Imperial water operator salary, 2025

Imperial is a city in Imperial County. 15 people worked as water operators for Imperial in 2025. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $92,289, overtime included.

What is the average water operator salary at Imperial?

Official pay range, wastewater treatment operators1

$43,472 to $125,008

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

$92,289

average base pay $83,289

Water operators
15
10 of them worked the full year
Starting salary
$43,472
bottom of the Wastewater Operator In Training range
Median total pay
$88,726
the middle water operator: half earned more, half less
Average pay rank
245th
of 300 California employers

What does each water operator title at Imperial 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 Operator In Training$43,472 to $67,434 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5
  2. Wastewater Treatment Plan Operator I$57,034 to $88,483 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5
  3. Wastewater Treatment Plan Operator III$71,219 to $110,490 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5
  4. Senior Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator$74,838 to $116,085 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5
  5. Wastewater Plant Chief Operator$80,579 to $125,008 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5

Wastewater collection operators

  1. Collection System Worker I$45,677 to $70,845 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5

Water treatment operators

  1. Water Treatment Plant Operator I$57,034 to $88,483 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5
  2. Water Treatment Plant Operator II$61,422 to $95,285 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5
  3. Water Treatment Plant Operator III$71,219 to $110,490 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5
  4. Water Plant Chief Operator$80,579 to $125,008 · 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 Imperial pay water operators more than other employers in Imperial County?

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

Full-year water operators at Imperial earned $778 more than the Imperial County average and $31,437 less than the California average.

Where does Imperial rank among California employers?

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

All 300 California employers

Imperial ranks 245th of 300, below the middle employer.

Imperial
$50k$100k$150k$200k

Middle employer: $116,210

The 5 employers in Imperial County

Imperial ranks 3rd of 5, level with the middle employer.

Imperial
$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 Imperial

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 Imperial's water operators
Employer pension contribution
$6,636
average per year
Health, dental and vision
$6,320
average paid by the employer per year

Questions about water operator pay at Imperial

What is the average water operator salary at Imperial?

Water operators at Imperial who worked the full year earned an average of $92,289 in 2025, overtime included. The middle water operator earned $88,726: half earned more, half less. The official pay range across its water operator titles runs from $43,472 to $125,008.

How much overtime do water operators at Imperial earn?

Full-year water operators were paid an average of $9,000 in overtime in 2025. The middle one was paid $7,165: a few people with a lot of overtime pull the average up.

What pension do water operators at Imperial get?

The most common pension formula among Imperial's water operators is 2% at 62, as reported by the city. The employer paid an average of $6,636 a year into the pension plan.

More salaries in Imperial County

Sources for the Imperial figures

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

How we read the data