Chemists pay range in Riverside
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $59,160 a year or less, while the top 10% make $128,630 or more. The middle half of chemists in Riverside earn between $70,520 and $108,440.
- $59K10th
- $71K25th
- $93KMedian
- $108K75th
- $129K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $92,540 | $7,712 | $44.49 |
| Median | $92,660 | $7,722 | $44.55 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $70,520 | $5,877 | $33.90 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $108,440 | $9,037 | $52.13 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Chemists salary after taxes in Riverside
On the average salary of $92,540, a single filer in Riverside takes home about $69,418 a year, or $5,785 a month and $2,670 every two weeks. Taxes take 25% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Is Riverside a good place for chemists? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Riverside area are 6% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 106.4), so the average $92,540 buys what about $86,939 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.9 times the median wage of all jobs in Riverside ($48,400). A typical home costs $585,378, or 6.3 years of this average salary before tax.
Chemists salary in other California cities
Riverside ranks 12th of 19 California metro areas for this job; San Francisco pays the most ($130,870).
- San Francisco$130,870
- San Jose$121,350
- Bakersfield$105,620
- Salinas$104,930
- San Diego$101,250
- Napa$100,740
- Santa Rosa$100,440
- Los Angeles$99,150
- Santa Cruz$97,460
- Riverside$92,540
Highest-paying cities for chemists
Washington, DC pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($144,550).
- Washington, DC$144,550
- Bay City, MI$139,910
- Lexington Park, MD$132,480
- San Francisco, CA$130,870
- Boston, MA$130,520
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Chemists salary in Riverside: questions
How much do chemists make an hour in Riverside?
$44.49 an hour on average, and $44.55 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level chemists salary in Riverside?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $59,160 a year and the 25th percentile is $70,520, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the chemists take-home pay in Riverside?
About $69,418 a year ($5,785 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $92,540. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Do chemists earn more in Riverside than elsewhere?
The average here is 9% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($101,816).
Sources and how to read this page
- Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 19-2031; area Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA (40140). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.6%.
- Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
- Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
- Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
- Job concentration: location quotient 0.52, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.52).
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