California / Water Resources / Attorney IV

Job-title file

Attorney IV

Provide legal advice, draft and review documents, and represent the agency in legal matters.

19 employees hold this title in Water Resources. Median total compensation for the role is $184,115, above the department median of $115,959.

Employees: 19
Total payroll: $3.4M
Role median: $184,115
Agency median: $115,959
Comparison: Above

What the records show

Role pay distribution

Pay distribution for this role

$128,966$188,745+

Hover a bar for its range; click to filter the list below.

How total compensation varies among the 19 people in this role. Even for one job title, pay differs with seniority, step, overtime, and tenure. Each bar is a pay range; the far-right bar collects the highest earners.

Compared with the local labor market

Attorney IV pay vs. California

Across all employers in California, the median wage for Lawyers — about 95,770 people — is $195,080. Water Resources pays a median base salary of $173,175 for this role, 11% below that figure — about the 41st percentile of local pay for the occupation.

Where Water Resources sits in the local pay range

10th

25th

Median

75th

90th

$97,950

$131,120

$195,080

$277,140

$369,180

Water Resources median · $173,175

The bar is the range of annual wages for Lawyers across every employer in California, from the 10th to the 90th percentile, with the middle 50% highlighted. The marker shows Water Resources’s median base salary for this role. Both figures are base pay only.

And across the country

Nationwide, the median wage for Lawyers — about 754,500 people — is $159,670. Water Resources’s median base salary is 8% above that national figure, about the 55th percentile of pay for the occupation nationally.

10th

25th

Median

75th

90th

$78,360

$102,990

$159,670

$221,370

$351,600

Water Resources median · $173,175

Local and national wages differ for reasons beyond how well a job pays — cost of living, the mix of employers, and local demand for the occupation all move the California range relative to the national one.

Computed over the 54 of 55 people in this role paid at least $25,000 in base salary. The rest are part-year or part-time records, whose actual pay isn’t comparable to a full-time annual wage.

Median total compensation for this role at Water Resources is $172,847, which includes overtime and employer-paid benefits. The benchmark above excludes both, so total compensation is deliberately not compared against it.

Benchmark: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025). BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) covers all employers in the area — private, non-profit, and government alike — so this is a comparison against the whole local labor market for the occupation, not against private-sector pay. OEWS wages are straight-time pay and exclude overtime, shift differentials, and employer-paid benefits, so the government figure shown here is base pay on the same basis. Total compensation is not comparable to it. Job titles are matched to the closest standard occupation, so the comparison is between similar work rather than an identical job classification.

Compare departments

This role across California

Attorney IV is held in 103 California departments. In Water Resources, the median of $184,115 ranks #25 of 103.

Highest-paying departments for this role

Education Audit Appeals Panel

$251,909 · 1

State Comp Insurance Fund

$200,344 · 141

CA. State Auditor's Office

$192,042 · 6

Alcoholic Beverage Control

$190,540 · 2

CA State Auditor's Office

$190,484 · 3

Department of Child Support Service

$187,166 · 2

Bus, Consumer Svs & Housing

$186,701 · 1

Sierra Nevada Conservancy

$186,601 · 1

Fair Political Practices Community

$186,501 · 2

Consumer Affairs

$186,501 · 2

Delta Stewardship Council

$186,501 · 1

Finance

$186,501 · 6

Median total compensation for the Attorney IV role in other Californiadepartments (highest first). Each bar links to that department’s page for this role.

Compare jurisdictions

Attorney beyond California

This role is reported in 14 jurisdictions. In California, the median of $150,234 ranks #2 of 14. See Attorney across all of California →

Highest-paying jurisdictions for this role

City and County of San Francisco

$273,500 · 508

$124,428 · 1,280

$108,190 · 29

$102,516 · 7

$102,000 · 359

$85,943 · 269

$83,880 · 608

Louisville Metro, Kentucky

$80,774 · 7

Median total compensation for comparable Attorney roles in other jurisdictions. Titles are matched by normalized name across sources, not identical job classification, and pay is not cost-of-living adjusted. Each bar links to that jurisdiction’s page for the role.

Record list

Employees with this title

Page 1

Laura Hollender

Attorney IV/Water Resources

2023 total comp

$190,008

Base pay: $176,306
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $13,702
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $190,008
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R02
Work county: Sacramento
Middle name: J

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $14,954
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 8401355780091
Salary Total: $14,954
Total Pay: $190,008

Laura Hollender works as a Attorney IV for Water Resources. Their status is full-time. Laura earned $190,008 in 2023. They are represented by R02.

Hanspeter Walter

Attorney IV/Water Resources

2025 total comp

$186,501

Base pay: $186,151
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $350
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $186,501
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R02
Work county: Sacramento

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $16,096
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 8401325780094
Salary Total: $15,352
Total Pay: $186,501

Hanspeter Walter holds the role of Attorney IV at Water Resources. Their status is full-time. In 2025, their total compensation was $186,501. Their bargaining unit is R02.

Kanwarjit Dua

Attorney IV/Water Resources

2025 total comp

$186,501

Base pay: $186,151
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $350
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $186,501
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R02
Work county: Sacramento

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $16,096
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 8408005780090
Salary Total: $15,352
Total Pay: $186,501

Kanwarjit Dua is a Attorney IV at Water Resources. They work full-time. 2025 total compensation came to $186,501. Their bargaining unit is R02.

Laurence Kerckhoff

Attorney IV/Water Resources

2025 total comp

$186,501

Base pay: $186,151
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $350
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $186,501
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R02
Work county: Sacramento
Middle name: H

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $16,096
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 8401355780092
Salary Total: $15,352
Total Pay: $186,501

Laurence Kerckhoff holds the role of Attorney IV at Water Resources. Their status is full-time. In 2025, their total compensation was $186,501. They are represented by R02.

David Polinsky

Attorney IV/Water Resources

2025 total comp

$186,473

Base pay: $186,123
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $350
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $186,473
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R02
Work county: Sacramento

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $16,096
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 8401325780092
Salary Total: $15,352
Total Pay: $186,473

At Water Resources, David Polinsky serves as a Attorney IV. They work full-time. Their 2025 pay totaled $186,473. Their bargaining unit is R02.

Kyle Muteff

Attorney IV/Water Resources

2025 total comp

$186,469

Base pay: $186,119
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $350
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $186,469
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R02
Work county: Sacramento
Middle name: C

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $16,096
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 8401355780095
Salary Total: $15,352
Total Pay: $186,469

Kyle Muteff is a Attorney IV at Water Resources. They work full-time. 2025 total compensation came to $186,469. They are represented by R02.

Bruce Kaminski

Attorney IV/Water Resources

2025 total comp

$186,326

Base pay: $186,151
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $175
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $186,326
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R02
Work county: Sacramento
Middle name: D

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $16,096
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 8401335780091
Salary Total: $15,352
Total Pay: $186,326

Bruce Kaminski holds the role of Attorney IV at Water Resources. Their status is full-time. In 2025, their total compensation was $186,326. Their bargaining unit is R02.

Colin Wood

Attorney IV/Water Resources

2025 total comp

$185,196

Base pay: $184,846
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $350
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $185,196
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R02
Work county: Sacramento
Middle name: A

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $16,096
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 8401365780094
Salary Total: $15,352
Total Pay: $185,196

Colin Wood is a Attorney IV at Water Resources. They work full-time. 2025 total compensation came to $185,196. Union affiliation: R02.

Melinda Williams

Attorney IV/Water Resources

2025 total comp

$184,181

Base pay: $184,006
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $175
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $184,181
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R02
Work county: Sacramento
Middle name: L

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $16,096
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 8401335780092
Salary Total: $15,352
Total Pay: $184,181

At Water Resources, Melinda Williams serves as a Attorney IV. They work full-time. Their 2025 pay totaled $184,181. They are represented by R02.

David Shipp

Attorney IV/Water Resources

2025 total comp

$184,115

Base pay: $183,765
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $350
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $184,115
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R02
Work county: Sacramento
Middle name: K

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $16,092
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 8401335780093
Salary Total: $15,349
Total Pay: $184,115

David Shipp holds the role of Attorney IV at Water Resources. Their status is full-time. In 2025, their total compensation was $184,115. Their bargaining unit is R02.

Karen Joelson

Attorney IV/Water Resources

2024 total comp

$183,113

Base pay: $182,813
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $300
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $183,113
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R02
Work county: Sacramento
Middle name: A

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $15,627
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 8401335780090
Salary Total: $15,627
Total Pay: $183,113

Karen Joelson works as a Attorney IV for Water Resources. Their status is full-time. Karen earned $183,113 in 2024. They are represented by R02.

Ekaterina Deaver

Attorney IV/Water Resources

2025 total comp

$182,926

Base pay: $182,576
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $350
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $182,926
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R02
Work county: Sacramento
Middle name: P

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $16,096
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 8401325780093
Salary Total: $15,352
Total Pay: $182,926

At Water Resources, Ekaterina Deaver serves as a Attorney IV. They work full-time. Their 2025 pay totaled $182,926. Union affiliation: R02.

Robin Hennessy

Attorney IV/Water Resources

2025 total comp

$176,159

Base pay: $173,852
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $2,307
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $176,159
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R02
Work county: Sacramento
Middle name: M

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $16,047
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 8401365780092
Salary Total: $15,306
Total Pay: $176,159

Robin Hennessy works as a Attorney IV for Water Resources. Their status is full-time. Robin earned $176,159 in 2025. Their bargaining unit is R02.

Bryan Barnhart

Attorney IV/Water Resources

2025 total comp

$175,851

Base pay: $175,501
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $350
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $175,851
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R02
Work county: Sacramento
Middle name: B

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $15,359
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 8401345780093
Salary Total: $14,649
Total Pay: $175,851

At Water Resources, Bryan Barnhart serves as a Attorney IV. They work full-time. Their 2025 pay totaled $175,851. They are represented by R02.

Rachel Taylor

Attorney IV/Water Resources

2025 total comp

$172,847

Base pay: $172,497
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $350
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $172,847
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R02
Work county: Sacramento

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $15,282
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 8401355780090
Salary Total: $14,576
Total Pay: $172,847

Rachel Taylor holds the role of Attorney IV at Water Resources. Their status is full-time. In 2025, their total compensation was $172,847. They are represented by R02.

Peter Thyberg

Attorney IV/Water Resources

2025 total comp

$170,663

Base pay: $170,313
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $350
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $170,663
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R02
Work county: Sacramento
Middle name: G

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $15,150
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 8401355780091
Salary Total: $14,450
Total Pay: $170,663

Peter Thyberg holds the role of Attorney IV at Water Resources. Their status is full-time. In 2025, their total compensation was $170,663. Union affiliation: R02.

Meghan Thomas

Attorney IV/Water Resources

2025 total comp

$168,967

Base pay: $168,617
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $350
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $168,967
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R02
Work county: Sacramento
Middle name: K

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $15,309
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 8401365780093
Salary Total: $14,602
Total Pay: $168,967

Meghan Thomas holds the role of Attorney IV at Water Resources. Their status is full-time. In 2025, their total compensation was $168,967. Union affiliation: R02.

Anthony Austin

Attorney IV/Water Resources

2025 total comp

$164,001

Base pay: $163,651
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $350
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $164,001
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R02
Work county: Sacramento
Middle name: A

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $14,690
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 8401355780094
Salary Total: $14,011
Total Pay: $164,001

Anthony Austin is a Attorney IV at Water Resources. They work full-time. 2025 total compensation came to $164,001. Their bargaining unit is R02.

David Anderson

Attorney IV/Water Resources

2024 total comp

$128,966

Base pay: $128,966
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $128,966
Employment type: Intermittent
Union / bargaining unit: R02
Work county: Sacramento
Middle name: B

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $14,954
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 8401325780900
Salary Total: $86
Total Pay: $128,966

David Anderson holds the role of Attorney IV at Water Resources. Their status is intermittent. In 2024, their total compensation was $128,966. Their bargaining unit is R02.