SOC 47-2071 · Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA metro

Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators Salary in Riverside, CA

The average salary for paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators in Riverside, California is $105,890 a year ($50.91 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $126,640: half of the 310 people in this job in the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 79% more than the U.S. average for this job ($59,000).

$105,890average per year

$50.91 / hourMedian $126,640Take-home ≈ $77,568

  • $59K10th
  • $80K25th
  • $127KMedian
  • $127K75th
  • $127K90th

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

310people in this job
+79%vs U.S. average
#1 of 3California metros
106cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators pay range in Riverside

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $59,300 a year or less, while the top 10% make $126,640 or more. The middle half of paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators in Riverside earn between $79,550 and $126,640.

  • $59K10th
  • $80K25th
  • $127KMedian
  • $127K75th
  • $127K90th

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

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$105,890$8,824$50.91
Median$126,640$10,553$60.88
Entry level (25th percentile)$79,550$6,629$38.25
Experienced (75th percentile)$126,640$10,553$60.88

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

Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators pay in Riverside vs. California and the U.S.

Paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators in Riverside earn 12% more than the California average ($94,440) and 79% more than the U.S. average ($59,000). At the median the gap is +137% against the U.S. median of $53,340.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Riverside$105,890$126,640$59,300$126,640310
California$94,440$83,130$56,980$130,1201,400
United States$59,000$53,340$38,230$92,23041,820

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

Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators salary after taxes in Riverside

On the average salary of $105,890, a single filer in Riverside takes home about $77,568 a year, or $6,464 a month and $2,983 every two weeks. Taxes take 27% 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 paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators? 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 $105,890 buys what about $99,481 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 2.6 times the median wage of all jobs in Riverside ($48,400). A typical home costs $585,378, or 5.5 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $105,890 is worth in another city

Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators salary in other California cities

Riverside ranks 1st of 3 California metro areas for this job, the best-paid in the state.

All Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators salaries in California

Highest-paying cities for paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators

Riverside, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($105,890).

Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators salary by city

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Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators salary in Riverside: questions

How much do paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators make an hour in Riverside?

$50.91 an hour on average, and $60.89 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators salary in Riverside?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $59,300 a year and the 25th percentile is $79,550, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators take-home pay in Riverside?

About $77,568 a year ($6,464 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $105,890. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.

Do paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators earn more in Riverside than elsewhere?

The average here is 79% more than the U.S. average for this job ($59,000).

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 47-2071; area Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA (40140). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.4%.
  • 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 0.67, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.67).

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