Watsonville water operator salary, 2025

Watsonville is a city in Santa Cruz County. 25 people worked as water operators for Watsonville in 2025. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $108,358, overtime included.

What is the average water operator salary at Watsonville?

Official pay range, wastewater treatment operators1

$60,122 to $155,430

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

$108,358

average base pay $97,263

Water operators
25
15 of them worked the full year
Starting salary
$60,122
bottom of the WW Treatment Plant Operator Trainee range
Median total pay
$100,627
the middle water operator: half earned more, half less
Average pay rank
183rd
of 300 California employers

What does each water operator title at Watsonville 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 Treatment Plant Operator Trainee$60,122 to $80,569 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5
  2. Wastewater Operator I$69,140 to $92,654 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5
  3. Wastewater Operator III$88,060 to $118,008 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5
  4. WW Treatment Plant Lead Operator$95,952 to $128,585 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5
  5. Wastewater Operations Supervisor$115,985 to $155,430 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5
  6. Water Operations Supervisor$115,985 to $155,430 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5

Wastewater collection operators

  1. Collection Systems Operator I$65,054 to $87,178 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5
  2. Collection Systems Operator II$71,892 to $96,342 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5

Water system operators

  1. Water Operator I$69,140 to $92,654 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5
  2. Water Operator II$76,407 to $102,393 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5
  3. Senior Water Operator$88,060 to $118,008 · 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 Watsonville pay water operators more than other employers in Santa Cruz County?

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

Full-year water operators at Watsonville earned $8,616 less than the Santa Cruz County average and $15,368 less than the California average.

Where does Watsonville rank among California employers?

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

All 300 California employers

Watsonville ranks 183rd of 300, below the middle employer.

Watsonville
$50k$100k$150k$200k

Middle employer: $116,210

The 6 employers in Santa Cruz County

Watsonville ranks 5th of 6, below the middle employer.

Watsonville
$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 Watsonville

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 Watsonville's water operators
Employer pension contribution
$8,867
average per year
Health, dental and vision
$17,486
average paid by the employer per year

Questions about water operator pay at Watsonville

What is the average water operator salary at Watsonville?

Water operators at Watsonville who worked the full year earned an average of $108,358 in 2025, overtime included. The middle water operator earned $100,627: half earned more, half less. The official pay range across its water operator titles runs from $60,122 to $155,430.

How much overtime do water operators at Watsonville earn?

Full-year water operators were paid an average of $8,852 in overtime in 2025. The middle one was paid $6,319: a few people with a lot of overtime pull the average up.

What pension do water operators at Watsonville get?

The most common pension formula among Watsonville's water operators is 2% at 62, as reported by the city. The employer paid an average of $8,867 a year into the pension plan.

More salaries in Santa Cruz County

Sources for the Watsonville figures

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

How we read the data