San Luis Obispo water operator salary, 2025

San Luis Obispo is a city in San Luis Obispo County. 37 people worked as water operators for San Luis Obispo in 2025. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $104,271, overtime included.

What is the average water operator salary at San Luis Obispo?

Official pay range, wastewater collection operators1

$65,260 to $133,900

from the lowest entry salary to the top of the highest title for wastewater collection operators, the largest group

Average total pay, full-year water operators1

$104,271

average base pay $95,290

The largest group of San Luis Obispo's water operators (10 of 37) hold the title Wastewater Collection System Operator, with an official range of $65,260 to $98,358. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $96,351, within the range.

Water operators
37
30 of them worked the full year
Starting salary
$65,260
bottom of the Wastewater Collection System Operator range
Median total pay
$103,494
the middle water operator: half earned more, half less
Average pay rank
200th
of 300 California employers

What does each water operator title at San Luis Obispo 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 collection operators

  1. Wastewater Collection System Operator$65,260 to $98,358 · 10 people
    $96,351
  2. Wastewater Collection System Chief Operator$89,154 to $109,434 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5
  3. Wastewater Collection System Supervisor$107,120 to $133,900 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5

Water distribution operators

  1. Water Distribution System Operator$65,260 to $98,358 · 10 people
    $91,474
  2. Water Distribution Chief Operator$89,154 to $109,434 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5
  3. Water Distribution System Supervisor$107,120 to $133,900 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5

Water treatment operators

  1. Water Treatment Plant Operator$74,386 to $112,190 · 8 people
    $107,153
  2. Water Treatment Plant Chief Operator$98,826 to $121,342 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5
  3. Water Treatment Plant Supervisor$118,196 to $147,758 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5

Water system operators

  1. Water Supply Operator$65,260 to $98,358 · 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 Luis Obispo pay water operators more than other employers in San Luis Obispo County?

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

Full-year water operators at San Luis Obispo earned $8,486 more than the San Luis Obispo County average and $19,455 less than the California average.

Where does San Luis Obispo rank among California employers?

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

All 300 California employers

San Luis Obispo ranks 200th of 300, below the middle employer.

San Luis Obispo
$50k$100k$150k$200k

Middle employer: $116,210

The 7 employers in San Luis Obispo County

San Luis Obispo ranks 1st of 7, above the middle employer.

San Luis Obispo
$80k$100k

Middle employer: $89,814

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 Obispo

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 Luis Obispo's water operators
Employer pension contribution
$9,235
average per year
Health, dental and vision
$14,958
average paid by the employer per year

Questions about water operator pay at San Luis Obispo

What is the average water operator salary at San Luis Obispo?

Water operators at San Luis Obispo who worked the full year earned an average of $104,271 in 2025, overtime included. The middle water operator earned $103,494: half earned more, half less. The official pay range across its water operator titles runs from $65,260 to $133,900.

How much overtime do water operators at San Luis Obispo earn?

Full-year water operators were paid an average of $4,421 in overtime in 2025. The middle one was paid $3,716: a few people with a lot of overtime pull the average up.

What pension do water operators at San Luis Obispo get?

The most common pension formula among San Luis Obispo's water operators is 2% at 62, as reported by the city. The employer paid an average of $9,235 a year into the pension plan.

More salaries in San Luis Obispo County

Sources for the San Luis Obispo figures

Every person who held a water operator position at San Luis Obispo 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 Luis Obispo.

How we read the data