Oregon Labor Market Information System
Occupational Information Center
Occupational Report for Water and Liquid Waste Treatment Plant and System Operators (51-8031) , Oregon Statewide
Occupational Description

Operate or control an entire process or system of machines, often through the use of control boards, to transfer or treat water or liquid waste.

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Water and Liquid Waste Treatment Plant and System Operators
Employment Outlook for Water and Liquid Waste Treatment Plant and System Operators
Statewide Employment Analysis 2008 employment is estimated to be at about the regional average. This occupation is expected to grow at at about the regional average rate. Total job openings are projected to be at about the regional average.

Reasonable employment opportunities exist for trained workers.

Data Sources and Limitations
Current Employment Department Job Openings for Water and Liquid Waste Treatment Plant and System Operators There are 6 current openings for this occupation. Openings 1 through 6 are listed below.
Job Title Date Posted Location Wage Offered
Water Treatment Plant Operator 8/2/10 Willamina $2,600/mo to $3,500/mo DOE
Water Liquid Waste Treatment Plant and System Operator 7/29/10 Canyonville DOE
Water Utility Workers / Public Services Worker 8/9/10 Banks $10.21/hr to $11.26/hr DOE
Facilities Tech III Sub-Fab Water Treatment and Cooling Systems 8/6/10 Hillsboro
Assistant Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator 8/16/10 Molalla $3,320/mo
Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator 9/2/10 Astoria $3,186/mo
Job Openings from the Web for Water and Liquid Waste Treatment Plant and System Operators The following job openings have been automatically extracted from various sites across the Web. These links are provided as supplemental resources. However, the Employment Department cannot validate these openings nor endorse any of these external sites. Some of these jobs may no longer be open. In some cases, a single opening may be posted on multiple sites.

There are 3 current openings for this occupation. Openings 1 through 3 are listed below.

Job Title Date Posted Location Employer
UTILITY TECHNICIAN II 8/30/10 Tualatin City of Tualatin
Utility Worker Back Up Treatment Plant Operator 8/14/10 John Day
Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator I or II 8/3/10 Klamath Falls
Wages for Water and Liquid Waste Treatment Plant and System Operators
Region ---------------- 2010 Wages ----------------
Percentiles (hourly wages) Avg
Hourly
($/hr)
Avg
Annual
10th 25th 50th
(median)
75th 90th
Oregon Statewide $15.21 $18.56 $22.04 $26.82 $30.55 $22.33 $46,451
Clatsop / Columbia / Tillamook 16.45 18.91 21.18 23.58 25.72 20.91 43,493
Multnomah / Washington 18.87 21.96 26.02 29.74 31.88 25.49 53,013
Marion / Polk / Yamhill 16.55 18.48 21.80 24.86 28.43 21.82 45,381
Benton / Lincoln / Linn 14.34 17.51 21.02 27.37 30.86 22.22 46,216
Lane 20.85 23.45 27.00 29.75 31.54 26.48 55,060
Douglas 12.48 13.40 15.18 19.47 22.63 16.48 34,259
Jackson / Josephine 12.40 17.77 21.24 24.14 27.97 20.65 42,942
Gilliam / Hood River / Sherman / Wheeler / Wasco 16.83 18.96 21.62 24.16 27.78 21.73 45,187
Crook / Deschutes / Jefferson 15.27 20.65 27.32 30.38 32.40 25.43 52,880
Klamath / Lake 11.71 15.86 18.39 22.16 28.16 19.27 40,097
Morrow / Umatilla 16.51 18.66 21.46 24.37 30.32 22.24 46,259
Grant / Harney / Malheur 12.60 16.07 18.15 19.92 22.30 17.65 36,709
Clackamas 14.15 17.84 20.94 25.05 29.13 21.13 43,947
Data Sources and Limitations
Regional Employment Projections for Water and Liquid Waste Treatment Plant and System Operators
Region Employment Change % Change Projected Annual Openings
2008 2018 Growth Replacement Total
Oregon Statewide 1,186 1,305 119 10.0% 12 27 39
Multnomah / Washington 231 253 22 9.5% 2 5 7
Marion / Polk / Yamhill 128 141 13 10.2% 1 3 4
Benton / Lincoln / Linn 98 106 8 8.2% 1 2 3
Lane 86 96 10 11.6% 1 2 3
Douglas 80 81 1 1.2% 0 2 2
Clatsop / Columbia / Tillamook 79 87 8 10.1% 1 2 3
Clackamas 78 83 5 6.4% 1 2 2
Crook / Deschutes / Jefferson 72 83 11 15.3% 1 2 3
Jackson / Josephine 65 73 8 12.3% 1 2 2
Morrow / Umatilla 62 67 5 8.1% 1 1 2
Gilliam / Hood River / Sherman / Wheeler / Wasco 40 47 7 17.5% 1 1 2
Grant / Harney / Malheur 30 33 3 10.0% 0 1 1
Coos / Curry 26 27 1 3.8% 0 1 1
Baker / Union / Wallowa 16 17 1 6.2% 0 0 1
Klamath / Lake 11 11 0 0.0% 0 0 0

Replacement openings are caused by existing workers permanently leaving their occupation. Many additional job openings occur due to job changes within occupations.
Data Sources and Limitations
Industries of Employment for Water and Liquid Waste Treatment Plant and System Operators
Industry
Click links to view infoUSA employers
Ownership 2008
Employment
Total, All Industries All 1,186
Total, All Industries Private 225
Utilities Private 144
Manufacturing Private 39
Food Manufacturing Private 18
Fruit and Vegetable Preserving and Specialty Food Manufacturing Private 14
Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing Private 10
Real Estate and Rental and Leasing Private 17
Real Estate Private 17
Lessors of Real Estate Private 17
Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services Private 16
Administrative and Support Services Private 16
Employment Services Private 14
Total, All Industries Local 939
Utilities Local 144
Water, Sewage and Other Systems Local 135
Public Administration Local 795
Executive, Legislative, and Other General Government Support Local 795
Total, All Industries Tribal 17
Educational Requirements for Water and Liquid Waste Treatment Plant and System Operators Workers must have postsecondary training to gain the necessary skills for this occupation. However, those with postsecondary training and related work experience have a competitive advantage in this labor market.
Skills for Water and Liquid Waste Treatment Plant and System Operators
  • Apply Basic Plumbing
  • Apply Chemical Laboratory Tests
  • Apply Chemistry Theory
  • Apply Emergency Non-Medical Procedures
  • Apply Hydraulics Principles
  • Apply Hydronics (Pumping) Principles
  • Apply Knowledge Of Ventilation Systems
  • Apply Knowledge Of Water Systems
  • Apply Mathematics To Statistical Modeling
  • Apply Plumbing Systems Knowledge
  • Apply Pressure Vessel And Piping Technology
  • Apply Safe Waste Disposal Procedures
  • Apply Statistical Methods
  • Complete Safety Reports
  • Follow Hazardous Materials Specifications
  • Follow Safety Procedures
  • Investigate And Resolve Customer Problems
  • Maintain Consistent Quality
  • Maintain Repair Records
  • Maneuver Heavy Objects
  • Monitor Temperature Gauges And Thermometers
  • Operate And Maintain Water Treatment Equipment
  • Operate Chemical Control Equipment
  • Operate Compressors
  • Operate Power Driven Pumps
  • Operate Precision Measuring Devices, Tools And Equipment
  • Operate Two-Way Radio
  • Process Records And Maintain Forms And Files
  • Read And Understand Operating Manuals
  • Read Plumbing Specifications
  • Read Schematics And Specifications
  • Understand Properties Of Gases And Liquids In Production, Processing And Manufacturing
  • Understand, Use, And Communicate Technical Information
  • Use Algebra
  • Use Basic Mathematics
  • Use Laboratory Equipment For Water Quality Assessment
  • Use Pressure Gauges
Schools and Training Providers for Water and Liquid Waste Treatment Plant and System Operators The training providers listed below offer programs related to this occupation. This information is updated once per year. Anyone interested in a particular program should check with the training institution regarding its availability. Listing these training providers does not necessarily constitute or imply their endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the State of Oregon.

Linn-Benton Community College
6500 Pacific Blvd SW
Albany, OR 97321
Phone: (541) 917-4999
Programs of Training:
Clackamas Community College
19600 South Molalla Ave
Oregon City, OR 97045
Phone: (503) 657-6958
Programs of Training:
Career Pathway Roadmaps for Water and Liquid Waste Treatment Plant and System Operators No Career Pathway links were found for this occupation.
Related Occupations The scores listed below indicates how closely the skills for Water and Liquid Waste Treatment Plant and System Operators matches the occupation in the list. A score of 100% means the occupations have identical skill sets. A maximum of 10 occupations are displayed below.
Occupation Skill Overlap
Plant And System Operators, All Other 55%
Chemical Plant And System Operators 55%
Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, And Gaugers 51%
Gas Plant Operators 46%
Chemical Equipment Operators And Tenders 36%
Power Plant Operators 32%