Power Plant Operators vs Water Treatment Operators
Median pay is about $42k higher for Power Plant Operators. Both usually start with the same education: high school.
marks the higher pay or growth. Education, difficulty and the AI rows depend on what you want, so they are not marked.
| Measure | Power Plant Operators | Water Treatment Operators |
|---|---|---|
| Pay | ||
| Median pay | $102,040, higher | $60,020 |
| Entry pay 25th percentile | $79,690, higher | $48,040 |
| Experienced pay 75th percentile | $119,080, higher | $74,780 |
| Outlook, 2025 to 2035 | ||
| Projected growth | -5.1% Declining, higher | -5.7% Declining |
| Openings a year | 2,300 | 10,000 |
| Getting in | ||
| Typical education | High school | High school |
| Difficulty modeled | 2.4 / 5 | 2.2 / 5 |
| AI | ||
| Displacement risk modeled | Moderate | Low |
| AI exposure modeled, percentile | 35th pct | 49th pct |
Where the skills differ
Only Power Plant Operators
- Writing
Only Water Treatment Operators
- Mathematics
Both lean on critical thinking, monitoring, speaking, reading comprehension, active listening.
More comparisons
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Pay and outlook: BLS (OEWS 2025, Employment Projections 2025-2035). Skills: O*NET 30.3. Difficulty, displacement risk and AI exposure are modeled estimates. How these numbers are made.