South Coast Water District water operator salary, 2025
South Coast Water District is a water district in Orange County. 6 people worked as water operators for South Coast Water District in 2025. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $163,062, overtime included.
What is the average water operator salary at South Coast Water District?
Official pay range, water treatment operators1
$96,911 to $130,329
from the lowest entry salary to the top of the highest title for water treatment operators, the largest group
- Water operators
- 6
- 6 of them worked the full year
- Starting salary
- $96,911
- bottom of the Treatment Plant Operator range
- Median total pay
- $150,344
- the middle water operator: half earned more, half less
- Average pay rank
- 19th
- of 300 California employers
What does each water operator title at South Coast 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
Water treatment operators
- Treatment Plant Operatorfewer than 5
Other operator titles
- Senior System Operator-Waterfewer than 5
Wastewater collection operators
- Lead Collection System Opfewer than 5
Wastewater treatment operators
- Recycled Water/Con Supervisorfewer than 5
official range average total pay, full year. "Fewer than 5" means too few full-year people in that title to show.
Does South Coast Water District pay water operators more than other employers in Orange County?
Average total pay of full-year water operators: South Coast Water District next to every employer in the county together, and the whole state.1
- South Coast Water District$163,062
- All employers in Orange County$128,661
- All employers in California$123,726
Full-year water operators at South Coast Water District earned $34,401 more than the Orange County average and $39,336 more than the California average.
Where does South Coast 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
South Coast Water District ranks 19th of 300, above the middle employer.
Middle employer: $116,210
The 19 employers in Orange County
South Coast Water District ranks 1st of 19, above the middle employer.
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 South Coast 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 55
- the most common formula among South Coast Water District's water operators
- Employer pension contribution
- $14,204
- average per year
- Health, dental and vision
- $16,461
- average paid by the employer per year
Questions about water operator pay at South Coast Water District
What is the average water operator salary at South Coast Water District?
Water operators at South Coast Water District who worked the full year earned an average of $163,062 in 2025, overtime included. The middle water operator earned $150,344: half earned more, half less. The official pay range across its water operator titles runs from $96,911 to $130,329.
How much overtime do water operators at South Coast Water District earn?
Full-year water operators were paid an average of $21,962 in overtime in 2025. The middle one was paid $27,353: a few people with a lot of overtime pull the average up.
What pension do water operators at South Coast Water District get?
The most common pension formula among South Coast Water District's water operators is 2% at 55, as reported by the agency. The employer paid an average of $14,204 a year into the pension plan.
More salaries in Orange County
- Moulton-Niguel Water District$151,416 average total pay
- Trabuco Canyon Water District$146,052 average total pay
- Orange County Sanitation District$142,083 average total pay
- South Orange County Wastewater Authority$140,342 average total pay
- Mesa Water District (Orange)$137,655 average total pay
- Irvine Ranch Water District$137,144 average total pay
- Highest water operator salaries in CaliforniaThe best-paying employers, ranked
- Teacher salaries in Orange CountyEvery school district's salary schedule
Sources for the South Coast Water District figures
Every person who held a water operator position at South Coast 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.
- State Controller's Office, Government Compensation in California, 2025: positions, official pay ranges, wages, pension formula and employer contributions as reported by South Coast Water District.