Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a food preparation worker make in Riverside-San Bernardino, CA?

In the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA metropolitan area, food preparation workers earned a median of $38,420 a year ($18.47 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 11,190 of these jobs there. That is 21% below the $48,400 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $34,320 and $48,040; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and California tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $32,531 in take-home pay.

Food preparation worker pay in Riverside-San Bernardino, CA at a glance

Median salary

$38,420$18.47 per hour · $3,202 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$34,320$16.50/hr
25th percentile$34,970$16.81/hr
75th percentile$45,090$21.68/hr
90th percentile$48,040$23.10/hr
Jobs in this metro11,190Location quotient 1.13 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here21% belowAll-jobs median $48,400
Against California2% belowStatewide median $39,350
Against the U.S.9% aboveNational median $35,320

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Same U.S. tax tables as the rest of the site. Change the salary, state, or filing status.

Food preparation worker salary in Riverside-San Bernardino, CA after taxes

$38,420
$15,000$80,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$38,420
Net 85%
Fed 6%
CA 1%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$32,531After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,711Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,251Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate15.3%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,430 / yr
California state income tax$519 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,939 / yr

Food preparation workers pay range in Riverside-San Bernardino, CA, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What food preparation workers earned in the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (CA)
10th percentile$16.50/hr$2,860$34,320$29,401
25th percentile$16.81/hr$2,914$34,970$29,897
MedianMedian$18.47/hr$3,202$38,420$32,531
75th percentile$21.68/hr$3,758$45,090$37,624
90th percentile$23.10/hr$4,003$48,040$39,858

Is $38,420 a good salary in Riverside-San Bernardino, CA?

It depends on what else people there earn and what things cost. Here is the median for food preparation workers next to both.

Median household income$89,662Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)106.46.4% above national average
One paycheck vs. a household42.8%of area median income

The same job statewide and nationally, and a calculator for your own paycheck.

Food preparation worker pay in Riverside-San Bernardino, CA: common questions

What is the median salary for food preparation workers in Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA?

The BLS median annual wage for food preparation workers in the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA metro area was $38,420 in May 2025, about $3,202 a month or $18.47 an hour. Statewide, the California median for this job is $39,350, so the metro pays 2% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for food preparation workers in Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA?

The median hourly wage for food preparation workers in Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA was $18.47 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $16.50 an hour and one in ten earned more than $23.10.

How many food preparation workers work in Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA?

BLS estimated 11,190 jobs for food preparation workers in the metro in May 2025, or 6.5 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.13 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for food preparation workers in Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA?

BLS wage estimates for food preparation workers in Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA run from $34,320 at the 10th percentile to $34,970 at the 25th, $45,090 at the 75th, and $48,040 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do food preparation workers take home after taxes in Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA?

On a median gross salary of $38,420, an estimated $32,531 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,251 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in California in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $5,889 (an effective rate of 15.3%).

How much do food preparation workers make per month in Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA?

On the median annual salary of $38,420, gross monthly income is $3,202. After federal, FICA, and California state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,711 per month (or $1,251 every two weeks).

Is $38,420 a good salary in Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA?

At $38,420, the median salary for food preparation workers is 42.8% of the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA median household income ($89,662). It is 21% below the $48,400 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 106.4, so prices here run 6.4% above the U.S. average.