Helix Water District water operator salary, 2025

Helix Water District is an irrigation district in San Diego County. 13 people worked as water operators for Helix Water District in 2025. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $129,097, overtime included.

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

Official pay range, water treatment operators1

$75,306 to $128,804

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

Average total pay, full-year water operators1

$129,097

average base pay $112,207

Water operators
13
13 of them worked the full year
Starting salary
$75,306
bottom of the Plant Operator Trainee range
Median total pay
$139,425
the middle water operator: half earned more, half less
Average pay rank
109th
of 300 California employers

What does each water operator title at Helix 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 treatment operators

  1. Plant Operator Trainee$75,306 to $96,127 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5
  2. Plant Operator II$91,520 to $116,802 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5
  3. Plant Operator III$100,901 to $128,804 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5

Water system operators

  1. System Operator I$81,078 to $103,480 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5
  2. System Operator II$87,173 to $111,249 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5
  3. System Operator III$96,127 to $122,678 · 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 Helix Water District pay water operators more than other employers in San Diego County?

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

Full-year water operators at Helix Water District earned $7,291 more than the San Diego County average and $5,371 more than the California average.

Where does Helix 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

Helix Water District ranks 109th of 300, above the middle employer.

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

Middle employer: $116,210

The 20 employers in San Diego County

Helix Water District ranks 8th of 20, above the middle employer.

Helix Water District
$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 Helix 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 Helix Water District's water operators
Employer pension contribution
$12,471
average per year
Health, dental and vision
$22,201
average paid by the employer per year

Questions about water operator pay at Helix Water District

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

Water operators at Helix Water District who worked the full year earned an average of $129,097 in 2025, overtime included. The middle water operator earned $139,425: half earned more, half less. The official pay range across its water operator titles runs from $75,306 to $128,804.

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

Full-year water operators were paid an average of $6,890 in overtime in 2025. The middle one was paid $7,002: a few people with a lot of overtime pull the average up.

What pension do water operators at Helix Water District get?

The most common pension formula among Helix Water District's water operators is 2% at 62, as reported by the agency. The employer paid an average of $12,471 a year into the pension plan.

More salaries in San Diego County

Sources for the Helix Water District figures

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

How we read the data