El Centro water operator salary, 2025

El Centro is a city in Imperial County. 27 people worked as water operators for El Centro in 2025. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $94,215, overtime included.

What is the average water operator salary at El Centro?

Official pay range, wastewater collection operators1

$53,628 to $78,192

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

Average total pay, full-year water operators1

$94,215

average base pay $79,216

Water operators
27
26 of them worked the full year
Starting salary
$53,628
bottom of the Certified Water Distribution Operator/Sewer 1 range
Median total pay
$95,154
the middle water operator: half earned more, half less
Average pay rank
240th
of 300 California employers

What does each water operator title at El Centro 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 collection operators

  1. Certified Water Distribution Operator/Sewer 1$53,628 to $70,392 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5
  2. Certified Water Distribution Operator/Sewer 2$56,736 to $74,472 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5
  3. Certified Water Distribution Operator/Sewer Lead$59,580 to $78,192 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5

Wastewater treatment operators

  1. Operator In Training Operator 3$53,760 to $70,560 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5
  2. Wastewater Treatment Plant Shift Operator$69,936 to $91,800 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5
  3. Wastewater Treatment Plant Lead Operator$76,932 to $100,968 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5
  4. Chief Wastewater Operator$88,860 to $116,640 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5
  5. Wastewater Treatment Plant Supervisor$90,348 to $118,572 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5

Water treatment operators

  1. Water Treatment Plant Shift Operator$69,936 to $91,800 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5
  2. Water Treatment Plant Operator Lead$76,932 to $100,968 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5
  3. Water Treatment Plant Supervisor$90,348 to $118,572 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5

Water system operators

  1. Chief Water Operator$88,860 to $116,640 · 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 El Centro pay water operators more than other employers in Imperial County?

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

Full-year water operators at El Centro earned $2,704 more than the Imperial County average and $29,511 less than the California average.

Where does El Centro rank among California employers?

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

All 300 California employers

El Centro ranks 240th of 300, below the middle employer.

El Centro
$50k$100k$150k$200k

Middle employer: $116,210

The 5 employers in Imperial County

El Centro ranks 2nd of 5, above the middle employer.

El Centro
$80k$100k

Middle employer: $92,289

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 El Centro

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 55
the most common formula among El Centro's water operators
Employer pension contribution
$8,144
average per year
Health, dental and vision
$14,260
average paid by the employer per year

Questions about water operator pay at El Centro

What is the average water operator salary at El Centro?

Water operators at El Centro who worked the full year earned an average of $94,215 in 2025, overtime included. The middle water operator earned $95,154: half earned more, half less. The official pay range across its water operator titles runs from $53,628 to $78,192.

How much overtime do water operators at El Centro earn?

Full-year water operators were paid an average of $11,775 in overtime in 2025. The middle one was paid $11,216: a few people with a lot of overtime pull the average up.

What pension do water operators at El Centro get?

The most common pension formula among El Centro's water operators is 2% at 55, as reported by the city. The employer paid an average of $8,144 a year into the pension plan.

More salaries in Imperial County

Sources for the El Centro figures

Every person who held a water operator position at El Centro 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 El Centro.

How we read the data