Metropolitan Water District of Southern California water operator salary, 2025

Metropolitan Water District of Southern California is a water district in Los Angeles County. 65 people worked as water operators for Metropolitan Water District of Southern California in 2025. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $209,366, overtime included.

What is the average water operator salary at Metropolitan Water District of Southern California?

Official pay range1

$80,018 to $138,466

from the lowest entry salary to the top of the highest water operator title

Average total pay, full-year water operators1

$209,366

average base pay $132,367

Most of Metropolitan Water District of Southern California's water operators (41 of 65) hold the title Water Treatment Plant Operator III, with an official range of $105,123 to $138,466. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $232,933, $94,467 above the top of the range.

Water operators
65
59 of them worked the full year
Starting salary
$80,018
bottom of the Water Treatment Plant Operator I range
Median total pay
$209,632
the middle water operator: half earned more, half less
Average pay rank
1st
of 300 California employers

What does each water operator title at Metropolitan Water District of Southern California 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

  1. Water Treatment Plant Operator I$80,018 to $105,123 · 7 people
    $139,070
  2. Water Treatment Plant Operator II$91,603 to $120,619 · 17 people
    $181,227
  3. Water Treatment Plant Operator III$105,123 to $138,466 · 41 people
    $232,933

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

Does Metropolitan Water District of Southern California pay water operators more than other employers in Los Angeles County?

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

Full-year water operators at Metropolitan Water District of Southern California earned $71,557 more than the Los Angeles County average and $85,640 more than the California average.

Where does Metropolitan Water District of Southern California rank among California employers?

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

All 300 California employers

Metropolitan Water District of Southern California ranks 1st of 300, above the middle employer.

Metropolitan Water District of Southern California
$50k$100k$150k$200k

Middle employer: $116,210

The 26 employers in Los Angeles County

Metropolitan Water District of Southern California ranks 1st of 26, above the middle employer.

Metropolitan Water District of Southern California
$100k$150k$200k

Middle employer: $113,552

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 Metropolitan Water District of Southern California

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 55
the most common formula among Metropolitan Water District of Southern California's water operators
Employer pension contribution
$17,347
average per year
Health, dental and vision
$27,628
average paid by the employer per year

Questions about water operator pay at Metropolitan Water District of Southern California

What is the average water operator salary at Metropolitan Water District of Southern California?

Water operators at Metropolitan Water District of Southern California who worked the full year earned an average of $209,366 in 2025, overtime included. The middle water operator earned $209,632: half earned more, half less. The official pay range across its water operator titles runs from $80,018 to $138,466.

How much overtime do water operators at Metropolitan Water District of Southern California earn?

Full-year water operators were paid an average of $57,376 in overtime in 2025. The middle one was paid $58,056: a few people with a lot of overtime pull the average up.

What pension do water operators at Metropolitan Water District of Southern California get?

The most common pension formula among Metropolitan Water District of Southern California's water operators is 2% at 55, as reported by the agency. The employer paid an average of $17,347 a year into the pension plan.

More salaries in Los Angeles County

Sources for the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California figures

Every person who held a water operator position at Metropolitan Water District of Southern California 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 Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.

How we read the data