Bakersfield water operator salary, 2025
Bakersfield is a city in Kern County. 26 people worked as water operators for Bakersfield in 2025. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $81,572, overtime included.
What is the average water operator salary at Bakersfield?
Official pay range, wastewater treatment operators1
$49,924 to $93,882
from the lowest entry salary to the top of the highest title for wastewater treatment operators, the largest group
Based on the 22 of 26 water operators who worked the full year.
The largest group of Bakersfield's water operators (12 of 26) hold the title W W Treatment Plant Opr III, with an official range of $73,545 to $89,411. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $96,782, $7,371 above the top of the range.
- Median total pay
- $75,849
- the middle water operator: half earned more, half less
- Overtime
- $4,484
- average per full-year water operator
- Starting salary
- $49,924
- bottom of the W W Treatment Plant Opr I range
- Average pay rank
- 277th
- of 300 California employers
What does each water operator title at Bakersfield 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
- W W Treatment Plant Opr IFewer than 5
- W W Treatment Plant Opr IIFewer than 5
- W W Treatment Plant Opr III$96,782
- Senior Ww Treatment Plant OprFewer than 5
Wastewater collection operators
- Sewer Maintainer II$68,570
- Sewer Maintainer IIIFewer than 5
official range average total pay, full year. "Fewer than 5" means too few full-year people in that title to show.
Does Bakersfield pay water operators more than other employers in Kern County?
Average total pay of full-year water operators: Bakersfield next to every employer in the county together, and the whole state.1
- Bakersfield$81,572
- All employers in Kern County$99,167
- All employers in California$123,726
Full-year water operators at Bakersfield earned $17,595 less than the Kern County average and $42,154 less than the California average.
Average water operator pay in Kern County compared to nearby counties
Average total pay of full-year water operators across all employers in each county that borders Kern County, and how much more or less it pays.1
- Los Angeles County$137,809 average, 34 employers$38,642 more than Kern County
- Santa Barbara County$120,906 average, 12 employers$21,739 more than Kern County
- San Bernardino County$116,908 average, 25 employers$17,741 more than Kern County
- Ventura County$111,636 average, 11 employers$12,469 more than Kern County
- San Luis Obispo County$95,785 average, 10 employers$3,382 less than Kern County
- Tulare County$73,175 average, 3 employers$25,992 less than Kern County
- Kings County$71,603 average, 3 employers$27,564 less than Kern County
- Inyo CountyNo employerNo water operator employer in Inyo County has a page here.
Where does Bakersfield rank among California employers?
Every employer with at least 5 full-year water operators, by average total pay.1
All 300 California employers
Bakersfield ranks 277th of 300, below the middle employer.
Middle employer: $116,210
The 10 employers in Kern County
Bakersfield ranks 9th of 10, below the middle employer.
Middle employer: $92,144
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 Bakersfield
As reported by the city. Contributions are what the employer paid per full-year water operator, on top of wages.1
- Pension formula
- 3% at 60
- the most common formula among Bakersfield's water operators
- Employer pension contribution
- $8,710
- average per year
- Health, dental and vision
- $15,419
- average paid by the employer per year
Questions about water operator pay at Bakersfield
What is the average water operator salary at Bakersfield?
Water operators at Bakersfield who worked the full year earned an average of $81,572 in 2025, overtime included. The middle water operator earned $75,849: half earned more, half less. The official pay range across its water operator titles runs from $49,924 to $93,882.
How much overtime do water operators at Bakersfield earn?
Full-year water operators were paid an average of $4,484 in overtime in 2025. The middle one was paid $4,197: a few people with a lot of overtime pull the average up.
What pension do water operators at Bakersfield get?
The most common pension formula among Bakersfield's water operators is 3% at 60, as reported by the city. The employer paid an average of $8,710 a year into the pension plan.
More salaries in Kern County
- Bear Valley Community Services District$106,541 average total pay
- Tehachapi$94,315 average total pay
- Delano$89,974 average total pay
- Shafter$88,221 average total pay
- North of the River Sanitary District No.1 (Kern)$84,082 average total pay
- Kern County$71,408 average total pay
- Highest water operator salaries in CaliforniaThe best-paying employers, ranked
- Police officer salaries at Bakersfield$120,052 average total pay
- 911 dispatcher salaries at Bakersfield$82,987 average total pay
- Firefighter salaries at Bakersfield$123,159 average total pay
- Teacher salaries in Kern CountyEvery school district's salary schedule
Sources for the Bakersfield figures
Every person who held a water operator position at Bakersfield 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 very high pay. 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 Bakersfield.