Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators
Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources · Environmental Service Systems
Pay and outlook shown for
New workers start near $40,400; experienced workers reach $71,770. About 600 people do this job in San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX.
Job outlook
Alamo region (San Antonio and 12 surrounding counties), Texas Workforce Commission projection 2024 to 2034; U.S. figures from the BLS.
- Employment change
- -1.3%
- Openings a year
- 70
- Employed in 2024
- 797
Typical entry education: High school diploma or equivalent · Training: Long-term on-the-job training
Alamo Colleges programs that lead here
No program is mapped to this career yet. Many careers start from a transfer pre-major or a related program.
Browse all programsSkills this career uses
The skills O*NET rates most important for the job, with how much of each the work needs on a 1 to 7 scale.
- Operations Monitoring3.8
- Operation and Control3.3
- Monitoring3.8
- Quality Control Analysis3.4
- Active Listening3.1
- Critical Thinking3.3
- Equipment Maintenance3.3
- Troubleshooting3.3
What the work is
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.
- Operate and adjust controls on equipment to purify and clarify water, process or dispose of sewage, and generate power.
- Inspect equipment or monitor operating conditions, meters, and gauges to determine load requirements and detect malfunctions.
- 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.
- Maintain, repair, and lubricate equipment, using hand tools and power tools.
Education people in this job have
Share of workers by highest education, from O*NET surveys. It shows what others did, not what you must do.
- High school or less42%
- Certificate24%
- Some college21%
- Associate degree13%
- Bachelor's degree1%
Job zone 3, medium preparation: Training, an associate degree, or a few years of related experience.
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