Sonoma County water operator salary, 2025

18 people worked as water operators for Sonoma County in 2025. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $170,560, overtime included.

What is the average water operator salary at Sonoma County?

Official pay range1

$115,084 to $153,028

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

Average total pay, full-year water operators1

$170,560

average base pay $143,002

Most of Sonoma County's water operators (13 of 18) hold the title Water Agency Senior Plant Operator, with an official range of $125,874 to $153,028. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $180,190, $27,162 above the top of the range.

Water operators
18
13 of them worked the full year
Starting salary
$115,084
bottom of the Water Agency Plant Operator range
Median total pay
$175,249
the middle water operator: half earned more, half less
Average pay rank
9th
of 300 California employers

What does each water operator title at Sonoma 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. Water Agency Plant Operator$115,084 to $139,900 · 5 people
    fewer than 5
  2. Water Agency Senior Plant Operator$125,874 to $153,028 · 13 people
    $180,190

official range average total pay, full year. "Fewer than 5" means too few full-year people in that title to show.

Does Sonoma County pay water operators more than other employers in Sonoma County?

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

Full-year water operators at Sonoma County earned $55,290 more than the Sonoma County average and $46,834 more than the California average.

Where does Sonoma County rank among California employers?

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

All 300 California employers

Sonoma County ranks 9th of 300, above the middle employer.

Sonoma County
$50k$100k$150k$200k

Middle employer: $116,210

The 7 employers in Sonoma County

Sonoma County ranks 1st of 7, above the middle employer.

Sonoma County
$100k$120k$140k$160k

Middle employer: $114,481

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 Sonoma County

As reported by the county. Contributions are what the employer paid per full-year water operator, on top of wages.1

Pension formula
Not reported
the most common formula among Sonoma County's water operators
Employer pension contribution
$26,966
average per year
Health, dental and vision
$18,808
average paid by the employer per year

Questions about water operator pay at Sonoma County

What is the average water operator salary at Sonoma County?

Water operators at Sonoma County who worked the full year earned an average of $170,560 in 2025, overtime included. The middle water operator earned $175,249: half earned more, half less. The official pay range across its water operator titles runs from $115,084 to $153,028.

How much overtime do water operators at Sonoma County earn?

Full-year water operators were paid an average of $15,369 in overtime in 2025. The middle one was paid $13,772: a few people with a lot of overtime pull the average up.

More salaries in Sonoma County

Sources for the Sonoma County figures

Every person who held a water operator position at Sonoma 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 Sonoma County.

How we read the data