Also called: Water Utility Worker, Leak Detection Technician, Meter Technician
Maintains the pipes, hydrants, valves, and meters that carry water through a city.
You might flush hydrants, use acoustic listening devices to find hidden leaks under streets, replace meters, or dig out a broken main at 2 a.m. with a backhoe crew so a neighborhood gets water back.
Estimate.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Certificate, about 0 years after high school. High school plus state water distribution certification.
Ways in: Certification, On-the-job training. Training cost: Get paid while you train.
Majors to look at: Water Technology (2-year).
Growing about average. Lead pipe replacement programs are adding work.
Low risk for 10 years. Smart meters and leak sensors find problems; digging up and fixing water mains stays hands-on.
Age 18+. One way to start: Apply to your city water department for utility worker or distribution trainee jobs First: Government hiring takes weeks; state distribution certification and often a CDL follow
Classes: Algebra I, Construction CTE.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.