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Job Description

Overview

The Utility Mechanic I position at American Water offers a competitive hourly wage of $29.44 and a comprehensive benefits package, with opportunities for professional growth and salary advancement. The role involves various responsibilities related to the maintenance and operation of company facilities and equipment.

Responsibilities

  • Coordinate and control the safe utilization of company equipment and personnel.
  • Locate, operate, and repair company facilities such as mains, hydrants, and valves.
  • Investigate hydraulic variations affecting system operations and customer service.
  • Perform distribution system tests, including fire flows and pressure losses.
  • Complete house-to-house connections to maintain service.
  • Mark-out company facilities and request mark-out for other utilities.
  • Raise company facilities to grade as needed.
  • Operate and repair fire hydrants and distribution system valves.
  • Install facilities including water services and main extensions.
  • Collect and evaluate water samples according to quality practices.
  • Transport materials to and from job sites and obtain materials in emergencies.
  • Prepare facilities for adverse weather conditions.
  • Restore service to frozen facilities as required.
  • Maintain accurate records and report field conditions affecting customer service.
  • Respond to inquiries professionally and resolve issues to ensure high customer service.
  • Perform other responsibilities as assigned.

Requirements

  • Geographical knowledge of the company's service area and distribution system.
  • Ability to interpret diagrams, blueprints, schematics, and maps.
  • Working knowledge of company policies, safety practices, and state and federal regulations.
  • Knowledge of materials used in the transmission and distribution system.
  • Skills in operating company equipment and vehicles.
  • Minimum of one to two years of experience as a Utility Mechanic I.
  • High School Diploma or G.E.D.
  • Must obtain a valid Class A commercial driver's license within one year.
  • Complete Competent Person training for certification.
  • Mechanically inclined and customer service focused.

Benefits

  • 401k
  • Health Insurance
  • Dental
  • Vision
  • PTO

Additional Information

  • Daily local travel required.
  • Work indoors and outdoors in all adverse weather conditions.
  • Must follow company safety procedures and wear appropriate PPE.
  • Required to stand/walk for long distances daily.

Benefits

401k
Health Insurance
Dental
Vision
PTO
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How this job compares in Plainfield, NJ

Pay in context

At roughly $29/hr, this posting comes in about 13% below the $34/hr median for welding jobs across New Jersey, where the middle half runs $29–$40/hr across 106 postings with published pay. Put another way, it pays more than about 25% of the comparable postings we have wage data for. That gap is worth raising directly — in a market this size there is normally room to negotiate toward the median, particularly if you already hold the certifications the posting asks for.

The local market in Plainfield, NJ

Plainfield, NJ is a small market in our index: 1 other active welding opening alongside this one, from 1 employer. Across New Jersey as a whole we're tracking 166 other active welding openings from 123 employers. With this few local postings, most welders here end up either commuting or looking at travel work. Browse welding jobs across New Jersey.

American Water currently has 1 other opening live in New Jersey, which is usually a sign of either steady growth or steady turnover — worth asking which in the interview.

The most active employers in New Jersey at the moment, by number of open welding reqs, are Darling Ingredients (5), Carvana (4), and Lockheed Martin (4). Volume like that usually means either a genuine expansion or a staffing agency working several client sites — worth knowing which before you apply.

Within New Jersey, the best-paying metros we track by median hourly rate are Newark at $35/hr and Lyndhurst at $30/hr. If you can relocate or commute, that spread is worth factoring in.

Similar openings near Plainfield, NJ

Pay figures are medians computed from live postings in the Welding Pros index, not from survey data, and they move as employers post. Utility Mechanic I L423 figures were last recalculated when this page was built.