Will AI take my job? Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators
Very unlikely
Most of this job happens with people, places or equipment that AI software can’t reach. Expect AI to show up in the paperwork around the job, not to replace it.
What AI is least likely to do in this job
Skills and knowledge this work relies on that depend on people, judgment or hands-on work.
Where AI tools already help
Parts of the work where AI writing, research and analysis tools are already useful.
How to stay ahead
- Lean into what people do best in this work: Public Safety and Security, Operation and Control, Operations Monitoring. Put examples of these on your résumé.
- Take Aptly’s free assessments to see which careers fit your interests, personality and strengths, with the AI exposure of every match.
Nearby careers that are more AI-resilient
| Career | AI exposure | U.S. median pay |
|---|---|---|
| Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and Tenders · Very unlikely | 0/100 | $46,460 |
| Timing Device Assemblers and Adjusters · Very unlikely | 0/100 | $62,620 |
| Engine and Other Machine Assemblers · Very unlikely | 0/100 | $53,710 |
| Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic · Very unlikely | 0/100 | $49,080 |
| Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders · Very unlikely | 4/100 | $48,040 |
| Electromechanical Equipment Assemblers · Very unlikely | 0/100 | $45,930 |
Careers that suit the same kind of person, need similar preparation and pay at least three-quarters as much. Whether one fits you is what Aptly’s free assessments show.
Aptly’s free assessments score 13,000+ careers for your interests, personality and strengths, and show the AI exposure of every match.
Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators earn a median of $60,020 a year in the U.S. Pay by state, requirements and openings.
How this is measured
The score is an estimate of AI exposure: the share of an occupation’s tasks that large language models, and software built on them, could do in half the time or less at the same quality. It comes from a study by researchers at OpenAI and the University of Pennsylvania (Eloundou, Manning, Mishkin & Rock, 2023, “GPTs are GPTs”), which rated every task the U.S. Department of Labor lists for each occupation.
Exposure is not the same as job loss. Highly exposed jobs often change rather than disappear, and many people in them become more productive. Use it as a guide to where the work is heading, not a prediction about you.
Check another job
AI exposure: Eloundou, Manning, Mishkin & Rock (2023), “GPTs are GPTs”. Skills: O*NET 30. Pay: BLS, May 2025. O*NET-SOC 51-8031.00.