SOC 35-3023 · Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA metro

Fast Food and Counter Workers Salary in Riverside, CA

The average salary for fast food and counter workers in Riverside, California is $41,250 a year ($19.83 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $42,280: half of the 51,310 people in this job in the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 28% more than the U.S. average for this job ($32,150).

$41,250average per year

$19.83 / hourMedian $42,280Take-home ≈ $34,539

  • $35K10th
  • $36K25th
  • $42KMedian
  • $45K75th
  • $47K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

51,310people in this job
+28%vs U.S. average
#12 of 25California metros
106cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Fast Food and Counter Workers pay range in Riverside

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $34,790 a year or less, while the top 10% make $46,540 or more. The middle half of fast food and counter workers in Riverside earn between $36,410 and $45,000.

  • $35K10th
  • $36K25th
  • $42KMedian
  • $45K75th
  • $47K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$41,250$3,438$19.83
Median$42,280$3,523$20.33
Entry level (25th percentile)$36,410$3,034$17.50
Experienced (75th percentile)$45,000$3,750$21.63

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.

Fast Food and Counter Workers pay in Riverside vs. California and the U.S.

Fast food and counter workers in Riverside earn about the same as the California average ($41,680) and 28% more than the U.S. average ($32,150). At the median the gap is +36% against the U.S. median of $31,200.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Riverside$41,250$42,280$34,790$46,54051,310
California$41,680$42,280$35,530$47,950449,840
United States$32,150$31,200$22,840$42,6503,854,050

State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.

Fast Food and Counter Workers salary after taxes in Riverside

On the average salary of $41,250, a single filer in Riverside takes home about $34,539 a year, or $2,878 a month and $1,328 every two weeks. Taxes take 16% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.

California paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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Is Riverside a good place for fast food and counter workers? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Riverside area are 6% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 106.4), so the average $41,250 buys what about $38,753 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.9 times the median wage of all jobs in Riverside ($48,400). A typical home costs $585,378, or 14.2 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $41,250 is worth in another city

Fast Food and Counter Workers salary in other California cities

Riverside ranks 12th of 25 California metro areas for this job; San Jose pays the most ($44,980).

All Fast Food and Counter Workers salaries in California

Highest-paying cities for fast food and counter workers

San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($44,980).

Fast Food and Counter Workers salary by city

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Fast Food and Counter Workers salary in Riverside: questions

How much do fast food and counter workers make an hour in Riverside?

$19.83 an hour on average, and $20.33 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level fast food and counter workers salary in Riverside?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $34,790 a year and the 25th percentile is $36,410, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the fast food and counter workers take-home pay in Riverside?

About $34,539 a year ($2,878 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $41,250. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.

Do fast food and counter workers earn more in Riverside than elsewhere?

The average here is 28% more than the U.S. average for this job ($32,150).

Sources and how to read this page

  • Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 35-3023; area Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA (40140). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.0%.
  • U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
  • Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
  • Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
  • Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 1.21, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

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