Utility Helper Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Salary : $62,744.40 - $76,274.64 Annually
Location : Sacramento, CA
Job Type: Permanent Full-Time
Job Number: 29418-C
Department: Water Resources
Opening Date: 03/10/2026
Closing Date: 11/17/2026 5:00 PM Pacific
The Position
This is a continuous filing exam. Next filing cut-offs are at 5:00 pm on:
7/28/26, 8/25/26, 9/22/26, 10/20/26, 11/17/26 (final)
Under supervision, the Stormwater Utility Worker assists in the maintenance and repair of storm water collection and distribution facilities primarily within the boundaries of the Stormwater Utility in Sacramento County. These facilities include: channels, creeks, ditches, and other waterways; manholes, drain inlets, and underground pipelines; levees, water quality basins and detention basins; and drainage facility appurtenances and drainage facility access roads.
Examples of Knowledge and Abilities
Knowledge of

• Safety rules and procedures for working in drainage maintenance
• The operation and maintenance of motor vehicles
• The operation and maintenance of gas-powered tools such as mowers, weed eaters, and chainsaws; of hand tools and pneumatic tools such as the pick ax, hoe, shovel, rake, pitch fork, jackhammer, and saw; of sprayers and pumps; and other tools used to maintain, repair, and construct drainage facilities (underground pipelines, channels, creeks, and basins) and related appurtenances to include levees and embankments
• Basic math in order to add, subtract, multiply and divide
• Basic computer operation in order to enter and retrieve information in designated software such as the Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS) to receive and send e-mails, and complete routine forms and reports

Ability to

• Read, write, and speak English at a level necessary for satisfactory job performance
• Understand and follow oral and written directions
• Operate a laptop computer and designated software in order to enter and retrieve information, receive and send e-mails, and complete routine forms and reports
• Perform a variety of semi-skilled, heavy manual labor tasks relating to the construction repair, and maintenance of underground pipelines, channels, creeks, and basins and related appurtenances such as levees and embankments
• Provide good customer service to the public and other customers and to establish good relationships with co-workers
• Use hand and power tools in a safe and efficient manner
• Operate motor vehicles safely
• Apply pesticides and herbicides to control or to eliminate unwanted vegetation
• Read and understand maps such as facility maps and Thomas Brothers Maps

Employment Qualifications
Minimum Qualifications
Either: One year of full-time experience employed by the County of Sacramento in the class of Maintenance Helper or above.
Or: Two years of full-time experience performing tasks involved in (1) landscaping work, (2) the maintenance of drainage creeks, channels and basins, and/or (3) the construction, maintenance or repair of underground utilities such as drainage, potable water, or sewer.
Note: If the word "experience" is referenced in the minimum qualifications, it means full-time paid experience unless the minimum qualification states that volunteer experience is acceptable. Part-time paid experience may be accumulated and pro-rated to meet the total experience requirements.
General Qualifications
License Requirement: A valid California Driver license, Class C or higher, is required prior to appointment. Incumbents must obtain a Tank endorsement and a valid California Driver License, Class B, within 90 days of appointment to the class. Failure to maintain the appropriate California Driver License and/or endorsement may constitute cause for personnel action from the class in accordance with Civil Service Rules or applicable bargaining agreement. Individuals who do not meet this requirement due to disability will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
Age Requirement: Candidates must be 18 years of age prior to appointment because of the hazards of the job, as defined in the Fair Labor Standard Act.
Certification Requirement: Some positions in this class are required to obtain and maintain the Qualified Applicator Certificate from the Department of Pesticide Regulation, State of California, in order to apply herbicides and pesticides to aquatic and right-of-way areas. If designated, the Certificate must be obtained within one year of appointment to the class. Failure to maintain the Certificate may constitute cause for personnel action from the class in accordance with Civil Service Rule 11.4 or applicable bargaining agreement.
Physical Requirements: Positions in this class require the incumbent to be able to:

• Perform heavy manual labor such as digging ditches and clearing brush/shrubs for extended periods of time
• Audibly discern differences in the operation of equipment such as continuous rodders and Vactor or Vacon style pipe cleaning equipment
• Work in a bent or kneeling position for over 15 minutes at a time
• Work in awkward positions in tight spaces
• Enter drains through 24 inch diameter entrances
• Lift and carry materials (e.g. drainage inlet grates, jackhammers, concrete sacks, etc.) that weigh up to 60 pounds without assistance
• Lift, carry and operate tools (e.g. back-pack sprays and jackhammers) that weigh up to 60 pounds without assistance
• Move and/or manipulate heavy objects such as a PVC pipe weighing up to 300 pounds into position using hand tools (for example, straps and/or digging bar) and/or with assistance from at least one other employee.

Individuals who do not meet these requirements due to disability will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
Working Conditions: Positions in this class require the incumbent to:

• Work in all types of climatic conditions including inclement and very hot weather
• Work in loud and noisy areas
• Work in enclosed and tight spaces
• Work around dust, dirt, noise, contaminated and non-contaminated water, chemicals, machinery and equipment with moving parts, moving vehicles, traffic, fumes and/or odors
• Work in close proximity to dogs, cows, horses, etc.
• Work in creeks, channels, basins, levees, and other stormwater structures which may be inhabited by spiders, snakes, skunks, rats, etc.
• Work overtime, standby and call back. In particular, during periods of heavy rain and/or flood conditions, the repair and maintenance of storm water collection facilities is a 24 hours a day operation and all employees in this class will be subject to working night shifts, weekends, and holidays

Probationary Period
The probationary period for this classification is six (6) months.
Application and Testing Information
APPLICATION
Qualified applicants are encouraged to apply immediately. All applicants must complete and submit an online County of Sacramento employment application by 5:00 PM on the posted cut-off date. Click here to apply.
County of Sacramento
Department of Personnel Services
Employment Services Division
700 H Street, Room 4667
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone (916) 874-5593; 7-1-1 California Relay Service
Email EmployOffice@Saccounty.net
Inter-Office Mail Code: 09-4667

• Employment applications and all documentation requested in this announcement must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. on the cut-off date.
• Employment Services is not responsible for any issues or delays caused by an applicant's computer or web browser. Applicants will be automatically logged out if they have not submitted their applications and all documentation prior to 5:00 p.m. on the cut-off date.
• Your application should highlight all relevant education, training, and experience, and clearly indicate how you meet the minimum qualifications for the position as of the cut-off date.
• Application information must be current, concise and related to the requirements in this job announcement. You may only apply for this recruitment once. Duplicate and incomplete applications will be disqualified.
• A resume may be included with your application, however it will not substitute for the information requested on the application.

SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE
Applicants are required to provide a full and complete response to each supplemental question. The Supplemental Questionnaire is located in the tab marked "Supplemental Questions". Please be descriptive in your response.
Note: Responses of "See Resume" or "See Application", or copy and paste of work experience are not qualifying responses and will not be considered.

• Supplemental Questionnaires must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. on the cut-off date. Employment Services is not responsible for any issues or delays caused by an applicant's computer or web browser. Applicants will be automatically logged out if they have not submitted their applications and all documentation prior to 5:00 p.m. on the cut-off date.
• The supplemental questions are designed to elicit specific information regarding a candidate's experience, education, and training. Responses should be consistent with the information on your application and are subject to verification.
• Please provide place of employment, pertinent dates, and concise, descriptive and detailed information for each question.
• If a job included responsibilities applicable to several questions, separate the different functions of the job to answer all the questions completely.
• Resumes or referral to the application or other questionnaire responses will not be accepted in lieu of completing each question.
• If you have no experience, write "no experience" for the appropriate question.
• For many individuals, it is more efficient to develop responses to the supplemental questions in a word processing document and then paste them into the final document to be submitted. Changes or corrections to your Supplemental Questionnaire cannot be made once your application packet has been submitted.
• If the Supplemental Questionnaire is used in the Formula Rate exam, failure to complete all of the questions or incomplete responses will result in a lower score. While scoring the Supplemental Questionnaire, the candidate's application and/or attachments will not be reviewed, therefore, a candidate's responses to the questions should be accurate, thorough, detailed, and complete.

FORMULA RATE EXAMINATION (Weighted 100%)
All candidates meeting the minimum qualifications by the cut-off date will have their Supplemental Questionnaire scored in the Formula Rate Examination.
This examination will evaluate the relevance, level, recency, progression and quality of candidate's education, training and experience. The candidate's application or other materials will not be included in this examination. Therefore, the candidate's responses to the supplemental questionnaire should be thorough, detailed and complete. The score from the Formula Rate Examination will determine the ranking on the eligible/employment list for this job.
All candidates competing in the testing process will receive written notice of their examination results by email. Notices can also be accessed in their governmentjobs.com inbox. Applicants achieving a passing score will be placed on the eligible list in rank order. The rank is determined by the test score attained from the examination.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Click for Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)
For information regarding County jobs:
Sacramento County is about enriching communities to thrive. We strive to create inclusive workplaces that reflect the communities we serve. We value and celebrate the unique perspectives, backgrounds, abilities, and diverse dimensions of our employees and residents. Through transparency, courage, innovation, and trust we are committed to advance equity and transformational change.
We are a proud equal opportunity employer. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability for any phase of the hiring process, please contact our Disability Compliance Office at or 916-874-7642, CA Relay 711. For more information, visit:
EMPLOYEE BENEFITS
At Sacramento County, we strive to provide benefit programs designed to meet our employees' current and future needs and help them as they balance their careers and personal life. County of Sacramento employees have a variety of benefits available. These benefits include:

• Dental Insurance
• Vision Benefits
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
• Health Insurance
• Health Savings Account (HSA)
• Life Insurance
• Critical Illness
• Retiree Health Savings Plan (RHSP)
• Deferred Compensation

More information can be found on the
TEMPORARY POSITIONS:
Most benefits do not apply to temporary positions.
VACATION:
Generally, vacation with pay begins at 10 days annually. With increase over a period of years, the maximum annual vacation with pay is 25 days.
HOLIDAYS:
14.5 holidays per year as recognized by the Board of Supervisors.
SICK LEAVE:
Equivalent to 15 days annually, unlimited accumulation.
TUITION REIMBURSEMENT:
Regular County employees may be eligible to receive Tuition Reimbursement. The costs for course tuition/registration fees and required books/supplies may be eligible for reimbursement. Tuition reimbursement amounts may vary depending upon union agreement.
RETIREMENT:
The County's defined-benefit pension plan is provided by the County Employe