Santa Margarita Water District water operator salary, 2025

Santa Margarita Water District is a water district in Orange County. 40 people worked as water operators for Santa Margarita Water District in 2025. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $127,143, overtime included.

What is the average water operator salary at Santa Margarita Water District?

Official pay range, other operator titles1

$74,558 to $124,226

from the lowest entry salary to the top of the highest title for other operator titles, the largest group

Average total pay, full-year water operators1

$127,143

average base pay $103,778

The largest group of Santa Margarita Water District's water operators (9 of 40) hold the title Senior Ww Treatment Plant Operator, with an official range of $105,697 to $145,705. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $146,816, $1,111 above the top of the range.

Water operators
40
31 of them worked the full year
Starting salary
$74,558
bottom of the Systems Operator - Stations range
Median total pay
$126,738
the middle water operator: half earned more, half less
Average pay rank
115th
of 300 California employers

What does each water operator title at Santa Margarita Water District 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

Other operator titles

  1. Systems Operator - Stations$74,558 to $102,779 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5
  2. Utility Operator - Valve & Hydrant$74,558 to $102,779 · 6 people
    fewer than 5
  3. Senior Systems Operator - Stations$90,117 to $124,226 · 7 people
    $119,478
  4. Senior Utility Operator - Valve & Hydrant$90,117 to $124,226 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5

Wastewater treatment operators

  1. Senior Ww Treatment Plant Operator$105,697 to $145,705 · 9 people
    $146,816
  2. Wastewater Treatment Plant Lead Operator$119,867 to $165,237 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5

Wastewater collection operators

  1. Utility Operator - Collections$74,558 to $102,779 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5
  2. Senior Utility Operator - Collections$90,117 to $124,226 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5

Water treatment operators

  1. Water Plant Operator$82,586 to $113,844 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5
  2. Senior Water Plant Operator$105,697 to $145,705 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5
  3. Chief Plant Operator - Water Plant$156,884 to $216,266 · 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 Margarita Water District pay water operators more than other employers in Orange County?

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

Full-year water operators at Santa Margarita Water District earned $1,518 less than the Orange County average and $3,417 more than the California average.

Where does Santa Margarita Water District rank among California employers?

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

All 300 California employers

Santa Margarita Water District ranks 115th of 300, above the middle employer.

Santa Margarita Water District
$50k$100k$150k$200k

Middle employer: $116,210

The 19 employers in Orange County

Santa Margarita Water District ranks 12th of 19, below the middle employer.

Santa Margarita Water District
$80k$100k$120k$140k$160k

Middle employer: $131,027

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 Margarita Water District

As reported by the agency. 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 Margarita Water District's water operators
Employer pension contribution
$12,857
average per year
Health, dental and vision
$14,442
average paid by the employer per year

Questions about water operator pay at Santa Margarita Water District

What is the average water operator salary at Santa Margarita Water District?

Water operators at Santa Margarita Water District who worked the full year earned an average of $127,143 in 2025, overtime included. The middle water operator earned $126,738: half earned more, half less. The official pay range across its water operator titles runs from $74,558 to $124,226.

How much overtime do water operators at Santa Margarita Water District earn?

Full-year water operators were paid an average of $8,242 in overtime in 2025. The middle one was paid $6,825: a few people with a lot of overtime pull the average up.

What pension do water operators at Santa Margarita Water District get?

The most common pension formula among Santa Margarita Water District's water operators is 2% at 62, as reported by the agency. The employer paid an average of $12,857 a year into the pension plan.

More salaries in Orange County

Sources for the Santa Margarita Water District figures

Every person who held a water operator position at Santa Margarita Water District 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 Margarita Water District.

How we read the data