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Alamo Colleges DistrictCareer Explorer

Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators

Part of Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources, in the Environmental Service Systems pathway.

Job zone 3: medium preparationO*NET 51-8031.00

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.

On a typical day

  • 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.

What it pays

$51,630
Median pay per year, San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX metro
New workers start near $40,400
Experienced workers reach $71,770
  1. $40k10th
  2. $47k25th
  3. $52kMedian
  4. $65k75th
  5. $72k90th
Wage percentiles: 10th $40,400, 25th $46,560, Median $51,630, 75th $64,870, 90th $71,770

About 600 people do this job in the San Antonio area.

Job outlook

Alamo region (Bexar and 12 surrounding counties), Texas Workforce Commission projection 2024 to 2034. U.S. figures from the BLS for comparison.

-1.3%

employment change in the Alamo region, 797 to 787 jobs · U.S. -7%

70

openings a year in the Alamo region, from growth and people leaving · U.S. 10,700

797

employed in the Alamo region in 2024 · U.S. 132,400

Typical entry education: High school diploma or equivalent · Training: Long-term on-the-job training

Skills 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.

  1. Operations Monitoring3.8
  2. Operation and Control3.3
  3. Monitoring3.8
  4. Quality Control Analysis3.4
  5. Active Listening3.1
  6. Critical Thinking3.3
  7. Equipment Maintenance3.3
  8. Troubleshooting3.3

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.

  1. High school or less42%
  2. Certificate24%
  3. Some college21%
  4. Associate degree13%
  5. Bachelor's degree1%

Job zone 3, medium preparation: Training, an associate degree, or a few years of related experience.

Alamo programs that lead here

No Alamo program is mapped to this career yet. Many careers start from a transfer pre-major or a related program.

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  1. $111kSan Antonio median
  2. $60kSan Antonio median