San Jose water operator salary, 2025

San Jose is a city in Santa Clara County. 86 people worked as water operators for San Jose in 2025. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $143,341, overtime included.

What is the average water operator salary at San Jose?

Official pay range, wastewater treatment operators1

$64,917 to $155,872

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

$143,341

average base pay $120,125

The largest group of San Jose's water operators (16 of 86) hold the title Wastewater Operator III, with an official range of $103,126 to $128,835. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $159,016, $30,181 above the top of the range.

Water operators
86
75 of them worked the full year
Starting salary
$64,917
bottom of the Wastewater Operator Trainee range
Median total pay
$142,784
the middle water operator: half earned more, half less
Average pay rank
48th
of 300 California employers

What does each water operator title at San Jose 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 Operator Trainee$64,917 to $78,936 · 8 people
    $70,186
  2. Wastewater Operator I$91,832 to $114,358 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5
  3. Wastewater Operator II$97,406 to $121,659 · 15 people
    $143,253
  4. Wastewater Operator III$103,126 to $128,835 · 16 people
    $159,016
  5. Wastewater Ops Foreperson I$119,181 to $145,433 · 12 people
    $169,131
  6. Wastewater Ops Foreperson II$127,742 to $155,872 · 8 people
    $175,963

Water system operators

  1. Water Systems Operator I$89,378 to $108,950 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5
  2. Water Systems Operator II$100,152 to $122,075 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5
  3. Water Systems Operator III$105,227 to $128,190 · 7 people
    $133,329
  4. Chief Water Systems Operator U$158,666 to $239,085 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5

Other operator titles

  1. Water Syt Op Assistant I$75,296 to $91,707 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5
  2. Water Syt Op Assistant II$80,974 to $98,634 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5
  3. Water Syst Op Foreperson I$114,005 to $141,348 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5
  4. Water Syst Op Foreperson II$122,566 to $148,446 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5
  5. Water Syt Op Superindent I$128,943 to $160,196 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5
  6. Chief Plant Operator$161,513 to $260,737 · 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 San Jose pay water operators more than other employers in Santa Clara County?

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

Full-year water operators at San Jose earned $13,736 less than the Santa Clara County average and $19,615 more than the California average.

Where does San Jose rank among California employers?

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

All 300 California employers

San Jose ranks 48th of 300, above the middle employer.

San Jose
$50k$100k$150k$200k

Middle employer: $116,210

The 5 employers in Santa Clara County

San Jose ranks 4th of 5, below the middle employer.

San Jose
$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 San Jose

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 San Jose's water operators
Employer pension contribution
$16,754
average per year
Health, dental and vision
$19,319
average paid by the employer per year

Questions about water operator pay at San Jose

What is the average water operator salary at San Jose?

Water operators at San Jose who worked the full year earned an average of $143,341 in 2025, overtime included. The middle water operator earned $142,784: half earned more, half less. The official pay range across its water operator titles runs from $64,917 to $155,872.

How much overtime do water operators at San Jose earn?

Full-year water operators were paid an average of $19,472 in overtime in 2025. The middle one was paid $13,257: a few people with a lot of overtime pull the average up.

What pension do water operators at San Jose get?

The most common pension formula among San Jose's water operators is 2% at 62, as reported by the city. The employer paid an average of $16,754 a year into the pension plan.

More salaries in Santa Clara County

Sources for the San Jose figures

Every person who held a water operator position at San Jose 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 San Jose.

How we read the data