StateRates

Bakersfield-Delano salaries

The median worker in the Bakersfield-Delano, CA metro area earned $46,930 a year in 2024, about $22.56 an hour. That ranks #188 of the 391 metro areas published here, 5.2% below the national median.

California

Median pay $46,930 $22.56 per hour
Vs national -5.2% U.S. $49,500
Workers 335,190 wage and salary
Metro rank #188 of 391 by median pay

What this labour market looks like

Bakersfield-Delano pays 17.6% less than California as a whole. Metros usually run ahead of their states because they concentrate higher-paying industries, and the gap is a rough measure of how much of a state's economy sits in its cities.

Housing here moved -2.5% over the year to 2026 Q2 and +25.7% over five years. Pay and house prices rarely move together, and where they diverge for long the affordability of an area changes even when nothing about the jobs does. House prices in Bakersfield-Delano.

Unusually concentrated here

Occupations against their national share, 2024
Occupation Concentration Employed Median
Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse 60.14× 34,210 $35,090
First-Line Supervisors of Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Workers 18.21× 1,170 $49,220
Graders and Sorters, Agricultural Products 15.43× 900 $35,680
Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas 14.8× 1,420 $62,100
Agricultural Equipment Operators 8.92× 600 $37,600
Aerospace Engineers 4.2× 630 $127,900
Correctional Officers and Jailers 4.14× 3,290 $104,090
Substitute Teachers, Short-Term 4.08× 4,270 $67,270
Protective Service Workers, All Other 4.05× 730 $37,150
Engineering Technologists and Technicians, Except Drafters, All Other 3.96× 550 $101,230
Information and Record Clerks, All Other 2.96× 930 $54,380
Electronics Engineers, Except Computer 2.91× 600 $124,910

Best paid occupations

Highest median pay in Bakersfield-Delano
Occupation Median Hourly Employed
Chief Executives $193,970 $93.25 420
Architectural and Engineering Managers $173,450 $83.39 250
Postsecondary Teachers, All Other $167,970 n/a 960
Nurse Practitioners $165,460 $79.55 360
Pharmacists $162,340 $78.05 650
Physician Assistants $159,270 $76.57 250
Computer and Information Systems Managers $159,210 $76.54 460
Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary $147,350 n/a 960
Managers, All Other $143,430 $68.96 750
Financial Managers $142,890 $68.70 860
Engineers, All Other $142,400 $68.46 620
Petroleum Engineers $139,940 $67.28 280
Marketing Managers $135,980 $65.38 250
Lawyers $134,280 $64.56 610
Dentists, General $133,190 $64.04 300
Software Developers $132,590 $63.75 740
Human Resources Managers $131,490 $63.22 220
Construction Managers $128,640 $61.85 760
Medical and Health Services Managers $128,360 $61.71 1,110
Aerospace Engineers $127,900 $61.49 630
Registered Nurses $127,510 $61.30 5,410
Electronics Engineers, Except Computer $124,910 $60.05 600
First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives $124,760 $59.98 320
Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers $123,140 $59.20 360
Physical Therapists $122,590 $58.94 340
Electrical Engineers $121,430 $58.38 420
Computer and Information Research Scientists $120,540 $57.95 480
Industrial Production Managers $119,470 $57.44 310
Clinical and Counseling Psychologists $118,110 $56.78 230
Mechanical Engineers $116,460 $55.99 560
Industrial Engineers $112,600 $54.14 300
Instructional Coordinators $108,570 $52.20 400
Computer Occupations, All Other $106,790 $51.34 1,070
Speech-Language Pathologists $105,830 $50.88 280
Correctional Officers and Jailers $104,090 $50.04 3,290
Facilities Managers $103,750 $49.88 240
General and Operations Managers $102,510 $49.28 3,960
Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas $101,350 $48.73 200
Engineering Technologists and Technicians, Except Drafters, All Other $101,230 $48.67 550
Project Management Specialists $100,970 $48.54 1,400
Computer Systems Analysts $100,950 $48.53 560
Logisticians $100,340 $48.24 480
Detectives and Criminal Investigators $100,030 $48.09 230
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $99,370 n/a 3,540
Administrative Services Managers $98,920 $47.56 470
Financial and Investment Analysts $98,900 $47.55 210
Management Analysts $98,780 $47.49 1,420
Respiratory Therapists $98,590 $47.40 380
Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians $98,530 $47.37 560
Civil Engineers $98,160 $47.19 760
Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers $98,060 $47.15 520
Network and Computer Systems Administrators $97,690 $46.97 310
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors $96,270 $46.28 780
Financial Specialists, All Other $95,940 $46.13 350
Dental Hygienists $95,510 $45.92 350
Sales Managers $95,390 $45.86 1,180
Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers $94,470 $45.42 250
First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers $93,470 $44.94 1,640
Teachers and Instructors, All Other $92,620 n/a 710
Business Operations Specialists, All Other $91,540 $44.01 2,940

Where most people work

Largest occupations in Bakersfield-Delano by employment
Occupation Employed Median Hourly
Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse 34,210 $35,090 $16.87
Home Health and Personal Care Aides 14,550 $33,430 $16.07
Fast Food and Counter Workers 9,400 $36,440 $17.52
Cashiers 8,550 $34,730 $16.70
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand 8,290 $46,800 $22.50
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers 7,380 $57,600 $27.69
Retail Salespersons 5,630 $35,190 $16.92
Stockers and Order Fillers 5,560 $38,370 $18.45
Registered Nurses 5,410 $127,510 $61.30
Office Clerks, General 5,160 $44,610 $21.45
Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary 4,490 $36,790 n/a
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education 4,300 $77,020 n/a
Substitute Teachers, Short-Term 4,270 $67,270 $32.34
General and Operations Managers 3,960 $102,510 $49.28
Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners 3,770 $39,130 $18.81
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education 3,540 $99,370 n/a
Correctional Officers and Jailers 3,290 $104,090 $50.04
Waiters and Waitresses 3,210 $33,350 $16.03
Business Operations Specialists, All Other 2,940 $91,540 $44.01
Packers and Packagers, Hand 2,900 $34,900 $16.78

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024 state estimates. Wage and salary workers only, excluding the self-employed.

Other California metro areas

Bakersfield-Delano pay: common questions

What is the average salary in Bakersfield-Delano?

The median across all occupations is $46,930, or $22.56 an hour, covering 335,190 wage and salary workers. The mean is $63,460, higher because a small number of very large salaries pull an average upward.

Does Bakersfield-Delano pay more than the rest of California?

No. The metro median of $46,930 is 17.6% below the California median of $56,940. Metropolitan areas usually pay more than their states because they concentrate higher-paying industries, and usually cost more to live in for the same reason.

Which jobs pay best in Bakersfield-Delano?

Chief Executives ($193,970), Architectural and Engineering Managers ($173,450), Postsecondary Teachers, All Other ($167,970). Medical specialities top nearly every metro list, which reflects how the occupations are classified more than local conditions.

What is Bakersfield-Delano unusually full of?

Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse, at 60.14× the national concentration. Location quotient is a better description of a local economy than its biggest employers, which are retail and food service almost everywhere.