Carlsbad water operator salary, 2025

Carlsbad is a city in San Diego County. 9 people worked as water operators for Carlsbad in 2025. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $132,222, overtime included.

What is the average water operator salary at Carlsbad?

Official pay range, wastewater treatment operators1

$94,931 to $132,746

from the lowest entry salary to the top of the highest title for wastewater treatment operators, the largest group

Average total pay, full-year water operators1

$132,222

average base pay $103,722

Water operators
9
9 of them worked the full year
Starting salary
$94,931
bottom of the Sanitation Systems Oper. II range
Median total pay
$131,660
the middle water operator: half earned more, half less
Average pay rank
95th
of 300 California employers

What does each water operator title at Carlsbad pay?

Each bar is the official range for one title, lowest first. The dot marks the average total pay of full-year staff in that title, where at least 5 people stand behind it.1

Wastewater treatment operators

  1. Sanitation Systems Oper. II$94,931 to $115,482 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5
  2. Sanitation Systems Operator II$94,931 to $115,482 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5
  3. Sanitation Systems Oper. III$109,117 to $132,746 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5

Water system operators

  1. Water Systems Operator II$94,931 to $115,482 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5
  2. Water Systems Operator III$109,117 to $132,746 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5

official range average total pay, full year. "Fewer than 5" means too few full-year people in that title to show.

Does Carlsbad pay water operators more than other employers in San Diego County?

Average total pay of full-year water operators: Carlsbad next to every employer in the county together, and the whole state.1

Full-year water operators at Carlsbad earned $10,416 more than the San Diego County average and $8,496 more than the California average.

Where does Carlsbad rank among California employers?

Every employer with at least 5 full-year water operators, by average total pay.1

All 300 California employers

Carlsbad ranks 95th of 300, above the middle employer.

Carlsbad
$50k$100k$150k$200k

Middle employer: $116,210

The 20 employers in San Diego County

Carlsbad ranks 6th of 20, above the middle employer.

Carlsbad
$80k$100k$120k$140k

Middle employer: $121,446

Each bar counts the employers whose average total pay falls in a $5,000 band. The dashed line marks the middle employer.

Pension and health cover at Carlsbad

As reported by the city. Contributions are what the employer paid per full-year water operator, on top of wages.1

Pension formula
3% at 60
the most common formula among Carlsbad's water operators
Employer pension contribution
$12,956
average per year
Health, dental and vision
$17,504
average paid by the employer per year

Questions about water operator pay at Carlsbad

What is the average water operator salary at Carlsbad?

Water operators at Carlsbad who worked the full year earned an average of $132,222 in 2025, overtime included. The middle water operator earned $131,660: half earned more, half less. The official pay range across its water operator titles runs from $94,931 to $132,746.

How much overtime do water operators at Carlsbad earn?

Full-year water operators were paid an average of $21,650 in overtime in 2025. The middle one was paid $23,483: a few people with a lot of overtime pull the average up.

What pension do water operators at Carlsbad get?

The most common pension formula among Carlsbad's water operators is 3% at 60, as reported by the city. The employer paid an average of $12,956 a year into the pension plan.

More salaries in San Diego County

Sources for the Carlsbad figures

Every person who held a water operator position at Carlsbad at any point in 2025 counts toward the headcount. Pay figures use only people who worked roughly the full year: those whose regular pay reached at least 90% of the bottom of their official range. Total pay is gross wages before tax, including overtime, lump sums and other pay. Averages lead; the median total pay is the middle person's, with half above and half below, and is less pulled by a few people with a lot of overtime. Every figure covers at least 5 people.

  1. State Controller's Office, Government Compensation in California, 2025: positions, official pay ranges, wages, pension formula and employer contributions as reported by Carlsbad.

How we read the data