Oceanside water operator salary, 2025

Oceanside is a city in San Diego County. 51 people worked as water operators for Oceanside in 2025. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $121,300, overtime included.

What is the average water operator salary at Oceanside?

Official pay range, wastewater treatment operators1

$69,555 to $141,690

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

$121,300

average base pay $104,340

The largest group of Oceanside's water operators (12 of 51) hold the title Wastewater Plant Operator III, with an official range of $84,115 to $112,757. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $113,246, $489 above the top of the range.

Water operators
51
44 of them worked the full year
Starting salary
$69,555
bottom of the Wastewater Plant Operator I range
Median total pay
$120,330
the middle water operator: half earned more, half less
Average pay rank
135th
of 300 California employers

What does each water operator title at Oceanside 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 Plant Operator I$69,555 to $93,184 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5
  2. Wastewater Plant Operator II$76,523 to $102,523 · 6 people
    $99,053
  3. Wastewater Plant Operator III$84,115 to $112,757 · 12 people
    $113,246
  4. Wastewater Plant Supervisor$105,706 to $141,690 · 5 people
    $143,027

Water treatment operators

  1. Water Plant Operator II$76,523 to $102,523 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5
  2. Water Plant Operator III$84,115 to $112,757 · 12 people
    $135,153
  3. Advanced Water Plant Operator III$88,317 to $118,414 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5
  4. Water Treatment Supervisor$105,706 to $141,690 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5
  5. Advanced Water Treatment Chief Plant Operator$118,955 to $159,453 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5

Water distribution operators

  1. Distribution Operator I$71,510 to $93,184 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5
  2. Distribution Operator II$76,502 to $102,482 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5
  3. Distribution Operator III$80,392 to $107,640 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5
  4. Senior Distribution Operator$88,483 to $118,394 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5
  5. Water Distribution Supervisor$111,072 to $148,803 · 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 Oceanside pay water operators more than other employers in San Diego County?

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

Full-year water operators at Oceanside earned $506 less than the San Diego County average and $2,426 less than the California average.

Where does Oceanside rank among California employers?

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

All 300 California employers

Oceanside ranks 135th of 300, above the middle employer.

Oceanside
$50k$100k$150k$200k

Middle employer: $116,210

The 20 employers in San Diego County

Oceanside ranks 11th of 20, below the middle employer.

Oceanside
$80k$100k$120k$140k

Middle employer: $121,446

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 Oceanside

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 Oceanside's water operators
Employer pension contribution
$12,310
average per year
Health, dental and vision
$14,295
average paid by the employer per year

Questions about water operator pay at Oceanside

What is the average water operator salary at Oceanside?

Water operators at Oceanside who worked the full year earned an average of $121,300 in 2025, overtime included. The middle water operator earned $120,330: half earned more, half less. The official pay range across its water operator titles runs from $69,555 to $141,690.

How much overtime do water operators at Oceanside earn?

Full-year water operators were paid an average of $7,875 in overtime in 2025. The middle one was paid $3,275: a few people with a lot of overtime pull the average up.

What pension do water operators at Oceanside get?

The most common pension formula among Oceanside's water operators is 2% at 62, as reported by the city. The employer paid an average of $12,310 a year into the pension plan.

More salaries in San Diego County

Sources for the Oceanside figures

Every person who held a water operator position at Oceanside 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 Oceanside.

How we read the data