SOC 53-2012 · Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA metro

Commercial Pilots Salary in Riverside, CA

The average salary for commercial pilots in Riverside, California is $139,460 a year, according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $112,320: half of the 250 people in this job in the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 5% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($146,776).

$139,460average per year

Median $112,320Take-home ≈ $97,709

  • $55K10th
  • $78K25th
  • $112KMedian
  • $210K75th
  • $269K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

250people in this job
-5%vs U.S. metro average
#11 of 16California metros
106cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Commercial Pilots pay range in Riverside

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $55,240 a year or less, while the top 10% make $269,000 or more. The middle half of commercial pilots in Riverside earn between $78,060 and $209,690.

  • $55K10th
  • $78K25th
  • $112KMedian
  • $210K75th
  • $269K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$139,460$11,622—
Median$112,320$9,360—
Entry level (25th percentile)$78,060$6,505—
Experienced (75th percentile)$209,690$17,474—

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year (BLS publishes this job's pay as annual only).

Commercial Pilots salary after taxes in Riverside

On the average salary of $139,460, a single filer in Riverside takes home about $97,709 a year, or $8,142 a month and $3,758 every two weeks. Taxes take 30% 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.

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Is Riverside a good place for commercial pilots? 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 $139,460 buys what about $131,020 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 2.3 times the median wage of all jobs in Riverside ($48,400). A typical home costs $585,378, or 4.2 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $139,460 is worth in another city

Commercial Pilots salary in other California cities

Riverside ranks 11th of 16 California metro areas for this job; Santa Rosa pays the most ($218,810).

All Commercial Pilots salaries in California

Highest-paying cities for commercial pilots

Waterbury, CT pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($267,680).

Commercial Pilots salary by city

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Reviewed before it counts. Commercial Pilots in Riverside, CA.

Commercial Pilots salary in Riverside: questions

What is the entry-level commercial pilots salary in Riverside?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $55,240 a year and the 25th percentile is $78,060, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the commercial pilots take-home pay in Riverside?

About $97,709 a year ($8,142 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $139,460. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.

Do commercial pilots earn more in Riverside than elsewhere?

The average here is 5% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($146,776).

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 53-2012; area Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA (40140). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 5.3%.
  • 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 0.47, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.47).

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