SalaryExplorer

SOC 47-3014 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS

Helpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons — Riverside

Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA · 4 metro areas compared

$46,780 /year
$22.49per hour
350jobs in area
+15.6%vs US median

In Riverside, CA the median wage for Helpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons is $46,780 a year, which is 15.6% higher than the national figure of $40,470.

Wage distribution · annual

Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners

US MEDIAN $40,47010TH$38,500MEDIAN$46,78075TH$52,11090TH$58,550

How pay has moved

$49,298$34,193202020212022202320242025$46,780
$36,710 in 2020 to $46,780 in 2025, +27.4% before inflation. BLS states that OEWS estimates are not designed for comparison across years: the occupational classification, the sampling frame and the survey method have all changed inside this window. Read the direction, not the exact difference.

The next ten years

Projected to grow about as fast as average

Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
+2.3%
Openings per year
800
Typical entry-level education
No formal educational credential
On-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training

Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.

Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA.

Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.

Salary overview

In Riverside, CA the median wage for Helpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons is $46,780 a year, which is 15.6% higher than the national figure of $40,470. The middle half of workers in this occupation earn between $38,500 and $52,110. The lowest tenth earn under $38,500, while the highest tenth earn more than $58,550.

The area has 350 jobs in this occupation, which works out to 0.2 of every thousand jobs. Within the state, San Francisco records the highest median at $50,440. Of the 671 occupations with published wages in this area, it sits 507th.

Percentile breakdown

Annual wages by percentile · Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA · May 2025
PercentileAnnualvs US median
10th$38,500−4.9%
25th$38,500−4.9%
Median (50th)$46,780+15.6%
75th$52,110+28.8%
90th$58,550+44.7%
Mean$46,900+15.9%

Why the average earner is usually not a typical earner

Other metro areas in California

Median annual wage for Helpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons, by metro area
#Metro areaMedianJobsRelative
1San Francisco$50,440300
2Los Angeles$47,260550
3Oxnard$44,44060
4San Diego$42,210260

What the pay is worth locally

Prices in Riverside run 6.4% above the national average, so the median of $46,780 buys what $43,966 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way the gap against the national median narrows to 8.6% above the national median in real terms.

Published median

$46,780as reported by BLS

Local price level

106.4US average = 100 · BEA 2024

Adjusted for local prices

$43,966US average = 100 · BEA 2024

Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest

Key takeaways

  • Median pay is $46,780 a year, 15.6% above the national median.
  • Published pay spans $38,500 to $58,550 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
  • The area has 350 jobs in this occupation.
  • The highest-paying metro area covered is San Francisco, at $50,440.

Frequently asked questions

What is the median wage for Helpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons in Riverside, CA?

The median annual wage is $46,780, or $22.49 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.

Is that higher than the national average?

The national median for this occupation is $40,470, so pay in Riverside, CA is 15.6% higher. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.

What do the top earners make?

The top tenth of this occupation in Riverside, CA earns more than $58,550 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.

What is the starting range?

The tenth percentile wage is $38,500 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.

Which area nearby pays the most?

The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in San Francisco, at $50,440 per year.

How many jobs are there in this occupation here?

The survey estimates 350 jobs in this occupation in Riverside, CA. Self-employed workers are not included.

Source and methodology

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.

Helpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons in Riverside, CA Earn $46,780 — 15.6% Above the US Median (2025) | Salary Explorer