Los Angeles water operator salary, 2025

Los Angeles is a city in Los Angeles County. 548 people worked as water operators for Los Angeles in 2025. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $143,766, overtime included.

What is the average water operator salary at Los Angeles?

Official pay range, wastewater collection operators1

$64,686 to $133,527

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

$143,766

average base pay $114,612

Based on the 309 of 548 water operators who worked the full year.

The largest group of Los Angeles's water operators (164 of 548) hold the title Wastewater Conveyance Operator II, with an official range of $78,007 to $96,924. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $119,127, $22,203 above the top of the range.

Median total pay
$137,067
the middle water operator: half earned more, half less
Overtime
$23,409
average per full-year water operator
Starting salary
$64,686
bottom of the Wastewater Conveyance Operator I range
Average pay rank
47th
of 300 California employers

What does each water operator title at Los Angeles 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. Wastewater Conveyance Operator I$64,686 to $80,346 · 13 people
    $88,353
  2. Wastewater Conveyance Operator II$78,007 to $96,924 · 164 people
    $119,127
  3. Wastewater Conveyance Supervisor$91,329 to $133,527 · 18 people
    $159,895

Wastewater treatment operators

  1. Wastewater Treatment Operator I$120,916 · 89 people
    $156,252
  2. Wastewater Treatment Operator II$134,133 · 26 people
    $169,066
  3. Wastewater Treatment Operator III$141,462 · 42 people
    $182,854
  4. Senior Wastewater Treatment Operator$153,426 · 9 people
    $195,163

Water distribution operators

  1. Water Utility Operator$86,088 to $106,968 · 38 people
    Fewer than 5
  2. Water Utility Supervisor$113,337 to $140,815 · 93 people
    Fewer than 5

Water treatment operators

  1. Water Treatment Operator$103,899 to $129,059 · 43 people
    Fewer than 5
  2. Water Treatment Supervisor$124,967 to $155,264 · 13 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 Los Angeles pay water operators more than other employers in Los Angeles County?

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

Full-year water operators at Los Angeles earned $5,957 more than the Los Angeles County average and $20,040 more than the California average.

Average water operator pay in Los Angeles County compared to nearby counties

Average total pay of full-year water operators across all employers in each county that borders Los Angeles County, and how much more or less it pays.1

Los Angeles County Shades match the state map.

Where does Los Angeles rank among California employers?

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

All 300 California employers

Los Angeles ranks 47th of 300, above the middle employer.

Los Angeles
$50k$100k$150k$200k

Middle employer: $116,210

The 26 employers in Los Angeles County

Los Angeles ranks 6th of 26, above the middle employer.

Los Angeles
$100k$150k$200k

Middle employer: $113,552

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 Los Angeles

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 60
the most common formula among Los Angeles's water operators
Employer pension contribution
$13,616
average per year
Health, dental and vision
$20,622
average paid by the employer per year

Questions about water operator pay at Los Angeles

What is the average water operator salary at Los Angeles?

Water operators at Los Angeles who worked the full year earned an average of $143,766 in 2025, overtime included. The middle water operator earned $137,067: half earned more, half less. The official pay range across its water operator titles runs from $64,686 to $133,527.

How much overtime do water operators at Los Angeles earn?

Full-year water operators were paid an average of $23,409 in overtime in 2025. The middle one was paid $18,937: a few people with a lot of overtime pull the average up.

What pension do water operators at Los Angeles get?

The most common pension formula among Los Angeles's water operators is 2% at 60, as reported by the city. The employer paid an average of $13,616 a year into the pension plan.

More salaries in Los Angeles County

Sources for the Los Angeles figures

Every person who held a water operator position at Los Angeles 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.

  1. State Controller's Office, Government Compensation in California, 2025: positions, official pay ranges, wages, pension formula and employer contributions as reported by Los Angeles.

How we read the data