Water Treatment Management

Types of Degrees Water Treatment Management Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many water quality and wastewater treatment management and recycling technology/technician graduations there were in 2018-2019 for each degree level.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Basic Certificate	1,219
Associate’s Degree	273
Undergraduate Certificate	99
Bachelor’s Degree	3

What Water Treatment Management Majors Need to Know

People with careers related to water quality and wastewater treatment management and recycling tech were asked what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. They weighted these areas on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the highest.

Knowledge Areas for Water Quality and Wastewater Treatment Management and Recycling Tech Majors

This major prepares you for careers in which these knowledge areas are important:

• Chemistry - Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
• Biology - Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
• Mechanical - Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
• Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• Public Safety and Security - Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.

Skills for Water Quality and Wastewater Treatment Management and Recycling Tech Majors

A major in water quality and wastewater treatment management and recycling tech prepares you for careers in which the following skill-sets are crucial:

• Operation Monitoring - Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
• Operation and Control - Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
• Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Quality Control Analysis - Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.

Abilities for Water Quality and Wastewater Treatment Management and Recycling Tech Majors

A major in water quality and wastewater treatment management and recycling tech will prepare for your careers in which the following abilities are important:

• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
• Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.

Who Is Getting an Associate’s Degree in Water Treatment Management?

This major attracts more men than women. About 80% of the graduates in this field are male.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of water quality and wastewater treatment management and recycling tech majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	11
Black or African American	9
Hispanic or Latino	81
White	150
International Students	0
Other Races/Ethnicities	22

How Much Do Water Treatment Management Majors Make?

Salaries According to BLS

The median salary for someone in a career related to water quality and wastewater treatment management and recycling tech is $49,490. This median refers to all degree levels, so you may expect those with a more advanced degree to make more while those with less advanced degrees will typically make less.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Water Treatment Management

Some careers associated with water quality and wastewater treatment management and recycling tech require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

How much schooling do you really need to compete in today’s job market? People currently working in careers related to water quality and wastewater treatment management and recycling tech have obtained the following education levels.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	42.1%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)	24.7%
Some College Courses	20.9%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	12.6%
Bachelor’s Degree	0.5%

Online Water Treatment Management Programs

In the 2018-2019 academic year, 86 schools offered some type of water quality and wastewater treatment management and recycling technology/technician program. The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	55	2
Certificate (1-2 years)	34	1
Certificate (2-4 Years)	0	0
Associate’s Degree	45	2
Bachelor’s Degree	0	0
Post-Baccalaureate	55	2
Master’s Degree	0	0
Post-Master’s	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Is a Degree in Water Treatment Management Worth It?

The median salary for a water quality and wastewater treatment management and recycling tech grad is $49,490 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 24% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $191,800 after 20 years!

Trades Related to Water Treatment Management

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to water quality and wastewater treatment management and recycling tech.

Major	Number of Grads
Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Engineering Technology/Technician	6,462
Energy Management & Systems Technology/Technician	912
Environmental Engineering Technology/Environmental Technology	392
Hazardous Materials Management & Waste Technology/Technician	180
Solar Energy Technology/Technician	178
Other Environmental Control Technologies/Technicians	105

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020

More about our data sources and methodologies.