Santa Cruz water operator salary, 2025

Santa Cruz is a city in Santa Cruz County. 36 people worked as water operators for Santa Cruz in 2025. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $128,053, overtime included.

What is the average water operator salary at Santa Cruz?

Official pay range, wastewater treatment operators1

$93,456 to $159,996

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

$128,053

average base pay $113,524

The largest group of Santa Cruz's water operators (8 of 36) hold the title WW Plant Operator III, with an official range of $93,456 to $131,496. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $121,806, within the range.

Water operators
36
32 of them worked the full year
Starting salary
$68,820
bottom of the Water Distribution Op II range
Median total pay
$131,008
the middle water operator: half earned more, half less
Average pay rank
112th
of 300 California employers

What does each water operator title at Santa Cruz 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. WW Plant Operator III$93,456 to $131,496 · 8 people
    $121,806
  2. Sr Wastewater Plant Operator IV$104,052 to $146,412 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5
  3. WW Facility Elec/Instructional Supervisor$104,508 to $147,048 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5
  4. WW Treatment Operations Supervisor$111,132 to $156,360 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5
  5. WW Facilities Mech Supervisor$113,712 to $159,996 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5

Water distribution operators

  1. Water Distribution Op II$68,820 to $96,840 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5
  2. Water Distribution Operator II$68,820 to $96,840 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5
  3. Water Distribution Op III$75,120 to $105,684 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5
  4. Sr Water Distribution Op$80,808 to $113,712 · 6 people
    $115,324
  5. Water Distribution Supervisor V$114,696 to $161,388 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5

Water treatment operators

  1. Water Treatment Operator III$76,716 to $107,952 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5
  2. Water Treatment Op III$90,276 to $127,020 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5
  3. Water Treatment Operator II$90,276 to $127,020 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5
  4. Water Treatment Op IV$94,824 to $133,416 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5
  5. Water Treatment Operator IV$94,824 to $133,416 · 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 Cruz pay water operators more than other employers in Santa Cruz County?

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

Full-year water operators at Santa Cruz earned $11,079 more than the Santa Cruz County average and $4,327 more than the California average.

Where does Santa Cruz rank among California employers?

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

All 300 California employers

Santa Cruz ranks 112th of 300, above the middle employer.

Santa Cruz
$50k$100k$150k$200k

Middle employer: $116,210

The 6 employers in Santa Cruz County

Santa Cruz ranks 2nd of 6, above the middle employer.

Santa Cruz
$100k$120k$140k

Middle employer: $116,792

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 Cruz

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 Santa Cruz's water operators
Employer pension contribution
$8,694
average per year
Health, dental and vision
$22,616
average paid by the employer per year

Questions about water operator pay at Santa Cruz

What is the average water operator salary at Santa Cruz?

Water operators at Santa Cruz who worked the full year earned an average of $128,053 in 2025, overtime included. The middle water operator earned $131,008: half earned more, half less. The official pay range across its water operator titles runs from $93,456 to $159,996.

How much overtime do water operators at Santa Cruz earn?

Full-year water operators were paid an average of $8,675 in overtime in 2025. The middle one was paid $9,882: a few people with a lot of overtime pull the average up.

What pension do water operators at Santa Cruz get?

The most common pension formula among Santa Cruz's water operators is 2% at 62, as reported by the city. The employer paid an average of $8,694 a year into the pension plan.

More salaries in Santa Cruz County

Sources for the Santa Cruz figures

Every person who held a water operator position at Santa Cruz 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 Cruz.

How we read the data