Colton water operator salary, 2025

Colton is a city in San Bernardino County. 34 people worked as water operators for Colton in 2025. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $112,554, overtime included.

What is the average water operator salary at Colton?

Official pay range, wastewater treatment operators1

$61,524 to $98,848

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

$112,554

average base pay $75,154

The largest group of Colton's water operators (7 of 34) hold the title Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator I, with an official range of $61,524 to $74,782. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $107,490, $32,708 above the top of the range.

Water operators
34
22 of them worked the full year
Starting salary
$55,102
bottom of the Collection System Maintenance Technician I range
Median total pay
$114,922
the middle water operator: half earned more, half less
Average pay rank
167th
of 300 California employers

What does each water operator title at Colton 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. Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator I$61,524 to $74,782 · 7 people
    $107,490
  2. Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator II$70,735 to $85,979 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5
  3. Senior Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator$81,322 to $98,848 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5

Water distribution operators

  1. Water Distribution Operator I$59,861 to $72,761 · 5 people
    fewer than 5
  2. Water Distribution Operator II$68,167 to $82,858 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5
  3. Senior Water Distribution Operator$79,275 to $96,359 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5
  4. Water Distribution Supervisor$104,897 to $127,503 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5

Wastewater collection operators

  1. Collection System Maintenance Technician I$55,102 to $66,976 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5
  2. Collection System Maintenance Technician II$60,356 to $73,364 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5
  3. Senior Collection System Maintenance Technician$63,374 to $77,031 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5
  4. Collection System Maintenance Supervisor$98,441 to $119,656 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5

Water treatment operators

  1. Water Production Operator II$72,885 to $88,592 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5
  2. Water Production Operator III$85,544 to $103,979 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5
  3. Senior Water Production Operator$88,866 to $108,017 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5
  4. Water Production Supervisor$105,043 to $127,681 · 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 Colton pay water operators more than other employers in San Bernardino County?

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

Full-year water operators at Colton earned $4,354 less than the San Bernardino County average and $11,172 less than the California average.

Where does Colton rank among California employers?

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

All 300 California employers

Colton ranks 167th of 300, below the middle employer.

Colton
$50k$100k$150k$200k

Middle employer: $116,210

The 23 employers in San Bernardino County

Colton ranks 9th of 23, above the middle employer.

Colton
$80k$100k$120k$140k$160k

Middle employer: $107,676

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 Colton

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

Pension formula
2% at 62
the most common formula among Colton's water operators
Employer pension contribution
$9,272
average per year
Health, dental and vision
$10,052
average paid by the employer per year

Questions about water operator pay at Colton

What is the average water operator salary at Colton?

Water operators at Colton who worked the full year earned an average of $112,554 in 2025, overtime included. The middle water operator earned $114,922: half earned more, half less. The official pay range across its water operator titles runs from $61,524 to $98,848.

How much overtime do water operators at Colton earn?

Full-year water operators were paid an average of $25,841 in overtime in 2025. The middle one was paid $26,954: a few people with a lot of overtime pull the average up.

What pension do water operators at Colton get?

The most common pension formula among Colton's water operators is 2% at 62, as reported by the city. The employer paid an average of $9,272 a year into the pension plan.

More salaries in San Bernardino County

Sources for the Colton figures

Every person who held a water operator position at Colton 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 Colton.

How we read the data