Goleta Water District water operator salary, 2025

Goleta Water District is a water district in Santa Barbara County. 29 people worked as water operators for Goleta Water District in 2025. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $134,865, overtime included.

What is the average water operator salary at Goleta Water District?

Official pay range, water distribution operators1

$77,996 to $174,814

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

$134,865

average base pay $119,343

Water operators
29
20 of them worked the full year
Starting salary
$77,996
bottom of the Distribution Operator I range
Median total pay
$138,392
the middle water operator: half earned more, half less
Average pay rank
82nd
of 300 California employers

What does each water operator title at Goleta Water District 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. Distribution Operator I$77,996 to $99,545 · 5 people
    fewer than 5
  2. Distribution Operator II$90,450 to $115,441 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5
  3. Distribution System Operator I$90,450 to $115,441 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5
  4. Distributions System Operator II$110,278 to $140,747 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5
  5. Chief Distribution Operator$136,971 to $174,814 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5
  6. Chief System Distribution Operator$136,971 to $174,814 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5

Water treatment operators

  1. Water Treatment Operator I$90,450 to $115,441 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5
  2. Water Treatment Operator II$102,906 to $131,337 · 5 people
    $135,334
  3. Cst I / Water Treatment Operator$115,360 to $147,233 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5
  4. Cst II / Water Treatment Operator$115,360 to $147,233 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5
  5. Chief Water Treatment Operator$127,814 to $163,127 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5
  6. Water Treatment Supervisor$176,690 to $225,507 · 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 Goleta Water District pay water operators more than other employers in Santa Barbara County?

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

Full-year water operators at Goleta Water District earned $13,959 more than the Santa Barbara County average and $11,139 more than the California average.

Where does Goleta Water District rank among California employers?

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

All 300 California employers

Goleta Water District ranks 82nd of 300, above the middle employer.

Goleta Water District
$50k$100k$150k$200k

Middle employer: $116,210

The 10 employers in Santa Barbara County

Goleta Water District ranks 3rd of 10, above the middle employer.

Goleta Water District
$100k$120k$140k

Middle employer: $115,039

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 Goleta Water District

As reported by the agency. 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 Goleta Water District's water operators
Employer pension contribution
$12,334
average per year
Health, dental and vision
$18,495
average paid by the employer per year

Questions about water operator pay at Goleta Water District

What is the average water operator salary at Goleta Water District?

Water operators at Goleta Water District who worked the full year earned an average of $134,865 in 2025, overtime included. The middle water operator earned $138,392: half earned more, half less. The official pay range across its water operator titles runs from $77,996 to $174,814.

How much overtime do water operators at Goleta Water District earn?

Full-year water operators were paid an average of $4,543 in overtime in 2025. The middle one was paid $3,768: a few people with a lot of overtime pull the average up.

What pension do water operators at Goleta Water District get?

The most common pension formula among Goleta Water District's water operators is 2% at 62, as reported by the agency. The employer paid an average of $12,334 a year into the pension plan.

More salaries in Santa Barbara County

Sources for the Goleta Water District figures

Every person who held a water operator position at Goleta Water District 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 Goleta Water District.

How we read the data