San Luis and Delta-Mendota Water Authority water operator salary, 2025

San Luis and Delta-Mendota Water Authority is a joint powers authority in Merced County: a public agency that two or more public agencies set up by agreement to run a shared service.1 8 people worked as water operators for San Luis and Delta-Mendota Water Authority in 2025. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $171,199, overtime included.

What is the average water operator salary at San Luis and Delta-Mendota Water Authority?

Official pay range2

$126,612 to $148,955

from the lowest entry salary to the top of the highest water operator title

Average total pay, full-year water operators2

$171,199

average base pay $148,248

Most of San Luis and Delta-Mendota Water Authority's water operators (8 of 8) hold the title Control Operator, with an official range of $126,612 to $148,955. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $171,199, $22,244 above the top of the range.

Water operators
8
7 of them worked the full year
Starting salary
$126,612
bottom of the Control Operator range
Median total pay
$174,507
the middle water operator: half earned more, half less
Average pay rank
8th
of 300 California employers

What does each water operator title at San Luis and Delta-Mendota Water Authority 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.2

  1. Control Operator$126,612 to $148,955 · 8 people
    $171,199

official range average total pay, full year. "Fewer than 5" means too few full-year people in that title to show.

Does San Luis and Delta-Mendota Water Authority pay water operators more than other employers in Merced County?

Average total pay of full-year water operators: San Luis and Delta-Mendota Water Authority next to every employer in the county together, and the whole state.2

Full-year water operators at San Luis and Delta-Mendota Water Authority earned $82,855 more than the Merced County average and $47,473 more than the California average.

Where does San Luis and Delta-Mendota Water Authority rank among California employers?

Every employer with at least 5 full-year water operators, by average total pay.2

All 300 California employers

San Luis and Delta-Mendota Water Authority ranks 8th of 300, above the middle employer.

San Luis and Delta-Mendota Water Authority
$50k$100k$150k$200k

Middle employer: $116,210

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 Luis and Delta-Mendota Water Authority

As reported by the agency. Contributions are what the employer paid per full-year water operator, on top of wages.2

Pension formula
Not reported
the most common formula among San Luis and Delta-Mendota Water Authority's water operators
Employer pension contribution
Not reported
average per year
Health, dental and vision
$22,297
average paid by the employer per year

Questions about water operator pay at San Luis and Delta-Mendota Water Authority

What is the average water operator salary at San Luis and Delta-Mendota Water Authority?

Water operators at San Luis and Delta-Mendota Water Authority who worked the full year earned an average of $171,199 in 2025, overtime included. The middle water operator earned $174,507: half earned more, half less. The official pay range across its water operator titles runs from $126,612 to $148,955.

How much overtime do water operators at San Luis and Delta-Mendota Water Authority earn?

Full-year water operators were paid an average of $17,994 in overtime in 2025. The middle one was paid $18,048: a few people with a lot of overtime pull the average up.

More salaries in Merced County

Sources for the San Luis and Delta-Mendota Water Authority figures

Every person who held a water operator position at San Luis and Delta-Mendota Water Authority 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. California Government Code, section 6502: public agencies may jointly exercise their common powers by agreement.
  2. State Controller's Office, Government Compensation in California, 2025: positions, official pay ranges, wages, pension formula and employer contributions as reported by San Luis and Delta-Mendota Water Authority.

How we read the data