Montecito Water District water operator salary, 2025

Montecito Water District is a water district in Santa Barbara County. 11 people worked as water operators for Montecito Water District in 2025. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $121,555, overtime included.

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

Official pay range, water distribution operators1

$65,495 to $154,914

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

$121,555

average base pay $104,201

Water operators
11
9 of them worked the full year
Starting salary
$65,495
bottom of the Distribution Operator I range
Median total pay
$115,835
the middle water operator: half earned more, half less
Average pay rank
132nd
of 300 California employers

What does each water operator title at Montecito 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$65,495 to $87,874 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5
  2. Distribution Operator II$75,586 to $101,413 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5
  3. Distribution Operator III$88,878 to $119,247 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5
  4. Distribution Chief Operator IV$115,462 to $154,914 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5

Water treatment operators

  1. Treatment Plant Operator$88,878 to $119,247 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5
  2. Treatment Chief Operator$115,462 to $154,914 · 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 Montecito Water District pay water operators more than other employers in Santa Barbara County?

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

Full-year water operators at Montecito Water District earned $649 more than the Santa Barbara County average and $2,171 less than the California average.

Where does Montecito 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

Montecito Water District ranks 132nd of 300, above the middle employer.

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

Middle employer: $116,210

The 10 employers in Santa Barbara County

Montecito Water District ranks 5th of 10, above the middle employer.

Montecito 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 Montecito 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 55
the most common formula among Montecito Water District's water operators
Employer pension contribution
$12,744
average per year
Health, dental and vision
$21,490
average paid by the employer per year

Questions about water operator pay at Montecito Water District

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

Water operators at Montecito Water District who worked the full year earned an average of $121,555 in 2025, overtime included. The middle water operator earned $115,835: half earned more, half less. The official pay range across its water operator titles runs from $65,495 to $154,914.

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

Full-year water operators were paid an average of $13,265 in overtime in 2025. The middle one was paid $11,034: a few people with a lot of overtime pull the average up.

What pension do water operators at Montecito Water District get?

The most common pension formula among Montecito Water District's water operators is 2% at 55, as reported by the agency. The employer paid an average of $12,744 a year into the pension plan.

More salaries in Santa Barbara County

Sources for the Montecito Water District figures

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

How we read the data