Power Plant Operators pay range in Riverside
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $60,150 a year or less, while the top 10% make $124,580 or more. The middle half of power plant operators in Riverside earn between $76,760 and $103,790.
- $60K10th
- $77K25th
- $98KMedian
- $104K75th
- $125K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $94,120 | $7,843 | $45.25 |
| Median | $98,060 | $8,172 | $47.14 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $76,760 | $6,397 | $36.90 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $103,790 | $8,649 | $49.90 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Power Plant Operators salary after taxes in Riverside
On the average salary of $94,120, a single filer in Riverside takes home about $70,382 a year, or $5,865 a month and $2,707 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 power plant 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 $94,120 buys what about $88,424 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 2.0 times the median wage of all jobs in Riverside ($48,400). A typical home costs $585,378, or 6.2 years of this average salary before tax.
Power Plant Operators salary in other California cities
Riverside ranks 9th of 9 California metro areas for this job; Sacramento pays the most ($135,310).
- Sacramento$135,310
- Fresno$131,280
- San Francisco$130,890
- Stockton$113,020
- Los Angeles$105,840
- San Jose$104,340
- Bakersfield$96,390
- San Diego$95,380
- Riverside$94,120
Highest-paying cities for power plant operators
Wenatchee, WA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($150,930).
- Wenatchee, WA$150,930
- Sacramento, CA$135,310
- Seattle, WA$132,410
- Fresno, CA$131,280
- San Francisco, CA$130,890
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Power Plant Operators salary in Riverside: questions
How much do power plant operators make an hour in Riverside?
$45.25 an hour on average, and $47.14 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level power plant operators salary in Riverside?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $60,150 a year and the 25th percentile is $76,760, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the power plant operators take-home pay in Riverside?
About $70,382 a year ($5,865 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $94,120. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Do power plant operators earn more in Riverside than elsewhere?
The average here is 8% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($102,474).
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 51-8013; area Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA (40140). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.9%.
- 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 0.85, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.
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