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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 & Wastewater

  • Water Resource Recovery Operator 
  • Engineer 
  • Laboratory Technician 
  • Electrician/Mechanic
  • Biology 
  • Chemistry 
  • Communications 
  • Trade Skills 
  • Finance 
  •  

    Career highlight Video

    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.

    An outline of the state of Michigan with a dot marking the location of the Iron Mountain / Escanaba area
    An outline of the state of Michigan with a dot marking the location of the Bay City / Saginaw area
    An outline of the state of Michigan with a dot marking the location of the Grand Rapids area
    An outline of the state of Michigan with a dot marking the location of the Detroit area

    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. 

    Michigan Water School

    Resources for local officials

    EGLE Classroom

    Resources for educators

    Clean Water Ambassadors

    To learn about drinking water and become a resource in your community