SOC 33-2021 · Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA metro

Fire Inspectors and Investigators Salary in Riverside, CA

The average salary for fire inspectors and investigators in Riverside, California is $96,440 a year ($46.37 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $99,580: half of the 270 people in this job in the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 23% more than the U.S. average for this job ($78,670).

$96,440average per year

$46.37 / hourMedian $99,580Take-home ≈ $71,799

  • $65K10th
  • $79K25th
  • $100KMedian
  • $117K75th
  • $123K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

270people in this job
+23%vs U.S. average
#5 of 10California metros
106cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Fire Inspectors and Investigators pay range in Riverside

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $65,270 a year or less, while the top 10% make $122,730 or more. The middle half of fire inspectors and investigators in Riverside earn between $78,830 and $117,470.

  • $65K10th
  • $79K25th
  • $100KMedian
  • $117K75th
  • $123K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$96,440$8,037$46.37
Median$99,580$8,298$47.88
Entry level (25th percentile)$78,830$6,569$37.90
Experienced (75th percentile)$117,470$9,789$56.48

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.

Fire Inspectors and Investigators pay in Riverside vs. California and the U.S.

Fire inspectors and investigators in Riverside earn 6% less than the California average ($102,500) and 23% more than the U.S. average ($78,670). At the median the gap is +31% against the U.S. median of $75,920.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Riverside$96,440$99,580$65,270$122,730270
California$102,500$99,230$60,080$150,5901,350
United States$78,670$75,920$46,530$118,75013,800

State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.

Fire Inspectors and Investigators salary after taxes in Riverside

On the average salary of $96,440, a single filer in Riverside takes home about $71,799 a year, or $5,983 a month and $2,761 every two weeks. Taxes take 26% 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.

California paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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Is Riverside a good place for fire inspectors and investigators? 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 $96,440 buys what about $90,603 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 2.1 times the median wage of all jobs in Riverside ($48,400). A typical home costs $585,378, or 6.1 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $96,440 is worth in another city

Fire Inspectors and Investigators salary in other California cities

Riverside ranks 5th of 10 California metro areas for this job; San Jose pays the most ($153,240).

All Fire Inspectors and Investigators salaries in California

Highest-paying cities for fire inspectors and investigators

San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($153,240).

Fire Inspectors and Investigators salary by city

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Fire Inspectors and Investigators salary in Riverside: questions

How much do fire inspectors and investigators make an hour in Riverside?

$46.37 an hour on average, and $47.88 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level fire inspectors and investigators salary in Riverside?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $65,270 a year and the 25th percentile is $78,830, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the fire inspectors and investigators take-home pay in Riverside?

About $71,799 a year ($5,983 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $96,440. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.

Do fire inspectors and investigators earn more in Riverside than elsewhere?

The average here is 23% more than the U.S. average for this job ($78,670).

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 33-2021; area Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA (40140). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 5.9%.
  • U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
  • 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 1.79, this job is 1.8 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.

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