San Mateo water operator salary, 2025

San Mateo is a city in San Mateo County. 17 people worked as water operators for San Mateo in 2025. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $127,225, overtime included.

What is the average water operator salary at San Mateo?

Official pay range1

$49,818 to $151,735

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

Average total pay, full-year water operators1

$127,225

average base pay $109,128

The largest group of San Mateo's water operators (6 of 17) hold the title Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator II, with an official range of $103,621 to $118,205. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $126,650, $8,445 above the top of the range.

Water operators
17
15 of them worked the full year
Starting salary
$49,818
bottom of the Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator II PDM range
Median total pay
$135,745
the middle water operator: half earned more, half less
Average pay rank
114th
of 300 California employers

What does each water operator title at San Mateo 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

  1. Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator II PDM$49,818 to $56,818 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5
  2. Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator III PDM$54,748 to $62,448 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5
  3. Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator I$94,382 to $107,707 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5
  4. Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator II$103,621 to $118,205 · 6 people
    $126,650
  5. Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator III$113,868 to $129,897 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5
  6. Wastewater Treatment Plant Shift Supervisor$127,332 to $151,735 · 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 Mateo pay water operators more than other employers in San Mateo County?

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

Full-year water operators at San Mateo earned $8,688 less than the San Mateo County average and $3,499 more than the California average.

Where does San Mateo rank among California employers?

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

All 300 California employers

San Mateo ranks 114th of 300, above the middle employer.

San Mateo
$50k$100k$150k$200k

Middle employer: $116,210

The 11 employers in San Mateo County

San Mateo ranks 8th of 11, below the middle employer.

San Mateo
$100k$120k$140k$160k

Middle employer: $133,921

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 Mateo

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 Mateo's water operators
Employer pension contribution
$9,945
average per year
Health, dental and vision
$23,230
average paid by the employer per year

Questions about water operator pay at San Mateo

What is the average water operator salary at San Mateo?

Water operators at San Mateo who worked the full year earned an average of $127,225 in 2025, overtime included. The middle water operator earned $135,745: half earned more, half less. The official pay range across its water operator titles runs from $49,818 to $151,735.

How much overtime do water operators at San Mateo earn?

Full-year water operators were paid an average of $12,951 in overtime in 2025. The middle one was paid $7,607: a few people with a lot of overtime pull the average up.

What pension do water operators at San Mateo get?

The most common pension formula among San Mateo's water operators is 2% at 62, as reported by the city. The employer paid an average of $9,945 a year into the pension plan.

More salaries in San Mateo County

Sources for the San Mateo figures

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

How we read the data