learning Strategies | Essential skill | 2.75 | 2.75 |
| Social Perceptiveness | Transferable skill | 2.75 | 2.75 |
| Equipment Selection | Transferable skill | 2.62 | 2.62 |
| Science | Essential skill | 2.62 | 2.00 |
| Service Orientation | Transferable skill | 2.50 | 2.12 |
| Management of Personnel Resources | Transferable skill | 2.00 | 2.00 |
| Persuasion | Transferable skill | 2.00 | 2.00 |
| Negotiation | Transferable skill | 2.00 | 1.88 |
| Management of Material Resources | Transferable skill | 2.00 | 1.00 |
| Management of Financial Resources | Transferable skill | 1.62 | 0.62 |
| Operations Analysis | Transferable skill | 1.62 | 0.62 |
| Programming | Transferable skill | 1.62 | 0.62 |
| Technology Design | Transferable skill | 1.50 | 0.50 |
| Installation | Transferable skill | 1.12 | not rated |
Knowledge (33) and abilities (52)
| Name | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Public Safety and Security | 4.17 | 4.33 |
| Mechanical | 3.58 | 4.67 |
| English Language | 3.50 | 3.75 |
| Chemistry | 3.43 | 4.38 |
| Mathematics | 3.42 | 4.29 |
| Education and Training | 3.42 | 4.17 |
| Administration and Management | 3.42 | 3.92 |
| Customer and Personal Service | 3.33 | 4.21 |
| Computers and Electronics | 3.21 | 3.96 |
| Law and Government | 3.21 | 3.50 |
| Engineering and Technology | 3.17 | 3.79 |
| Biology | 3.08 | 3.88 |
| Administrative | 3.04 | 3.75 |
| Production and Processing | 3.00 | 3.50 |
| Physics | 2.79 | 3.54 |
| Telecommunications | 2.67 | 2.79 |
| Personnel and Human Resources | 2.62 | 2.83 |
| Design | 2.58 | 3.12 |
| Building and Construction | 2.50 | 2.92 |
| Communications and Media | 2.50 | 2.58 |
| Economics and Accounting | 2.46 | 2.33 |
| Transportation | 2.29 | 2.50 |
| Geography | 2.04 | 2.12 |
| Sales and Marketing | 1.71 | 1.83 |
| Psychology | 1.58 | 1.38 |
| Food Production | 1.58 | 1.29 |
| Medicine and Dentistry | 1.46 | 0.83 |
| Foreign Language | 1.43 | 0.83 |
| Sociology and Anthropology | 1.42 | 0.75 |
| Therapy and Counseling | 1.39 | 0.91 |
| History and Archeology | 1.38 | 0.78 |
| Philosophy and Theology | 1.25 | not rated |
| Fine Arts | 1.00 | not rated |
| Name | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Oral Comprehension | 3.75 | 3.88 |
| Oral Expression | 3.75 | 3.75 |
| Near Vision | 3.62 | 3.62 |
| Written Comprehension | 3.50 | 3.50 |
| Deductive Reasoning | 3.50 | 3.00 |
| Problem Sensitivity | 3.12 | 3.75 |
| Control Precision | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Inductive Reasoning | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Information Ordering | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Selective Attention | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Arm-Hand Steadiness | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Far Vision | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Flexibility of Closure | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Manual Dexterity | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Perceptual Speed | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Speech Clarity | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Speech Recognition | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Written Expression | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Trunk Strength | 3.00 | 2.88 |
| Visual Color Discrimination | 2.88 | 3.12 |
| Category Flexibility | 2.88 | 3.00 |
| Reaction Time | 2.88 | 3.00 |
| Visualization | 2.88 | 3.00 |
| Finger Dexterity | 2.88 | 2.88 |
| Auditory Attention | 2.88 | 2.50 |
| Multilimb Coordination | 2.75 | 3.00 |
| Extent Flexibility | 2.75 | 2.88 |
| Number Facility | 2.75 | 2.88 |
| Response Orientation | 2.75 | 2.88 |
| Time Sharing | 2.75 | 2.75 |
| Fluency of Ideas | 2.62 | 2.88 |
| Mathematical Reasoning | 2.62 | 2.75 |
| Rate Control | 2.62 | 2.12 |
| Depth Perception | 2.50 | 2.88 |
| Hearing Sensitivity | 2.25 | 2.12 |
| Speed of Closure | 2.12 | 2.12 |
| Gross Body Coordination | 2.12 | 2.00 |
| Spatial Orientation | 2.12 | 2.00 |
| Originality | 2.00 | 2.38 |
| Static Strength | 2.00 | 2.12 |
| Dynamic Strength | 2.00 | 2.00 |
| Gross Body Equilibrium | 2.00 | 2.00 |
| Memorization | 2.00 | 2.00 |
| Wrist-Finger Speed | 2.00 | 2.00 |
| Stamina | 2.00 | 1.88 |
| Glare Sensitivity | 2.00 | 1.50 |
| Peripheral Vision | 2.00 | 1.25 |
| Sound Localization | 2.00 | 1.12 |
| Night Vision | 1.75 | 0.88 |
| Speed of Limb Movement | 1.62 | 1.00 |
| Explosive Strength | 1.62 | 0.75 |
| Dynamic Flexibility | 1.00 | not rated |
Software used
Examples from O*NET data. "Hot" and "in demand" are O*NET flags for technologies often listed in job postings.
- Microsoft Excel in demand
- Microsoft Office software in demand
- Microsoft Outlook in demand
- Microsoft PowerPoint hot
- Microsoft Word hot
- Data logging software
- Database software
- Geographic information system GIS systems
- Human machine interface HMI software
- Material safety data sheet MSDS software
- Operational Data Store ODS software
- Records management software
- Supervisory control and data acquisition SCADA software
- Timekeeping software
- Wastewater expert control systems
Where it concentrates
Metro areas ranked by BLS location quotient: the occupation's share of the area's jobs divided by its share of all US jobs. Above 1 means more concentrated than the nation. Metros employing fewer than 100 are left out.
| Metro area | Employment | Location quotient | Median annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Farmington, NM | 200 | 5.07 | $48,080 |
| Santa Fe, NM | 240 | 4.65 | $69,870 |
| Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ | 200 | 4.24 | $52,570 |
| Weirton-Steubenville, WV-OH | 110 | 3.80 | $48,830 |
| Rapid City, SD | 190 | 3.18 | $57,780 |
| Punta Gorda, FL | 150 | 3.10 | $53,600 |
| Las Cruces, NM | 200 | 3.08 | $47,350 |
| Yuma, AZ | 170 | 2.98 | $49,090 |
| Wheeling, WV-OH | 140 | 2.97 | $47,330 |
| Beckley, WV | 110 | 2.96 | $48,340 |