Fresno water operator salary, 2025

Fresno is a city in Fresno County. 150 people worked as water operators for Fresno in 2025. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $88,445, overtime included.

What is the average water operator salary at Fresno?

Official pay range, water distribution operators1

$66,096 to $106,644

from the lowest entry salary to the top of the highest title for water distribution operators, the largest group

Average total pay, full-year water operators1

$88,445

average base pay $79,551

The largest group of Fresno's water operators (29 of 150) hold the title Water Distribution/Production Specialist, with an official range of $73,416 to $89,256. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $91,681, $2,425 above the top of the range.

Water operators
150
119 of them worked the full year
Starting salary
$58,476
bottom of the Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator-In-Training range
Median total pay
$86,471
the middle water operator: half earned more, half less
Average pay rank
257th
of 300 California employers

What does each water operator title at Fresno 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

Water distribution operators

  1. Water Distribution/Production Technician$66,096 to $80,364 · 25 people
    $75,007
  2. Water Distribution/Production Specialist$73,416 to $89,256 · 29 people
    $91,681
  3. Senior Water Distribution/Production Operator$87,720 to $106,644 · 11 people
    $107,968

Wastewater collection operators

  1. Collection System Maintenance Technician$60,408 to $73,440 · 22 people
    $67,108
  2. Collection System Maintenance Specialist$66,096 to $80,364 · 16 people
    $76,496
  3. Senior Collection System Maintenance Specialist$72,708 to $88,404 · 5 people
    fewer than 5

Wastewater treatment operators

  1. Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator-In-Training$58,476 to $71,124 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5
  2. Senior Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator$87,720 to $106,644 · 10 people
    $98,297
  3. Wastewater Environmental Supervisor$97,068 to $117,576 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5
  4. Wastewater Operations Supervisor$97,068 to $117,576 · 7 people
    $110,152
  5. Wastewater System Supervisor$97,068 to $117,576 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5

Water treatment operators

  1. Water Treatment Plant Operator$79,752 to $96,948 · 6 people
    fewer than 5
  2. Senior Water Treatment Plant Operator$91,812 to $111,624 · 10 people
    $117,686

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

Does Fresno pay water operators more than other employers in Fresno County?

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

Full-year water operators at Fresno earned $3,670 more than the Fresno County average and $35,281 less than the California average.

Where does Fresno rank among California employers?

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

All 300 California employers

Fresno ranks 257th of 300, below the middle employer.

Fresno
$50k$100k$150k$200k

Middle employer: $116,210

The 5 employers in Fresno County

Fresno ranks 1st of 5, above the middle employer.

Fresno
$80k

Middle employer: $79,047

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 Fresno

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 Fresno's water operators
Employer pension contribution
$10,967
average per year
Health, dental and vision
$11,797
average paid by the employer per year

Questions about water operator pay at Fresno

What is the average water operator salary at Fresno?

Water operators at Fresno who worked the full year earned an average of $88,445 in 2025, overtime included. The middle water operator earned $86,471: half earned more, half less. The official pay range across its water operator titles runs from $66,096 to $106,644.

How much overtime do water operators at Fresno earn?

Full-year water operators were paid an average of $5,752 in overtime in 2025. The middle one was paid $2,583: a few people with a lot of overtime pull the average up.

What pension do water operators at Fresno get?

The most common pension formula among Fresno's water operators is 2% at 55, as reported by the city. The employer paid an average of $10,967 a year into the pension plan.

More salaries in Fresno County

Sources for the Fresno figures

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

How we read the data