Water Operator
Water Operator Salary
$27.5K - $32.5K
3% of jobs
$32.5K - $37.5K
8% of jobs
$37.5K - $42.5K
14% of jobs
$42.6K is the 25th percentile. Wages below this are outliers.
$42.5K - $47.5K
18% of jobs
The median wage is $50.3K / yr.
$47.5K - $52.5K
14% of jobs
$52.5K - $57.5K
14% of jobs
$60.3K is the 75th percentile. Wages above this are outliers.
$57.5K - $62.5K
9% of jobs
$62.5K - $67.5K
8% of jobs
$67.5K - $72.5K
6% of jobs
$72.5K - $77.5K
4% of jobs
$77.5K - $82.5K
3% of jobs
$27.5K
$51K
$84K
$54,297
/year
$26.10
/hour
Water Operator Salary Comparison by Location
Nationwide
United States
$54,297
Columbus
Ohio
$52,446
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How much does a Water Operator make?
As of Aug 10, 2026, the average annual pay for a Water 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 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 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 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 31 out of 50 states nationwide for Water Operator salaries.
To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Water 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 Operator on ZipRecruiter today.
What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Water Operator Jobs
We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Water Operator job is above the national average. Topping the list is Scotts Valley, CA, , with Soledad, CA, and Berkeley, CA, close behind in the second and third positions. Berkeley, CA, beats the national average by $12,187 (22.4%), and Scotts Valley, CA, furthers that trend with another $15,969 (29.4%) 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 Operator appears to be exceedingly fruitful.
Finally, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies very little at 9% between Scotts Valley, CA, and Livermore, CA, , 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 Operator role.
City | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Scotts Valley, CA | $70,266 | $33.78 |
Soledad, CA | $69,544 | $33.43 |
Berkeley, CA | $66,484 | $31.96 |
Sitka, AK | $65,411 | $31.45 |
Arlington, MA | $64,188 | $30.86 |
Blythe, CA | $64,075 | $30.81 |
San Francisco, CA | $63,972 | $30.76 |
Santa Clara, CA | $63,769 | $30.66 |
Sunnyvale, CA | $63,726 | $30.64 |
Livermore, CA | $63,690 | $30.62 |
What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Water Operator Jobs in the U.S.
We found a few related jobs that pay more than jobs in the Water Operator category.
For example Rock Quarry jobs pay as much as $12,710 (23.4%) more than the average Water Operator salary of $54,297. If you're qualified, finding work as a Rock Quarry may help you make more money than that of the average Water Operator position.
Job Title | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Rock Quarry | $67,007 | $32.21 |
Actors | $56,903 | $27.36 |
Railroad Safety Inspector | $54,939 | $26.41 |
Remote Excavator Operator | $54,408 | $26.16 |
Flagger Force | $35,965 | $17.29 |
About Our Data
ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.
