Riverside water operator salary, 2025
Riverside is a city in Riverside County. 55 people worked as water operators for Riverside in 2025. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $112,281, overtime included.
What is the average water operator salary at Riverside?
Official pay range, wastewater treatment operators1
$59,040 to $141,276
from the lowest entry salary to the top of the highest title for wastewater treatment operators, the largest group
Based on the 42 of 55 water operators who worked the full year.
The largest group of Riverside's water operators (8 of 55) hold the title Wastewater Collection System Technician I (T), with an official range of $60,756 to $77,424. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $71,197, within the range.
- Median total pay
- $104,833
- the middle water operator: half earned more, half less
- Overtime
- $15,073
- average per full-year water operator
- Starting salary
- $59,040
- bottom of the Wastewater Plant Operator I Trainee (T) range
- Average pay rank
- 169th
- of 300 California employers
What does each water operator title at Riverside 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
- Wastewater Plant Operator I Trainee (T)Fewer than 5
- Wastewater Plant Operator I (T)Fewer than 5
- Wastewater Plant Operator II (T)Fewer than 5
- Wastewater Plant Operator IIIFewer than 5
- Wastewater Plant Operator III (T)Fewer than 5
- Senior Wastewater Plant Operator$148,587
- Wastewater Plant SupervisorFewer than 5
Wastewater collection operators
- Wastewater Collection System Technician I (T)$71,197
- Wastewater Collection System Technician IFewer than 5
- Wastewater Collection System Technician II (T)Fewer than 5
- Wastewater Collection System Technician IIFewer than 5
- Lead Wastewater Collection System Technician (T)Fewer than 5
- Lead Wastewater Collection System TechnicianFewer than 5
- Senior Wastewater Collection System TechnicianFewer than 5
Other operator titles
- Utilities Water System Operator IFewer than 5
- Utilities Water System Operator II$151,151
- Utilities Senior Water System OperatorFewer than 5
official range average total pay, full year. "Fewer than 5" means too few full-year people in that title to show.
Does Riverside pay water operators more than other employers in Riverside County?
Average total pay of full-year water operators: Riverside next to every employer in the county together, and the whole state.1
- Riverside$112,281
- All employers in Riverside County$123,980
- All employers in California$123,726
Full-year water operators at Riverside earned $11,699 less than the Riverside County average and $11,445 less than the California average.
Average water operator pay in Riverside County compared to nearby counties
Average total pay of full-year water operators across all employers in each county that borders Riverside County, and how much more or less it pays.1
- Orange County$128,661 average, 22 employers$4,681 more than Riverside County
- San Diego County$121,806 average, 20 employers$2,174 less than Riverside County
- San Bernardino County$116,908 average, 25 employers$7,072 less than Riverside County
- Imperial County$91,511 average, 7 employers$32,469 less than Riverside County
Where does Riverside rank among California employers?
Every employer with at least 5 full-year water operators, by average total pay.1
All 300 California employers
Riverside ranks 169th of 300, below the middle employer.
Middle employer: $116,210
The 14 employers in Riverside County
Riverside ranks 11th of 14, below the middle employer.
Middle employer: $119,944
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 Riverside
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 Riverside's water operators
- Employer pension contribution
- $12,667
- average per year
- Health, dental and vision
- $12,246
- average paid by the employer per year
Questions about water operator pay at Riverside
What is the average water operator salary at Riverside?
Water operators at Riverside who worked the full year earned an average of $112,281 in 2025, overtime included. The middle water operator earned $104,833: half earned more, half less. The official pay range across its water operator titles runs from $59,040 to $141,276.
How much overtime do water operators at Riverside earn?
Full-year water operators were paid an average of $15,073 in overtime in 2025. The middle one was paid $8,504: a few people with a lot of overtime pull the average up.
What pension do water operators at Riverside get?
The most common pension formula among Riverside's water operators is 2% at 62, as reported by the city. The employer paid an average of $12,667 a year into the pension plan.
More salaries in Riverside County
- Beaumont$123,241 average total pay
- Mission Springs Water District$121,345 average total pay
- Rancho California Water District$118,544 average total pay
- Coachella Valley Water District$118,446 average total pay
- Beaumont-Cherry Valley Water District$114,915 average total pay
- Valley Sanitary District (Riverside)$107,177 average total pay
- Highest water operator salaries in CaliforniaThe best-paying employers, ranked
- Police officer salaries at Riverside$162,210 average total pay
- 911 dispatcher salaries at Riverside$123,707 average total pay
- Firefighter salaries at Riverside$173,876 average total pay
- Librarian salaries at Riverside$84,144 average total pay
- Teacher salaries in Riverside CountyEvery school district's salary schedule
Sources for the Riverside figures
Every person who held a water operator position at Riverside 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 Riverside.