Santa Barbara County water operator salary, 2025

12 people worked as water operators for Santa Barbara County in 2025. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $108,523, overtime included.

What is the average water operator salary at Santa Barbara County?

Official pay range1

$65,424 to $129,548

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

Average total pay, full-year water operators1

$108,523

average base pay $102,742

Water operators
12
8 of them worked the full year
Starting salary
$65,424
bottom of the Wastewater Plant Oper Tr range
Median total pay
$111,761
the middle water operator: half earned more, half less
Average pay rank
180th
of 300 California employers

What does each water operator title at Santa Barbara County 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 Plant Oper Tr$65,424 to $78,149 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5
  2. Wastewater Plant Oper I$75,732 to $90,731 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5
  3. Wastewater Plant Oper II$81,747 to $98,070 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5
  4. Wastewater Plant Oper III$91,565 to $110,054 · 6 people
    fewer than 5
  5. Wastewater Plant Oper Supervisor$98,070 to $117,988 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5
  6. Wastewater Plant Oper Chief$107,531 to $129,548 · 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 Santa Barbara County pay water operators more than other employers in Santa Barbara County?

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

Full-year water operators at Santa Barbara County earned $12,383 less than the Santa Barbara County average and $15,203 less than the California average.

Where does Santa Barbara County rank among California employers?

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

All 300 California employers

Santa Barbara County ranks 180th of 300, below the middle employer.

Santa Barbara County
$50k$100k$150k$200k

Middle employer: $116,210

The 10 employers in Santa Barbara County

Santa Barbara County ranks 6th of 10, below the middle employer.

Santa Barbara County
$100k$120k$140k

Middle employer: $115,039

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 Santa Barbara County

As reported by the county. 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 Santa Barbara County's water operators
Employer pension contribution
$14,312
average per year
Health, dental and vision
$13,924
average paid by the employer per year

Questions about water operator pay at Santa Barbara County

What is the average water operator salary at Santa Barbara County?

Water operators at Santa Barbara County who worked the full year earned an average of $108,523 in 2025, overtime included. The middle water operator earned $111,761: half earned more, half less. The official pay range across its water operator titles runs from $65,424 to $129,548.

How much overtime do water operators at Santa Barbara County earn?

Full-year water operators were paid an average of $2,459 in overtime in 2025. The middle one was paid $1,350: a few people with a lot of overtime pull the average up.

What pension do water operators at Santa Barbara County get?

The most common pension formula among Santa Barbara County's water operators is 2% at 62, as reported by the county. The employer paid an average of $14,312 a year into the pension plan.

More salaries in Santa Barbara County

Sources for the Santa Barbara County figures

Every person who held a water operator position at Santa Barbara County 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 Santa Barbara County.

How we read the data