Stockton water operator salary, 2025

Stockton is a city in San Joaquin County. 67 people worked as water operators for Stockton in 2025. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $92,936, overtime included.

What is the average water operator salary at Stockton?

Official pay range, wastewater collection operators1

$59,376 to $83,527

from the lowest entry salary to the top of the highest title for wastewater collection operators, the largest group

Average total pay, full-year water operators1

$92,936

average base pay $80,399

The largest group of Stockton's water operators (19 of 67) hold the title 4203 Collection Systems Op (Journ), with an official range of $68,726 to $75,767. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $88,119, $12,352 above the top of the range.

Water operators
67
49 of them worked the full year
Starting salary
$59,376
bottom of the 4202 Collection Systems Op (Entry) range
Median total pay
$86,600
the middle water operator: half earned more, half less
Average pay rank
243rd
of 300 California employers

What does each water operator title at Stockton 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 collection operators

  1. 4202 Collection Systems Op (Entry)$59,376 to $65,461 · 10 people
    $68,617
  2. 4203 Collection Systems Op (Journ)$68,726 to $75,767 · 19 people
    $88,119
  3. 4218 Senior Collection Systems Op$79,562 to $83,527 · 9 people
    $95,777

Water system operators

  1. 4226 Water Systems Op (Entry)$65,045 to $71,711 · 14 people
    $76,968
  2. 4227 Water Systems Op (Journey)$75,287 to $83,002 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5
  3. 4224 Senior Water Systems Operator$88,584 to $92,999 · 8 people
    $103,540
  4. 1248 Chief Water Systems Operator$131,576 to $168,947 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5

Wastewater treatment operators

  1. 1213 Chief Plant Operator-Wastewater$131,576 to $168,947 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5

Water treatment operators

  1. 1214 Chief Plant Operator - Water$131,576 to $168,947 · 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 Stockton pay water operators more than other employers in San Joaquin County?

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

Full-year water operators at Stockton earned $26,506 less than the San Joaquin County average and $30,790 less than the California average.

Where does Stockton rank among California employers?

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

All 300 California employers

Stockton ranks 243rd of 300, below the middle employer.

Stockton
$50k$100k$150k$200k

Middle employer: $116,210

The 7 employers in San Joaquin County

Stockton ranks 7th of 7, below the middle employer.

Stockton
$100k$120k$140k$160k

Middle employer: $122,992

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 Stockton

As reported by the city. 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 Stockton's water operators
Employer pension contribution
$22,474
average per year
Health, dental and vision
$15,630
average paid by the employer per year

Questions about water operator pay at Stockton

What is the average water operator salary at Stockton?

Water operators at Stockton who worked the full year earned an average of $92,936 in 2025, overtime included. The middle water operator earned $86,600: half earned more, half less. The official pay range across its water operator titles runs from $59,376 to $83,527.

How much overtime do water operators at Stockton earn?

Full-year water operators were paid an average of $6,607 in overtime in 2025. The middle one was paid $5,132: a few people with a lot of overtime pull the average up.

More salaries in San Joaquin County

Sources for the Stockton figures

Every person who held a water operator position at Stockton 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 Stockton.

How we read the data