Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators
Also called: Wastewater Operator (WW Operator), Water Plant Operator, Water Treatment Operator, Water Treatment Plant OperatorOperate or control an entire process or system of machines, often through the use of control boards, to transfer or treat water or wastewater.
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What the data says: AI could halve the time on 2 of its 8 tasks, and jobs are projected to shrink 5.7% by 2035. How to think about this →
About this projection
BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”
It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”
On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”
Recent conditions
- In 2024, 1.3% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 4.3 hires for every 10 job openings in government, which employs about 76% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS
One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.4.3 this industry7.3 all industries
Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
Tap a state for its figures.
Median pay in every state
| State | Median | Middle half earn | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $51,870 | $41,250 to $65,360 | 2,770 |
| Alaska | $60,160 | $46,800 to $83,700 | 750 |
| Arizona | $61,340 | $50,130 to $67,200 | 3,950 |
| Arkansas | $44,320 | $37,150 to $52,620 | 2,010 |
| California | $81,770 | $65,250 to $103,550 | 11,630 |
| Colorado | $74,200 | $60,080 to $83,620 | 2,620 |
| Connecticut | $78,820 | $64,670 to $93,340 | 980 |
| Delaware | $64,940 | $54,960 to $76,240 | 340 |
| Florida | $59,030 | $47,580 to $72,830 | 7,440 |
| Georgia | $48,930 | $42,300 to $59,870 | 3,310 |
| Hawaii | $65,560 | $55,470 to $78,320 | 610 |
| Idaho | $52,210 | $45,940 to $61,600 | 1,480 |
| Illinois | $67,810 | $55,260 to $83,140 | 3,500 |
| Indiana | $53,540 | $47,570 to $62,120 | 3,140 |
| Iowa | $60,990 | $50,300 to $67,390 | 2,370 |
| Kansas | $46,780 | $40,830 to $56,240 | 1,560 |
| Kentucky | $45,430 | $36,050 to $57,510 | 2,540 |
| Louisiana | $46,210 | $37,120 to $55,910 | 2,450 |
| Maine | $61,870 | $57,920 to $72,480 | 710 |
| Maryland | $61,870 | $49,820 to $76,850 | 1,770 |
| Massachusetts | $68,550 | $60,120 to $79,050 | 2,510 |
| Michigan | $59,270 | $49,790 to $64,540 | 3,400 |
| Minnesota | $74,670 | $62,850 to $79,590 | 2,290 |
| Mississippi | $46,480 | $37,770 to $59,850 | 1,150 |
| Missouri | $49,940 | $45,460 to $58,400 | 3,000 |
| Montana | $58,040 | $49,960 to $68,580 | 690 |
| Nebraska | $61,220 | $50,670 to $67,940 | 740 |
| Nevada | $81,440 | $64,090 to $98,390 | not published |
| New Hampshire | $62,940 | $54,630 to $72,610 | 510 |
| New Jersey | $78,760 | $62,280 to $93,520 | 2,500 |
| New Mexico | $48,190 | $38,270 to $62,190 | 2,110 |
| New York | $63,990 | $53,700 to $79,670 | 5,300 |
| North Carolina | $51,680 | $45,850 to $61,740 | 3,620 |
| North Dakota | $60,470 | $51,130 to $72,940 | 550 |
| Ohio | $59,170 | $48,980 to $65,670 | 5,870 |
| Oklahoma | $45,890 | $38,130 to $52,000 | 2,280 |
| Oregon | $69,720 | $60,670 to $80,540 | 1,240 |
| Pennsylvania | $63,310 | $54,540 to $74,300 | 4,660 |
| Puerto Rico | $29,220 | $22,150 to $33,100 | 1,030 |
| Rhode Island | $61,820 | $53,020 to $75,720 | 420 |
| South Carolina | $52,090 | $45,810 to $63,370 | 2,650 |
| South Dakota | $53,370 | $48,100 to $62,230 | 1,060 |
| Tennessee | $50,670 | $43,250 to $61,910 | 3,140 |
| Texas | $49,460 | $41,740 to $60,810 | 10,520 |
| Utah | $61,290 | $49,730 to $73,090 | 1,900 |
| Vermont | $63,640 | $57,240 to $76,580 | 320 |
| Virgin Islands | $48,030 | $45,130 to $72,840 | 30 |
| Virginia | $59,420 | $47,980 to $73,600 | 3,460 |
| Washington | $80,800 | $67,690 to $99,940 | 2,030 |
| West Virginia | $47,560 | $41,110 to $57,970 | 1,100 |
| Wisconsin | $63,550 | $54,860 to $72,610 | 2,230 |
| Wyoming | $63,260 | $52,320 to $83,820 | 500 |
Nationally: $60,020. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this
How AI touches the work
What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.
AI could halve the time on 2 of its 8 tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Not much | Collect and test water and sewage samples, using test equipment and color analysis standards. | Not published |
| Not much | Operate and adjust controls on equipment to purify and clarify water, process or dispose of sewage, and generate power. | Not published |
| AI + software | Record operational data, personnel attendance, or meter and gauge readings on specified forms. | Not published |
| Not much | Add chemicals, such as ammonia, chlorine, or lime, to disinfect and deodorize water and other liquids. | Not published |
| Not much | Inspect equipment or monitor operating conditions, meters, and gauges to determine load requirements and detect malfunctions. | Not published |
| AI + software | Direct and coordinate plant workers engaged in routine operations and maintenance activities. | Not published |
See all 8 tasks
| Not much | Clean and maintain tanks, filter beds, and other work areas, using hand tools and power tools. | Not published |
| Not much | Maintain, repair, and lubricate equipment, using hand tools and power tools. | Not published |
Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. 0 of the 8 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.
Where people already use AI
The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 8 tasks fall under 9 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.
| Work activity | This occupation's tasks under it | People asked AI for help in 10,000 conversations |
AI did it for them in 10,000 conversations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maintain tools or equipment | |||
| Operate industrial processing or production equipment | |||
| Test characteristics of materials or products | |||
| Clean tools, equipment, facilities, or work areas | |||
| Maintain operational records | |||
| Repair tools or equipment | |||
| Direct organizational operations, activities, or procedures | |||
| Inspect commercial, industrial, or production systems or equipment |
Show all 9 activities
| Collect samples of products or materials |
How to read this
Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.
The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.
More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude
High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs
BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.
Career moves into and out of this occupation
From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.
Where people moved next
of 6,692 moves out
- 1 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 13%
- 2 Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers Moderate +3.8% 6%
- 3 Construction Managers High +9.1% 5%
- 4 Teachers and Instructors, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 3%
- 5 Chief Executives Very high +3.2% 2%
Where people moved in from
of 6,753 moves in
- 1 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 8%
- 2 Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers Moderate +3.8% 4%
- 3 Customer Service Representatives Very high -5.3% 3%
- 4 Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technicians 2%
- 5 Construction Managers High +9.1% 2%
Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).
Education and training for the occupation
O*NET survey of workers in this occupation
- 50% high school
- 38% postsecondary certificate
- 8% some college
- 4% associate's
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 24 people answered.
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 4% less than high school
- 40% high school
- 28% some college
- 14% associate's
- 11% bachelor's
- 2% master's
Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation · 1,255 people surveyed.
Why the two can differ
O*NET asks about 20 people in each occupation, which makes its shares uncertain, but it reports the exact occupation and counts certificates. The Census survey reaches thousands, but it groups some occupations together and counts degrees only. More in the Guide
Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation
1 program: Water Quality and Wastewater Treatment Management and Recycling Technology/Technician.
Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023
93.0% this occupation
45.3% all occupations
| By kind | This occupation | All occupations |
|---|---|---|
| a license | 64.6% | 19.1% |
| a certification | 7.4% | 5.8% |
| an educational certificate | not published |
Share of jobs whose employer requires it. BLS doesn't say which credential. How to read this
Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor
- Certification Finder ↗ certifications CareerOneStop lists for this occupation
- Training Finder ↗ schools and programs, nationwide; narrow the place there
- License Finder ↗ licenses by state
- Apprenticeship Finder ↗ DOL lists 6 registered apprenticeships in this occupation. Apprenticeship.gov can't be linked to one occupation, so search for “Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators” there.
These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide
BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS
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