Morro Bay water operator salary, 2025

Morro Bay is a city in San Luis Obispo County. 12 people worked as water operators for Morro Bay in 2025. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $102,564, overtime included.

What is the average water operator salary at Morro Bay?

Official pay range1

$76,794 to $103,979

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

Average total pay, full-year water operators1

$102,564

average base pay $92,741

Most of Morro Bay's water operators (8 of 12) hold the title Utility Operator Multiple Cert, with an official range of $76,794 to $93,371. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $98,010, $4,639 above the top of the range.

Water operators
12
9 of them worked the full year
Starting salary
$76,794
bottom of the Utility Operator Multiple Cert range
Median total pay
$99,427
the middle water operator: half earned more, half less
Average pay rank
208th
of 300 California employers

What does each water operator title at Morro Bay 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. Utility Operator Multiple Cert$76,794 to $93,371 · 8 people
    $98,010
  2. Lead Utility Operator$85,550 to $103,979 · 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 Morro Bay pay water operators more than other employers in San Luis Obispo County?

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

Full-year water operators at Morro Bay earned $6,779 more than the San Luis Obispo County average and $21,162 less than the California average.

Where does Morro Bay rank among California employers?

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

All 300 California employers

Morro Bay ranks 208th of 300, below the middle employer.

Morro Bay
$50k$100k$150k$200k

Middle employer: $116,210

The 7 employers in San Luis Obispo County

Morro Bay ranks 2nd of 7, above the middle employer.

Morro Bay
$80k$100k

Middle employer: $89,814

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 Morro Bay

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 Morro Bay's water operators
Employer pension contribution
$9,224
average per year
Health, dental and vision
$22,433
average paid by the employer per year

Questions about water operator pay at Morro Bay

What is the average water operator salary at Morro Bay?

Water operators at Morro Bay who worked the full year earned an average of $102,564 in 2025, overtime included. The middle water operator earned $99,427: half earned more, half less. The official pay range across its water operator titles runs from $76,794 to $103,979.

How much overtime do water operators at Morro Bay earn?

Full-year water operators were paid an average of $2,056 in overtime in 2025. The middle one was paid $776: a few people with a lot of overtime pull the average up.

What pension do water operators at Morro Bay get?

The most common pension formula among Morro Bay's water operators is 2% at 62, as reported by the city. The employer paid an average of $9,224 a year into the pension plan.

More salaries in San Luis Obispo County

Sources for the Morro Bay figures

Every person who held a water operator position at Morro Bay 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 Morro Bay.

How we read the data