What are the top 10 cities with the highest pay for Water Jet Operator?

We've identified 10 cities in the United States where Water Jet Operator jobs typically pay above the area average. Topping the list is Berkeley, CA (22.4% above average), followed by Aspen, CO and Sitka, AK. City Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage Berkeley, CA $66,484 $5,540 $1,278 $31.96 Aspen, CO $65,630 $5,469 $1,262 $31.55 Sitka, AK $65,411 $5,450 $1,257 $31.45 San Francisco, CA $63,972 $5,331 $1,230 $30.76 Sunnyvale, CA $63,726 $5,310 $1,225 $30.64 Keystone, CO $63,681 $5,306 $1,224 $30.62 San Jose, CA $63,636 $5,303 $1,223 $30.59 Freeland, WA $63,374 $5,281 $1,218 $30.47 Osterville, MA $62,785 $5,232 $1,207 $30.19 Grand Gorge, NY $62,762 $5,230 $1,206 $30.17

Water Jet Operator

Water Jet Operator Salary

Q: How much does a Water Jet Operator make?

The average annual pay for a water jet operator in the United States is $54,297 a year — that works out to approximately $26.10 an hour. The middle 80% of Water Jet Operators earn between $37,500 (10th percentile) and $75,500 (90th percentile) per year, depending on experience and employer.

Q: What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Water Jet Operator Jobs in the United States?

We found several jobs related to Water Jet Operator in the United States that pay more on average. Topping the list is Mechanical Engineer Cnc at $48,581 (89.5%) above Water Jet Operator. Job Title Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage Mechanical Engineer Cnc $102,878 $8,573 $1,978 $49.46 Machine $54,803 $4,566 $1,053 $26.35 Maintainer Operator $42,340 $3,528 $814 $20.36 Manufacturing Operator $39,654 $3,304 $762 $19.06 Machine Operators $37,827 $3,152 $727 $18.19

$27.5K

$51K

$84K

$54,297

/year

$26.10

/hour

Water Jet Operator Salary Comparison by Location

Nationwide

United States

$54,297

Columbus

Ohio

$52,446

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How much does a Water Jet Operator make?

As of Aug 17, 2026, the average annual pay for a Water Jet Operator in the United States is $54,297 a year.

Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $26.10 an hour. This is the equivalent of $1,044/week or $4,524/month.

While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $84,000 and as low as $27,500, the majority of Water Jet Operator salaries currently range between $43,000 (25th percentile) to $63,000 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $75,500 annually across the United States. The average pay range for a Water Jet Operator varies greatly (by as much as 20000), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.

A Water Jet Operator in your area makes on average $52,446 per year, or $1,851 (3.409%) less than the national average annual salary of $54,297. Ohio ranks number 30 out of 50 states nationwide for Water Jet Operator salaries.

To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Water Jet Operator jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.

Find your next high paying job as a Water Jet Operator on ZipRecruiter today.

What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Water Jet Operator Jobs

We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Water Jet Operator job is above the national average. Topping the list is Berkeley, CA, , with Aspen, CO, and Sitka, AK, close behind in the second and third positions. Sitka, AK, beats the national average by $11,114 (20.5%), and Berkeley, CA, furthers that trend with another $12,187 (22.4%) above the $54,297 average.

With these 10 cities having average salaries higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as a Water Jet Operator appears to be exceedingly fruitful.

Finally, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies very little at 5% between Berkeley, CA, and Grand Gorge, NY, , reinforcing the limited potential for much wage advancement. The possibility of a lower cost of living may be the best factor to use when considering location and salary for a Water Jet Operator role.

City	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
Berkeley, CA	$66,484	$5,540	$1,278	$31.96
Aspen, CO	$65,630	$5,469	$1,262	$31.55
Sitka, AK	$65,411	$5,450	$1,257	$31.45
San Francisco, CA	$63,972	$5,331	$1,230	$30.76
Sunnyvale, CA	$63,726	$5,310	$1,225	$30.64
Keystone, CO	$63,681	$5,306	$1,224	$30.62
San Jose, CA	$63,636	$5,303	$1,223	$30.59
Freeland, WA	$63,374	$5,281	$1,218	$30.47
Osterville, MA	$62,785	$5,232	$1,207	$30.19
Grand Gorge, NY	$62,762	$5,230	$1,206	$30.17

What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Water Jet Operator Jobs in the U.S.

We found a few related jobs that pay more than jobs in the Water Jet Operator category.

For example Mechanical Engineer Cnc jobs pay as much as $48,581 (89.5%) more than the average Water Jet Operator salary of $54,297. If you're qualified, finding work as a Mechanical Engineer Cnc may help you make more money than that of the average Water Jet Operator position.

Job Title	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
Mechanical Engineer Cnc	$102,878	$8,573	$1,978	$49.46
Machine	$54,803	$4,566	$1,053	$26.35
Maintainer Operator	$42,340	$3,528	$814	$20.36
Manufacturing Operator	$39,654	$3,304	$762	$19.06
Machine Operators	$37,827	$3,152	$727	$18.19

About Our Data

ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.

Infographic detailing Water Jet Operator salary across the United States as of August 2026. Displays a bar chart with salary percentiles, a national average salary of $54,297 per year or $26.10 an hour, and a color-coded map showing state-by-state salary variations.

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