Water Transfer Operator

Water Transfer Operator Salary

$27.5K

$51K

$84K

$54,297

/year

$26.10

/hour

Water Transfer Operator Salary Comparison by Location

Nationwide

United States

$54,297

Columbus

Ohio

$52,446

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    How much does a Water Transfer Operator make?

    As of Aug 23, 2026, the average annual pay for a Water Transfer 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 Transfer 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 Transfer 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 Transfer 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 40 out of 50 states nationwide for Water Transfer Operator salaries.

    To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Water Transfer 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 Transfer Operator on ZipRecruiter today.

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

    We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Water Transfer Operator job is above the national average. Topping the list is Nome, AK, , with Berkeley, CA, and Sitka, AK, close behind in the second and third positions. Sitka, AK, beats the national average by $11,114 (20.5%), and Nome, AK, furthers that trend with another $13,059 (24.1%) 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 Transfer Operator appears to be exceedingly fruitful.

    Finally, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies very little at 6% between Nome, AK, and Freeland, WA, , 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 Transfer Operator role.

    City

    Annual Salary

    Hourly Wage

    Nome, AK

    $67,356

    $32.38

    Berkeley, CA

    $66,484

    $31.96

    Sitka, AK

    $65,411

    $31.45

    Arlington, MA

    $64,188

    $30.86

    San Francisco, CA

    $63,972

    $30.76

    Santa Clara, CA

    $63,769

    $30.66

    Sunnyvale, CA

    $63,726

    $30.64

    Keystone, CO

    $63,681

    $30.62

    San Jose, CA

    $63,636

    $30.59

    Freeland, WA

    $63,374

    $30.47

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

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

    For example Flood Risk Engineer jobs pay as much as $61,567 (113.4%) more than the average Water Transfer Operator salary of $54,297. If you're qualified, finding work as a Flood Risk Engineer may help you make more money than that of the average Water Transfer Operator position.

    Job Title

    Annual Salary

    Hourly Wage

    Flood Risk Engineer

    $115,864

    $55.70

    Water Resource Manager

    $94,168

    $45.27

    Water Treatment Engineer

    $77,193

    $37.11

    Watershed

    $52,983

    $25.47

    Well Test Operator

    $42,045

    $20.21

    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 Transfer 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.