Updated May 2026 · BLS OEWS 2025 reference period
Riverside-San Bernardino, CA Average Salary 2026
Cost of living, occupation-by-occupation pay, and percentile ranges from official BLS data.
The average salary in Riverside-San Bernardino, CA, California is $113,855 as of 2026, based on Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data (2025 reference period) covering 62 occupations and roughly 222,620 workers. Adjusted for Riverside-San Bernardino, CA's cost-of-living index of 122.4, that nominal average translates to $93,019 of purchasing power in an average-cost U.S. metro. The highest-paying tracked occupation is Obstetrician/Gynecologist at $375,400; the lowest is Welder at $52,050.
Riverside-San Bernardino, CA, CA has cost-of-living above the national baseline (index 122.4). The 62 occupations reported here average $113,855 in median wages.
Highest-paying role in Riverside-San Bernardino, CA on BLS data is Obstetrician/Gynecologist at $375,400 median. Top-paying roles in any U.S. city skew toward physicians, executives, tech specialists, and licensed professionals; the specific ranking varies with the local industry mix. Workers comparing Riverside-San Bernardino, CA to other regional centers should look at both gross and cost-adjusted wages. The cost-of-living index is uniform across the city but actual household costs vary widely by neighborhood and lifestyle.
Salaries by Occupation in Riverside-San Bernardino, CA
| Role | Category | Median | Range (10th–90th) | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Obstetrician/Gynecologist | Healthcare | $375,400 | $79,390 – $377,370 | 280 |
| Family Medicine Physician | Healthcare | $298,890 | $131,990 – $475,480 | 0 |
| Computer and Information Systems Manager | Technology | $176,320 | $108,340 – $277,230 | 2,270 |
| Nurse Practitioner | Healthcare | $169,920 | $130,630 – $213,970 | 1,710 |
| Physician Assistant | Healthcare | $165,490 | $77,310 – $224,010 | 1,020 |
| Pharmacist | Healthcare | $161,870 | $103,810 – $207,020 | 3,400 |
| Veterinarian | Healthcare | $160,860 | $82,240 – $273,210 | 660 |
| Financial Manager | Finance | $160,230 | $89,080 – $283,940 | 4,120 |
| Marketing Manager | Management | $157,670 | $73,120 – $264,440 | 1,840 |
| Business Professor (Postsecondary) | Education | $148,500 | $76,720 – $250,700 | 520 |
| Human Resources Manager | Management | $139,010 | $59,940 – $231,810 | 1,630 |
| Software Quality Assurance Analyst | Technology | $137,330 | $91,620 – $176,760 | 150 |
| Medical and Health Services Manager | Healthcare | $135,010 | $73,380 – $214,740 | 6,920 |
| Registered Nurse | Healthcare | $133,940 | $100,510 – $172,900 | 35,290 |
| Software Developer | Technology | $133,270 | $85,090 – $205,760 | 4,150 |
| Optometrist | Healthcare | $129,990 | $104,170 – $206,330 | 510 |
| Computer Network Architect | Technology | $128,110 | $74,630 – $181,170 | 400 |
| Dentist | Healthcare | $125,230 | $98,370 – $217,880 | 1,560 |
| Physical Therapist | Healthcare | $120,110 | $97,370 – $164,370 | 2,240 |
| Occupational Therapist | Healthcare | $119,530 | $86,490 – $150,490 | 1,110 |
| Speech-Language Pathologist | Healthcare | $118,560 | $59,590 – $146,240 | 2,120 |
| Civil Engineer | Engineering | $115,120 | $75,390 – $168,820 | 3,510 |
| Information Security Analyst | Technology | $114,970 | $68,870 – $182,710 | 350 |
| Data Scientist | Technology | $112,910 | $66,690 – $209,100 | 1,000 |
| Electrical Engineer | Engineering | $109,990 | $76,570 – $166,680 | 1,150 |
| Dental Hygienist | Healthcare | $105,730 | $102,140 – $126,940 | 1,860 |
| Software Quality Assurance Tester | Technology | $105,720 | $61,110 – $157,260 | 450 |
| Computer Systems Analyst | Technology | $105,030 | $77,020 – $154,910 | 1,970 |
| Mechanical Engineer | Engineering | $104,910 | $66,390 – $157,640 | 1,420 |
| Sales Manager | Management | $103,220 | $57,650 – $214,340 | 8,080 |
| General and Operations Manager | Management | $102,260 | $51,710 – $220,690 | 23,090 |
| Computer Programmer | Technology | $101,810 | $63,630 – $144,870 | 390 |
| Industrial Engineer | Engineering | $101,700 | $67,370 – $153,430 | 1,580 |
| Financial Analyst | Finance | $101,150 | $65,640 – $170,390 | 1,050 |
| Architect | Engineering | $100,460 | $66,540 – $169,660 | 410 |
| Secondary School Teacher | Education | $100,130 | $62,980 – $133,990 | 12,450 |
| Engineers (Other) | Engineering | $100,110 | $63,660 – $157,530 | 1,200 |
| Database Architect | Technology | $99,870 | $56,950 – $152,430 | 370 |
| Network Architect | Technology | $99,030 | $69,090 – $147,450 | 1,540 |
| Elementary School Teacher | Education | $98,520 | $62,330 – $130,850 | 18,850 |
| Audiologist | Healthcare | $97,300 | $59,700 – $188,440 | 0 |
| Computer Occupations (Other) | Technology | $96,890 | $48,340 – $168,750 | 2,530 |
| Personal Financial Advisor | Finance | $96,100 | $65,490 – $296,400 | 830 |
| Management Analyst | Management | $87,910 | $61,320 – $135,140 | 5,150 |
| Operations Research Analyst | Technology | $86,510 | $60,510 – $133,450 | 470 |
| Statistician | Technology | $86,430 | $68,940 – $156,130 | 140 |
| Accountant | Finance | $83,920 | $57,260 – $135,140 | 9,240 |
| Writer/Author | Creative | $78,990 | $38,940 – $136,490 | 190 |
| Loan Officer | Finance | $78,710 | $34,490 – $181,860 | 1,500 |
| Financial Examiner | Finance | $78,250 | $61,340 – $152,070 | 90 |
| Computer Network Support Specialist | Technology | $77,780 | $47,770 – $122,540 | 610 |
| Public Relations Specialist | Creative | $77,010 | $44,970 – $128,020 | 1,470 |
| Electrician | Trades | $72,790 | $45,360 – $139,430 | 7,880 |
| Web Designer | Technology | $72,400 | $41,490 – $153,640 | 290 |
| Carpenter | Trades | $70,880 | $46,430 – $111,960 | 12,970 |
| Market Research Analyst | Management | $69,840 | $43,120 – $130,840 | 5,280 |
| Graphic Designer | Creative | $65,900 | $41,540 – $105,810 | 1,370 |
| Automotive Technician | Trades | $64,210 | $36,380 – $93,860 | 7,680 |
| Plumber | Trades | $63,920 | $48,910 – $115,340 | 4,510 |
| Clinical Laboratory Technologist | Healthcare | $61,910 | $46,750 – $100,600 | 1,530 |
| Paralegal | Legal | $61,460 | $49,640 – $93,730 | 2,460 |
| Welder | Trades | $52,050 | $43,970 – $76,410 | 3,810 |
What These Numbers Tell You
The single highest-paying occupation tracked in Riverside-San Bernardino, CA is Obstetrician/Gynecologist, with a median of $375,400 and a 90th-percentile reading of $377,370. That $297,980 spread between the 10th and 90th percentiles is typical for a role of this seniority — entry-level workers cluster near the bottom of the band, while senior specialists and managers earn at the top.
Across all 62 BLS-tracked occupations in Riverside-San Bernardino, CA, the average median salary is $113,855. The top five roles average $237,204 — about 2.1× the citywide average — which is the expected shape for a U.S. metro economy: a small concentration of high-skill, high-credential occupations sits well above the broader middle.
Riverside-San Bernardino, CA carries an above-average cost of living (index 122.4, roughly 22% above the U.S. average), driven mostly by housing and transportation. Most professional roles here pay enough premium to compensate, but lower-percentile and mid-percentile workers see materially less purchasing power than nominal salaries suggest.
Salary Negotiation in Riverside-San Bernardino, CA
For salary negotiation in Riverside-San Bernardino, CA, the practical input is the percentile band for your role and city, not the citywide average. The OEWS publishes 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, and 90th percentile wages for every metro and occupation; you can find your role's exact percentile in the table above and use the SalaryTruth percentile calculator to anchor your offer. Cost-of-living index 122.4 should also factor in any cross-metro comparison.
For city-vs-city moves, the right benchmark is COL-adjusted pay rather than nominal pay. Our COL-adjusted salaries guide shows the exact math; the negotiation playbook covers how to use BLS percentile bands to anchor offers.
How Riverside-San Bernardino, CA Salary Data Is Built
Wages on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program — a federal survey of more than 1.2 million U.S. establishments, published once per year by Metropolitan Statistical Area and Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code. We pull the BLS data file for Riverside-San Bernardino, CA, match each occupation against our role catalog, and surface percentile wages alongside employment counts. The cost-of-living index (122.4) is a composite of housing, food, transportation, and utility data from public sources, calibrated to a U.S. national average of 100. Read the full methodology.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average salary in Riverside-San Bernardino, CA in 2026?
The average salary in Riverside-San Bernardino, CA is $113,855 as of 2026, based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics' OEWS 2025 release covering 62 occupations. The mean (employment-weighted average) gives slightly more weight to large occupations; the median across roles is also close to $113,855. The top-paying role is Obstetrician/Gynecologist at $375,400.
Is $100,000 a good salary in Riverside-San Bernardino, CA?
In Riverside-San Bernardino, CA, $100,000 has the purchasing power of $81,699 in an average-cost U.S. metro (COL index 122.4). That is roughly in line with what $100K buys in a typical U.S. city. Compared to the city's average median of $113,855, $100K is below the typical worker.
What are the highest-paying jobs in Riverside-San Bernardino, CA?
The top-paying tracked occupations in Riverside-San Bernardino, CA are Obstetrician/Gynecologist ($375,400), Family Medicine Physician ($298,890), Computer and Information Systems Manager ($176,320), and Nurse Practitioner ($169,920). Across the top 10, median salaries range from $148,500 to $375,400. See the full ranking at /ranking/highest-paying-jobs/riverside.
How does Riverside-San Bernardino, CA's cost of living affect salaries?
Riverside-San Bernardino, CA has a cost-of-living index of 122.4, 22% above the U.S. national average. A nominal salary of $113,855 in this metro has the equivalent purchasing power of $93,019 in an average-cost U.S. city. Housing is the dominant driver of this gap; in higher-COL markets, mortgage or rent typically eats 5–15 percentage points more of pre-tax pay than in average-cost metros.
How many people are employed in Riverside-San Bernardino, CA?
Across the 62 BLS-tracked occupations on this page, total employment in the Riverside-San Bernardino, CA metro is approximately 222,620. BLS OEWS sample-based estimates cover all major occupational categories but exclude very small or volatile fields where the sample is too thin to publish.
Where does this Riverside-San Bernardino, CA salary data come from?
Every wage figure on this page is sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program at bls.gov/oes — public domain federal survey data covering about 1.2 million U.S. employers. The same data is used by the U.S. Department of Labor for prevailing wage determinations.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Riverside-San Bernardino, CA MSA, 2026 release. Public domain. See bls.gov/oes. Cite as: "SalaryTruth, BLS OEWS 2026."
Last refreshed 2026-05-21 · 62 occupations · COL Index 122.4.