Skilled Wages

Trade pay in Riverside

Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA: 26 trades ranked by median wage, with the union scale and the jobs trend.

Data compiled by Skilled WagesBLS OEWS May 2025

Every trade in Riverside, ranked

Ranked median wagesMedian wageCost-of-living adjusted$0$20$40$60$80/hrLineman: $61.90 (cost-of-living adjusted $58.18)Lineman$61.90Construction manager: $60.60 (cost-of-living adjusted $56.95)Construction manager$60.60Construction supervisor: $39.77 (cost-of-living adjusted $37.38)Construction supervisor$39.77Heavy equipment operator: $37.85 (cost-of-living adjusted $35.57)Heavy equipment operator$37.85Crane operator: $37.57 (cost-of-living adjusted $35.31)Crane operator$37.57Electrician: $35.00 (cost-of-living adjusted $32.89)Electrician$35.00Ironworker: $34.99 (cost-of-living adjusted $32.89)Ironworker$34.99Diesel mechanic: $34.28 (cost-of-living adjusted $32.22)Diesel mechanic$34.28Carpenter: $34.08 (cost-of-living adjusted $32.03)Carpenter$34.08Millwright: $33.60 (cost-of-living adjusted $31.58)Millwright$33.60Sheet metal worker: $33.07 (cost-of-living adjusted $31.08)Sheet metal worker$33.07HVAC technician: $30.92 (cost-of-living adjusted $29.06)HVAC technician$30.92Plumber: $30.73 (cost-of-living adjusted $28.88)Plumber$30.73Brickmason: $30.45 (cost-of-living adjusted $28.62)Brickmason$30.45Roofer: $29.83 (cost-of-living adjusted $28.04)Roofer$29.83Drywall installer: $29.53 (cost-of-living adjusted $27.75)Drywall installer$29.53Glazier: $29.21 (cost-of-living adjusted $27.45)Glazier$29.21Solar installer: $28.87 (cost-of-living adjusted $27.13)Solar installer$28.87Cement mason: $28.63 (cost-of-living adjusted $26.91)Cement mason$28.63Construction laborer: $28.61 (cost-of-living adjusted $26.89)Construction laborer$28.61Tile setter: $26.37 (cost-of-living adjusted $24.78)Tile setter$26.37Plasterer: $25.76 (cost-of-living adjusted $24.21)Plasterer$25.76Welder: $25.02 (cost-of-living adjusted $23.52)Welder$25.02Machinist: $23.77 (cost-of-living adjusted $22.34)Machinist$23.77Painter: $23.51 (cost-of-living adjusted $22.10)Painter$23.51Insulation worker: $22.52 (cost-of-living adjusted $21.17)Insulation worker$22.52
Median hourly wage by trade, Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA, May 2025. Thin marker: cost-of-living adjusted (BEA metro price parity 106.4).
#Trade10thMedian $/hr90thMedian $/yrJobsvs statevs US
1Lineman$36.09$61.90$78.49$128,7501,580about the same as35% above
2Construction manager$38.75$60.60$90.00$126,0403,4505% below10% above
3Construction supervisor$26.21$39.77$63.41$82,7108,42015% below4% above
4Heavy equipment operator$23.39$37.85$61.46$78,7204,74010% below32% above
5Crane operator$24.12$37.57$43.47$78,1402602% below15% above
6Electrician$21.81$35.00$67.03$72,7907,8804% below15% above
7Ironworker$22.73$34.99$50.75$72,7901,1205% below16% above
8Diesel mechanic$22.54$34.28$43.06$71,3003,4004% below15% above
9Carpenter$22.32$34.08$53.83$70,88012,9707% below17% above
10Millwright$21.83$33.60$53.63$69,88019010% below6% above
11Sheet metal worker$21.57$33.07$60.58$68,78075010% below11% above
12HVAC technician$22.48$30.92$46.11$64,3004,82011% below5% above
13Plumber$23.51$30.73$55.45$63,9204,51012% belowabout the same as
14Brickmason$21.79$30.45$48.52$63,3305408% below2% above
15Roofer$23.00$29.83$38.39$62,0502,4802% below12% above
16Drywall installer$18.80$29.53$48.86$61,4203,6407% below4% above
17Glazier$23.02$29.21$55.55$60,7508405% below6% above
18Solar installer$22.44$28.87$37.23$60,0507901% below13% above
19Cement mason$21.90$28.63$47.02$59,5504,7405% below4% above
20Construction laborer$18.60$28.61$46.19$59,50012,1201% below26% above
21Tile setter$18.32$26.37$50.36$54,8509407% below1% below
22Plasterer$21.64$25.76$37.07$53,5801,29011% below7% below
23Welder$21.14$25.02$36.74$52,0503,81010% below3% below
24Machinist$17.30$23.77$37.27$49,4401,81014% below16% below
25Painter$18.29$23.51$39.58$48,9103,75017% below1% below
26Insulation worker$18.48$22.52$40.35$46,8504804% below5% below

Union scale in the Riverside area

The highest Davis-Bacon Building-construction package among the counties in the Riverside metro, next to the metro market median from BLS.

TradeMetro market medianDB baseFringeTotal packageRate sourceCounties with a rate
Electrician$35.00$57.26$32.83$90.09Union2 of 2
Plumber$30.73$48.84$23.58$72.42Union2 of 2
Carpenter$34.08$52.24$26.18$78.42Union2 of 2
Construction laborer$28.61$49.48$25.95$75.43Union2 of 2
Heavy equipment operator$37.85$65.25$33.20$98.45Union2 of 2
Ironworker$34.99$50.70$35.15$85.85Union2 of 2
Sheet metal worker$33.07$59.31$30.43$89.74Union2 of 2
Painter$23.51$38.52$18.64$57.16Union2 of 2

Not the official determination. County-level lookup on the California prevailing wage page.

Construction jobs in Riverside

107.2kConstruction jobs2026-08
-4.1%Change over 12 months
-4.0%Change over 5 years
Construction employment, 1990-20260k50k100k150k19901995200020052010201520202025107kAug 2026
Construction employment, Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA, thousands, BLS CES, not seasonally adjusted.

Questions this page answers

What is the highest-paying trade in Riverside?

In the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA metro area, electrical power-line installers and repairers had the highest median wage at $61.90 an hour in May 2025, with 1,580 jobs counted.

Do trades pay more in Riverside than the rest of California?

In Riverside, 0 of 26 trades pay above the California state median and 25 pay below it; the biggest premium is for electrical power-line installers and repairers at $61.90.

Sources and notes

  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA MSA.
  • BLS CES metro employment.
  • BEA metro Regional Price Parities.
  • SAM.gov Davis-Bacon wage determinations.