Palo Alto water operator salary, 2025

Palo Alto is a city in Santa Clara County. 31 people worked as water operators for Palo Alto in 2025. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $148,209, overtime included.

What is the average water operator salary at Palo Alto?

Official pay range, wastewater treatment operators1

$81,381 to $188,490

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

$148,209

average base pay $128,630

Most of Palo Alto's water operators (17 of 31) hold the title Wqc Plt Oper II, with an official range of $99,524 to $135,272. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $132,068, within the range.

Water operators
31
24 of them worked the full year
Starting salary
$81,381
bottom of the Wqc Plant Operator II range
Median total pay
$139,994
the middle water operator: half earned more, half less
Average pay rank
41st
of 300 California employers

What does each water operator title at Palo Alto 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. Wqc Plant Operator II$81,381 to $110,612 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5
  2. Wqc Plt Oper II$99,524 to $135,272 · 17 people
    $132,068
  3. Supv Wqc Oper$111,966 to $188,490 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5
  4. Sr Operator Wqc$112,677 to $153,149 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5

Water system operators

  1. Water System Operator II$94,920 to $129,014 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5

Other operator titles

  1. Sr Water Sys Oper$107,494 to $146,103 · 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 Palo Alto pay water operators more than other employers in Santa Clara County?

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

Full-year water operators at Palo Alto earned $8,868 less than the Santa Clara County average and $24,483 more than the California average.

Where does Palo Alto rank among California employers?

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

All 300 California employers

Palo Alto ranks 41st of 300, above the middle employer.

Palo Alto
$50k$100k$150k$200k

Middle employer: $116,210

The 5 employers in Santa Clara County

Palo Alto ranks 3rd of 5, level with the middle employer.

Palo Alto
$140k$160k$180k$200k

Middle employer: $148,209

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 Palo Alto

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 Palo Alto's water operators
Employer pension contribution
$56,973
average per year
Health, dental and vision
$28,612
average paid by the employer per year

Questions about water operator pay at Palo Alto

What is the average water operator salary at Palo Alto?

Water operators at Palo Alto who worked the full year earned an average of $148,209 in 2025, overtime included. The middle water operator earned $139,994: half earned more, half less. The official pay range across its water operator titles runs from $81,381 to $188,490.

How much overtime do water operators at Palo Alto earn?

Full-year water operators were paid an average of $15,678 in overtime in 2025. The middle one was paid $8,262: a few people with a lot of overtime pull the average up.

What pension do water operators at Palo Alto get?

The most common pension formula among Palo Alto's water operators is 2% at 62, as reported by the city. The employer paid an average of $56,973 a year into the pension plan.

More salaries in Santa Clara County

Sources for the Palo Alto figures

Every person who held a water operator position at Palo Alto 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 Palo Alto.

How we read the data