Cooks, Short Order Salary in Riverside, CA

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

Median annual salary $35,860 +0.7% vs national
Median hourly $17.24
10th percentile $33,920
90th percentile $43,450
Employed locally 2,340
National median $35,620

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Cooks, Short Order
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Riverside, CA
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    Salary percentile breakdown

    10th
    $33,920
    25th
    $34,080
    50th (median)
    $35,860
    75th
    $38,090
    90th
    $43,450

    Riverside economic context

    Unemployment rate 5.20% 2024 annual avg • BLS LAUS
    Median household income $86,031 2023 • Census ACS
    Cooks, Short Order salary vs area income 42% Median Cooks, Short Order salary is 58% below the area median household income

    Top-paying metros for Cooks, Short Order

    Metro areaMedian salary
    Kahului-Wailuku, HI $48,970
    Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ $48,700
    Barnstable Town, MA $46,830
    Arizona $46,240
    Washington $46,010
    Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA $46,010

    Nearby metros — Cooks, Short Order salary comparison

    Metro areaMedian salary
    San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $44,270
    Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH $43,610
    Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA $43,570
    San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA $42,310
    Napa, CA $39,650
    Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA $39,010

    Related occupations in Riverside, CA

    OccupationMedian salary
    Fast Food and Counter Workers $36,250
    Waiters and Waitresses $34,350
    Cooks, Fast Food $35,110
    Cooks, Restaurant $38,600
    First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers $43,870
    Food Preparation Workers $37,990

    Frequently asked questions

    How much do Cooks, Short Order make per hour in Riverside?

    The median hourly wage for Cooks, Short Order in Riverside, CA is $17.24, based on BLS OEWS 2025 data. Top earners (90th percentile) make $20.68 or more per hour.

    Is Riverside above or below average for Cooks, Short Order salaries?

    The median Cooks, Short Order salary in Riverside, CA is 0.7% above the national median of $35,620. The national figure is from BLS OEWS 2025 data covering all US metropolitan areas.

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

    Entry-level Cooks, Short Order (10th percentile) earn around $33,920 per year in Riverside, CA. The 25th percentile — typically workers with 1–3 years of experience — earn approximately $34,080.