Kern County water operator salary, 2025

13 people worked as water operators for Kern County in 2025. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $71,408, overtime included.

What is the average water operator salary at Kern County?

Official pay range, wastewater treatment operators1

$63,509 to $73,028

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

$71,408

average base pay $60,014

The largest group of Kern County's water operators (6 of 13) hold the title Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator II, with an official salary of $68,443. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $77,826, $9,383 above the top of the range.

Water operators
13
12 of them worked the full year
Starting salary
$48,807
bottom of the Sewer Maintenance Worker I range
Median total pay
$72,978
the middle water operator: half earned more, half less
Average pay rank
289th
of 300 California employers

What does each water operator title at Kern County 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 Treatment Plant Operator I$63,509 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5
  2. Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator II$68,443 · 6 people
    $77,826
  3. Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator III$73,028 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5

Wastewater collection operators

  1. Sewer Maintenance Worker I$48,807 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5
  2. Sewer Maintenance Worker II$60,119 · 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 Kern County pay water operators more than other employers in Kern County?

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

Full-year water operators at Kern County earned $27,759 less than the Kern County average and $52,318 less than the California average.

Where does Kern County rank among California employers?

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

All 300 California employers

Kern County ranks 289th of 300, below the middle employer.

Kern County
$50k$100k$150k$200k

Middle employer: $116,210

The 10 employers in Kern County

Kern County ranks 10th of 10, below the middle employer.

Kern County
$80k$100k$120k$140k

Middle employer: $92,144

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 Kern County

As reported by the county. Contributions are what the employer paid per full-year water operator, on top of wages.1

Pension formula
1.62% at 65
the most common formula among Kern County's water operators
Employer pension contribution
$26,626
average per year
Health, dental and vision
$15,364
average paid by the employer per year

Questions about water operator pay at Kern County

What is the average water operator salary at Kern County?

Water operators at Kern County who worked the full year earned an average of $71,408 in 2025, overtime included. The middle water operator earned $72,978: half earned more, half less. The official pay range across its water operator titles runs from $63,509 to $73,028.

How much overtime do water operators at Kern County earn?

Full-year water operators were paid an average of $2,692 in overtime in 2025. The middle one was paid $1,356: a few people with a lot of overtime pull the average up.

What pension do water operators at Kern County get?

The most common pension formula among Kern County's water operators is 1.62% at 65, as reported by the county. The employer paid an average of $26,626 a year into the pension plan.

More salaries in Kern County

Sources for the Kern County figures

Every person who held a water operator position at Kern County 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 Kern County.

How we read the data