Water treatment or incinerator operator

#96Declining

4/5

Key facts

−2.7%jobs, 2025 to 2035

United States

This job is declining in the United States. AI exposure: very low according to the ILO, low according to the BLS. Employment change in the United States by 2035: −2.7% (BLS). Future-proof jobs use similar skills: see "What next?".

The job

Incinerator and water treatment plant operators (ISCO 3132). Incinerator and water treatment plant operators monitor and operate computerized control systems and related equipment in solid and liquid waste treatment plants to regulate the treatment and disposal of sewage and wastes, and in water filtration and treatment plants to regulate the treatment and distribution of water.

Page built from official classifications (ILO, ESCO); figures cover all the jobs grouped here.

92 job titles linked to this page

Titles from the European ESCO classification. They are also used for search.

contaminated water remediation worker
domestic waste incineration operative
drinking water treatment system operative
drinking water treatment system operator
drinking water treatment system worker
incinerating machine operative
incinerating machine operator
incinerating machine worker
incineration process operative
incineration process operator
incineration process worker
incinerator operative
incinerator operator
incinerator worker
landfill site operative
landfill site worker
landfill technician
liquid waste monitor
liquid waste plant monitoring operator
liquid waste tester
liquid waste treatment plant operative
liquid waste treatment plant operator
liquid waste treatment plant worker
liquid waster remediation worker
refuse operative
refuse worker
sewage plant technician
sewage treatment plant technician
solid waste collection technician
solid waste disposal technician
solid waste operator
solid waste processing technician
solid waste remediation technician
solid waste treatment technician
waste disposal compliance technician
waste disposal site compliance technician
waste incinerating machine operative
waste incinerating machine operator
waste incinerating machine worker
waste incinerator operative
waste incinerator worker
waste oil remediation worker
waste sorter
waste treatment equipment operative
waste treatment equipment operator
waste treatment equipment worker
waste water technician
waste-burning plant operative
waste-burning plant operator
wastewater quality technician
wastewater quality tester
wastewater safety technician
wastewater safety tester
wastewater treatment monitoring technician
wastewater treatment operator
wastewater treatment plant operator
wastewater treatment plant technician
wastewater treatment plant worker
wastewater treatment quality technician
wastewater treatment sampling monitoring technician
wastewater treatment system worker
wastewater treatment technician
water plant equipment maintenance technician
water plant maintenance technician
water plant measurement technician
water plant monitoring technician
water plant operative
water plant operator
water plant quality technician
water plant repair technician
water plant technician
water plant worker
water quality operative
water quality tester
water safety operative
water safety tester
water system operator
water treatment operator
water treatment plant operative
water treatment plant operator
water treatment plant worker
water treatment system operative
water treatment system technician
water treatment system worker
water treatment systems operator
water treatment technician
waystewater quality operative
waystewater quality tester
waystewater safety operative
waystewater safety tester
waystewater treatment plant operative
waystewater treatment plant worker

What next?

Future-proof jobs that draw on skills close to this one. They are leads to explore, not an assessment of your profile.

ChangingPower plant operator
ChangingHealth and safety technician
ChangingIndustrial maintenance technician

Indicative matches: at launch they will come from the skills listed in official occupational directories.

Gauges

Risk 4/5 · High

AI exposureLowBLS AI exposure category "low" (2026), higher than the ILO 2025 index (very low)

Employment outlookSharp declineBLS, 2025-2035 projections (Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators; Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand)

Hiring difficultyNot availableNo US indicator measures hiring difficulty job by job

PayModestBLS, 2025 median annual wage: $52,108

EntryQuickBLS, typical education needed for entry

No US indicator measures hiring difficulty job by job: this gauge stays empty. How countries are compared

Sources

AI exposure categories and employment projections, 2025-2035 (XLSX file)Bureau of Labor Statistics, United States · August 2026 · official statistics
Generative AI and Jobs: a refined global index of occupational exposureInternational Labour Organization and NASK · May 2025 · large survey
ESCO, European classification of skills, competences, qualifications and occupations (job titles and O*NET crosswalk)European Commission · version 1.2 · official statistics
Jobs in 2030: projections by occupational family (summary table)Dares and France Stratégie · March 2022 · official statistics
Labour needs survey (BMO) 2026France Travail · 2026 · large survey
EURES report on labour shortages and surpluses 2025, annexEuropean Labour Authority · June 2026 · official statistics

Checked on 27 October 2026.