Oakland water operator salary, 2025
Oakland is a city in Alameda County. 57 people worked as water operators for Oakland in 2025. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $126,509, overtime included.
What is the average water operator salary at Oakland?
Official pay range1
$69,454 to $104,398
from the lowest entry salary to the top of the highest water operator title
Most of Oakland's water operators (33 of 57) hold the title Sewer Maintenance Worker, with an official range of $69,454 to $85,275. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $109,079, $23,804 above the top of the range.
- Water operators
- 57
- 26 of them worked the full year
- Starting salary
- $69,454
- bottom of the Sewer Maintenance Worker range
- Median total pay
- $117,049
- the middle water operator: half earned more, half less
- Average pay rank
- 116th
- of 300 California employers
What does each water operator title at Oakland 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
- Sewer Maintenance Worker$109,079
- Sewer Maintenance Leader$150,278
official range average total pay, full year. "Fewer than 5" means too few full-year people in that title to show.
Does Oakland pay water operators more than other employers in Alameda County?
Average total pay of full-year water operators: Oakland next to every employer in the county together, and the whole state.1
- Oakland$126,509
- All employers in Alameda County$159,204
- All employers in California$123,726
Full-year water operators at Oakland earned $32,695 less than the Alameda County average and $2,783 more than the California average.
Where does Oakland rank among California employers?
Every employer with at least 5 full-year water operators, by average total pay.1
All 300 California employers
Oakland ranks 116th of 300, above the middle employer.
Middle employer: $116,210
The 10 employers in Alameda County
Oakland ranks 10th of 10, below the middle employer.
Middle employer: $157,428
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 Oakland
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 Oakland's water operators
- Employer pension contribution
- $37,244
- average per year
- Health, dental and vision
- $24,909
- average paid by the employer per year
Questions about water operator pay at Oakland
What is the average water operator salary at Oakland?
Water operators at Oakland who worked the full year earned an average of $126,509 in 2025, overtime included. The middle water operator earned $117,049: half earned more, half less. The official pay range across its water operator titles runs from $69,454 to $104,398.
How much overtime do water operators at Oakland earn?
Full-year water operators were paid an average of $23,482 in overtime in 2025. The middle one was paid $20,394: a few people with a lot of overtime pull the average up.
What pension do water operators at Oakland get?
The most common pension formula among Oakland's water operators is 2% at 62, as reported by the city. The employer paid an average of $37,244 a year into the pension plan.
More salaries in Alameda County
- Alameda County Water District$208,245 average total pay
- East Bay Municipal Utility District$166,840 average total pay
- Alameda County$164,851 average total pay
- Union Sanitary District (Alameda)$158,954 average total pay
- San Leandro$158,180 average total pay
- Hayward$156,677 average total pay
- Dublin San Ramon Services District$154,580 average total pay
- Oro Loma Sanitary District (Alameda)$149,209 average total pay
- Pleasanton$135,097 average total pay
- Highest water operator salaries in CaliforniaThe best-paying employers, ranked
- Teacher salaries in Alameda CountyEvery school district's salary schedule
Sources for the Oakland figures
Every person who held a water operator position at Oakland 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.
- State Controller's Office, Government Compensation in California, 2025: positions, official pay ranges, wages, pension formula and employer contributions as reported by Oakland.