Skip to main content

Careers in Water

Two EGLE employees stand on a platform above a wastewater treatment tank, one holding a clipboard and the other holding equipment.
Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy

Careers in Water

No matter your skills or interests, there is a career for you in water!

It takes a variety of positions to help ensure Michiganders have clean water, and there is a substantial and immediate demand for workers in these fields. Careers in water operations are stable – there is always a need for water! – and offer competitive salaries and opportunities for growth. Providing a service to communities can also be very impactful and rewarding. Curious about how community water systems work? Visit our City/Community Residential Water page.

Some examples of fields and positions in the water profession are listed below. Work for Water provides an excellent overview of the positions listed below (along with many others), including a description of the position and what knowledge, skills, and education is useful or required. 

Fields and positions in drinking water and wastewater

  • Water Resource Recovery Operator
  • Engineer 
  • Laboratory Technician 
  • Electrician/Mechanic
  • Biology 
  • Chemistry 
  • Communications 
  • Trade Skills 
  • Finance 
Interview of a water station operator at a local Michigan water supply

Career highlight

Drinking Water Treatment Operator

In this video, you'll learn what it takes to work as a Water Station Operator at a Michigan water supply. If you enjoy working with numbers and are interested in science, this could be the career for you.

The EPA also has a great video series, “Water You Waiting For?” that showcases different aspects of careers in water. To learn more about different careers in environmental fields, be sure to follow EGLE’s Exploring Careers series on YouTube!

Some apprentice and educational programs in Michigan

Bay College

Bay College offers an Associate in Applied Science Degree in Water Resource Management and a Water Technology Certificate.

  • Flexible Schedules. All courses are offered online, with labs completed in collaboration with a local municipality near you so you don’t need to travel far.
  • Work experience counts. Earn credit for approved work experience. Bay College also offers Water Flex, which is competency-based education (CBE) allowing experienced managers/operators to move quickly through the courses
  • Funding Opportunities. Water Program Scholarships are available, along with employer reimbursement options, apprenticeship programs, Michigan Reconnect funding, and Pell Grants.
  • Post-Graduation Job Security. Graduates are highly sought after, as shown by their incredible 100% placement rate! 
An outline of the state of Michigan with a dot marking the location of the Iron Mountain / Escanaba area

Delta College

Delta College offers an Associate in Applied Science Degree and an Advanced Certificate in Water & Wastewater Treatment Technology.

  • Flexible Schedules. Their online, in-person, or hybrid classes are offered during the day, at night, and on weekends to work with your schedule. They also have three centers, so that you can take classes closer to home.
  • Funding Opportunities. Financial aid and scholarships are available.
An outline of the state of Michigan with a dot marking the location of the Bay City / Saginaw area

Grand Rapids Community College

Grand Rapids Community College, the City of Grand Rapids, and Bay College have partnered to offer Water & Wastewater Treatment apprentice and educational programs. This project is supported by a national $3.8 million EPA grant, and aims to introduce middle and high school students and adult learners from neighborhoods with high unemployment to opportunities in fresh water and wastewater utilities. 

An outline of the state of Michigan with a dot marking the location of the Grand Rapids area

Great Lakes Water Authority

Great Lakes Water Authority is a regional water and wastewater treatment service provider in Southeast Michigan providing water to nearly 40 percent of Michigan’s population over eight counties. They offer a variety of paid apprenticeship and internship opportunities. 

An outline of the state of Michigan with a dot marking the location of the Detroit area

Michigan Reconnect

Michigan Reconnect may provide free tuition at your community college to earn an associate degree or skill certificate. This may apply to some drinking water and wastewater programs. The community colleges listed above accept Michigan Reconnect. Visit the Michigan Reconnect website or reach out to your campus representative to find out if you and your program are eligible.

Upon completion of some of these programs, you would be eligible to take Michigan’s water operator's certificate exam and wastewater operator’s certificate exam. Bay and Delta Colleges boast high passing rates for their recent graduates. 

Job Boards

Resources