Quick answer: The Riverside metro employs about 1,920 chief executives (BLS OEWS, May 2025), and licensing is set at the state level, through the human resources office of the government or agency you want to work for.
Compare public administration programs enrolling now:
Licensing is a state matter, not a city one. No state licenses public administrators as such. Hiring is governed by each government’s own civil service classification and posting requirements, and the degree - usually the MPA - satisfies the educational requirement attached to management and executive classifications. Certified public manager programs and ICMA credentialing stack on top of the degree.
See the California licensing and pay overview for the statewide picture, and confirm current requirements with the human resources office of the government or agency you want to work for.
Schools in our database near this area, ranked by BOC Score. The list favors schools with a related program on record, but program availability and delivery format change, so confirm directly with any school that it currently offers the program you want.
This page lists 10 schools within 31 miles, closest group first, then ordered by BOC Score with the highest at the top. 10 of them carry a score.
Scores come from IPEDS (2024) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Earnings are for all graduates of a school, not one program, so treat them as a signal about the institution rather than about this subject. Sponsored listings are paid placements and are labelled as such; they are separate from this ranking and never change it. Read the full methodology.
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Chief Executives in the Riverside area earn a median $176,700 per year, below the national median of $213,990 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
| Metric | Riverside metro | California | National |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median annual wage | $176,700 | $218,600 | $213,990 |
| 10th percentile | $41,810 | $85,790 | $75,700 |
| 25th percentile | $106,510 | $133,610 | $129,540 |
| 75th percentile | $303,930 | $351,090 | $356,200 |
| 90th percentile | $403,020 | $486,830 | $507,730 |
| Employment | 1,920 | 34,700 | 204,350 |
| Location quotient | 0.85 | - | 1.00 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Metro figures cover the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA metropolitan statistical area.
The Riverside median of $176,700 is below the national median of $213,990, and below the California statewide median of $218,600 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
The metro’s location quotient of 0.85 means chief executives are less concentrated here than in the average U.S. labor market (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Higher concentration generally means more employers competing for the same people, and an easier job change later.
Government employment scales with government: county seats, state capitals and metros with many municipal governments carry the management and executive positions this degree targets.
| Metro area | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | $234,290 | 10,800 |
| San Francisco | $288,690 | 5,190 |
| Sacramento | $169,770 | 3,680 |
| San Diego | $238,440 | 2,710 |
| Fresno | $188,930 | 700 |
| Oxnard | $202,750 | 430 |
| Bakersfield | $195,400 | 390 |
| Santa Maria | $195,650 | 360 |
Figures: BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Wage and employment figures describe the occupation as measured by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, not the graduates of any particular program, and individual outcomes may vary. Licensing rules change; confirm current requirements with the responsible state board before enrolling.
The median annual wage for chief executives in the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA metro area is $176,700, below the national median of $213,990 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
The Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA metro area employs about 1,920 chief executives (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Licensing is handled at state level rather than by city. No state licenses public administrators as such. Hiring is governed by each government's own civil service classification and posting requirements, and the degree - usually the MPA - satisfies the educational requirement attached to management and executive classifications. Certified public manager programs and ICMA credentialing stack on top of the degree. Confirm current requirements with the human resources office of the government or agency you want to work for.
The academic portion of these programs is widely available online for working adults, while labs, clinical hours or supervised field work are completed in person. Check that the program's accreditation satisfies the human resources office of the government or agency you want to work for.
The Riverside metro median is $176,700 against a statewide median of $218,600 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Compare that gap with the difference in living costs before treating it as a raise.
About this guide: Researched and written by the TradeCareerPath Editorial Team. Our editorial team researches and sources every trade school and career guide using federal labor and education data, including BLS OEWS and Employment Projections, DOL apprenticeship records, IPEDS, College Scorecard, and state licensing boards. We follow the editorial standards documented at /editorial-policy/.
