SOC 35-3041 · Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA metro

Food Servers, Nonrestaurant Salary in Riverside, CA

The average salary for food servers, nonrestaurant in Riverside, California is $40,930 a year ($19.68 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $37,120: half of the 2,290 people in this job in the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 13% more than the U.S. average for this job ($36,140).

$40,930average per year

$19.68 / hourMedian $37,120Take-home ≈ $34,294

  • $34K10th
  • $35K25th
  • $37KMedian
  • $45K75th
  • $51K90th

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

2,290people in this job
+13%vs U.S. average
#16 of 24California metros
106cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Food Servers, Nonrestaurant pay range in Riverside

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $34,320 a year or less, while the top 10% make $51,050 or more. The middle half of food servers, nonrestaurant in Riverside earn between $35,190 and $44,950.

  • $34K10th
  • $35K25th
  • $37KMedian
  • $45K75th
  • $51K90th

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

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$40,930$3,411$19.68
Median$37,120$3,093$17.85
Entry level (25th percentile)$35,190$2,932$16.92
Experienced (75th percentile)$44,950$3,746$21.61

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

Food Servers, Nonrestaurant pay in Riverside vs. California and the U.S.

Food servers, nonrestaurant in Riverside earn 6% less than the California average ($43,580) and 13% more than the U.S. average ($36,140). At the median the gap is +5% against the U.S. median of $35,360.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Riverside$40,930$37,120$34,320$51,0502,290
California$43,580$39,010$35,120$57,55032,430
United States$36,140$35,360$28,030$46,120293,900

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

Food Servers, Nonrestaurant salary after taxes in Riverside

On the average salary of $40,930, a single filer in Riverside takes home about $34,294 a year, or $2,858 a month and $1,319 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 food servers, nonrestaurant? 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 $40,930 buys what about $38,453 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.8 times the median wage of all jobs in Riverside ($48,400). A typical home costs $585,378, or 14.3 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $40,930 is worth in another city

Food Servers, Nonrestaurant salary in other California cities

Riverside ranks 16th of 24 California metro areas for this job; San Jose pays the most ($50,590).

All Food Servers, Nonrestaurant salaries in California

Highest-paying cities for food servers, nonrestaurant

Kahului, HI pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($59,020).

Food Servers, Nonrestaurant salary by city

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Food Servers, Nonrestaurant salary in Riverside: questions

How much do food servers, nonrestaurant make an hour in Riverside?

$19.68 an hour on average, and $17.85 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level food servers, nonrestaurant salary in Riverside?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $34,320 a year and the 25th percentile is $35,190, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the food servers, nonrestaurant take-home pay in Riverside?

About $34,294 a year ($2,858 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $40,930. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.

Do food servers, nonrestaurant earn more in Riverside than elsewhere?

The average here is 13% more than the U.S. average for this job ($36,140).

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 35-3041; area Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA (40140). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 0.9%.
  • 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 0.71, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.71).

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