Cooks, Restaurant Salary in Riverside, CA

BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics • May 2025 • Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA

Median annual salary $38,600 +4.8% vs national
Median hourly $18.56
10th percentile $35,290
90th percentile $47,430
Employed locally 16,310
National median $36,830

Compare Cooks, Restaurant salary & buying power

Type a city below to see how Riverside, CA stacks up on salary and cost of living.

Full tool →
Cooks, Restaurant
in
Riverside, CA
vs

    Salary percentile breakdown

    10th
    $35,290
    25th
    $36,290
    50th (median)
    $38,600
    75th
    $44,730
    90th
    $47,430

    Riverside economic context

    Unemployment rate 5.20% 2024 annual avg • BLS LAUS
    Median household income $86,031 2023 • Census ACS
    Cooks, Restaurant salary vs area income 45% Median Cooks, Restaurant salary is 55% below the area median household income

    Top-paying metros for Cooks, Restaurant

    Metro areaMedian salary
    Kahului-Wailuku, HI $48,320
    Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH $46,970
    Portland-South Portland, ME $46,960
    San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA $46,960
    Massachusetts nonmetropolitan area $46,500
    Hawaii / Kauai nonmetropolitan area $46,340

    Nearby metros — Cooks, Restaurant salary comparison

    Metro areaMedian salary
    Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH $46,970
    San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA $46,960
    Napa, CA $46,270
    San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $45,230
    San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA $45,040
    Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA $45,020

    Related occupations in Riverside, CA

    OccupationMedian salary
    Fast Food and Counter Workers$36,250
    Waiters and Waitresses$34,350
    Cooks, Fast Food$35,110
    First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers$43,870
    Food Preparation Workers$37,990
    Dishwashers$35,570

    Frequently asked questions

    How much do Cooks, Restaurant make per hour in Riverside?

    The median hourly wage for Cooks, Restaurant in Riverside, CA is $18.56, based on BLS OEWS 2025 data. Top earners (90th percentile) make $23.70 or more per hour.

    Is Riverside above or below average for Cooks, Restaurant salaries?

    The median Cooks, Restaurant salary in Riverside, CA is 4.8% above the national median of $36,830. The national figure is from BLS OEWS 2025 data covering all US metropolitan areas.

    What is the entry-level salary for Cooks, Restaurant in Riverside?

    Entry-level Cooks, Restaurant (10th percentile) earn around $35,290 per year in Riverside, CA. The 25th percentile — typically workers with 1–3 years of experience — earn approximately $36,290.