Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators
Production · SOC 51-8031
AI exposure from the Anthropic Economic Index (2025); salary from BLS; skills from O*NET. See /sources.
Decision card
Career Evidence Passport
SOC 51-8031 evidence across exposure, wages, projections, postings, certified LCAs, skills, and transitions.
- SOC exposure
- 0.0%
- Low · Anthropic AEI
- Automation friction
- 61/100
- High friction; broad SOC seed ORS job-requirements coverage.
- Wages
- $60,020
- No H-1B offered-wage row for this SOC.
- Projected openings
- 10,600
- BLS EP 2024–2034; employment change -6.5%.
- Observed/proxy demand
- 0
- FY2025 certified LCAs; 14,811 postings in 2025.
Skill evidence
Transition context
- H-1B values are certified Labor Condition Applications, not visa approvals.
- Job postings are seed-static / seed-derived; treat as provider-ready proxy coverage until observed provider data is wired in.
- Transition matches are directional skill-overlap context, not placement guarantees.
- This release is a FutureGrid broad-SOC seed derived from public BLS ORS requirement concepts and categories, not direct occupation-level ORS survey estimates. It describes job requirements, not worker ability, AI capability, or displacement probability. Automation friction is a FutureGrid derived score and should be read alongside exposure, demand, wage, and projection signals.
AI Exposure Analysis
Across AI measures
Multiple exposure lenses for this occupation.
Top Skills
H-1B Visa Sponsorship Demand
View full H-1B trends →Certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications naming this occupation, FY2016–FY2025. A descriptive high-skill labor-demand signal — employer filings, not visa approvals or individual outcomes. Note: one LCA can cover multiple worker positions.
O*NET occupation profile
What this work involves
Operate or control an entire process or system of machines, often through the use of control boards, to transfer or treat water or wastewater.
Common titles: Plant Operator, Process Operator (Process Op), Relief Operator, Waste Water Treatment Plant Operator (WWTP Operator), Wastewater Operator (WW Operator), Wastewater Technician (Wastewater Tech)
Representative Tasks
- •Collect and test water and sewage samples, using test equipment and color analysis standards.
- •Operate and adjust controls on equipment to purify and clarify water, process or dispose of sewage, and generate power.
- •Record operational data, personnel attendance, or meter and gauge readings on specified forms.
- •Add chemicals, such as ammonia, chlorine, or lime, to disinfect and deodorize water and other liquids.
- •Inspect equipment or monitor operating conditions, meters, and gauges to determine load requirements and detect malfunctions.
Detailed Work Activities
- •Collect samples of materials or products for testing.
- •Test chemical or physical characteristics of materials or products.
- •Operate chemical processing or water treatment systems or equipment.
- •Record operational or production data.
- •Inspect production equipment.
Tools & Technologies
Employment Projections & AI Exposure
Employment & Wage Trend
BLS OEWS, 2019–2025
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). See /sources.
Sector Comparison
| Metric | This Career | Sector Average |
|---|---|---|
| AI Exposure | 0.0% | 0.7% |
| Outlook | Average | 4% Bright |
| Median Salary | $60,020 | N/A |
| AI Resiliency | 100/100 | N/A |