Pasadena water operator salary, 2025

Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County. 10 people worked as water operators for Pasadena in 2025. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $163,409, overtime included.

What is the average water operator salary at Pasadena?

Official pay range, water treatment operators1

$83,117 to $101,030

from the lowest entry salary to the top of the highest title for water treatment operators, the largest group

Average total pay, full-year water operators1

$163,409

average base pay $113,534

Most of Pasadena's water operators (6 of 10) hold the title Water Treatment Operator, with an official range of $83,117 to $101,030. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $136,352, $35,322 above the top of the range.

Water operators
10
10 of them worked the full year
Starting salary
$83,117
bottom of the Water Treatment Operator range
Median total pay
$178,980
the middle water operator: half earned more, half less
Average pay rank
17th
of 300 California employers

What does each water operator title at Pasadena 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 treatment operators

  1. Water Treatment Operator$83,117 to $101,030 · 6 people
    $136,352

Water system operators

  1. Water Ops & Treat Crew Supervisor$115,134 to $143,917 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5
  2. Water Ops Section Supervisor$138,288 to $172,859 · 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 Pasadena pay water operators more than other employers in Los Angeles County?

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

Full-year water operators at Pasadena earned $25,600 more than the Los Angeles County average and $39,683 more than the California average.

Where does Pasadena rank among California employers?

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

All 300 California employers

Pasadena ranks 17th of 300, above the middle employer.

Pasadena
$50k$100k$150k$200k

Middle employer: $116,210

The 26 employers in Los Angeles County

Pasadena ranks 3rd of 26, above the middle employer.

Pasadena
$100k$150k$200k

Middle employer: $113,552

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 Pasadena

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 Pasadena's water operators
Employer pension contribution
$11,572
average per year
Health, dental and vision
$17,451
average paid by the employer per year

Questions about water operator pay at Pasadena

What is the average water operator salary at Pasadena?

Water operators at Pasadena who worked the full year earned an average of $163,409 in 2025, overtime included. The middle water operator earned $178,980: half earned more, half less. The official pay range across its water operator titles runs from $83,117 to $101,030.

How much overtime do water operators at Pasadena earn?

Full-year water operators were paid an average of $41,250 in overtime in 2025. The middle one was paid $29,592: a few people with a lot of overtime pull the average up.

What pension do water operators at Pasadena get?

The most common pension formula among Pasadena's water operators is 2% at 62, as reported by the city. The employer paid an average of $11,572 a year into the pension plan.

More salaries in Los Angeles County

Sources for the Pasadena figures

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

How we read the data