Updated May 2026 · BLS OEWS 2025 reference period
Bakersfield, CA Average Salary 2026
Cost of living, occupation-by-occupation pay, and percentile ranges from official BLS data.
The average salary in Bakersfield, CA, California is $114,605 as of 2026, based on Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data (2025 reference period) covering 60 occupations and roughly 43,960 workers. Adjusted for Bakersfield, CA's cost-of-living index of 100.6, that nominal average translates to $113,921 of purchasing power in an average-cost U.S. metro. The highest-paying tracked occupation is Family Medicine Physician at $332,530; the lowest is Welder at $57,360.
Bakersfield, CA, CA sits near the national cost-of-living baseline (index 100.6). 60 occupations are reported here with median wages averaging $114,605.
Highest-paying role in Bakersfield, CA on BLS data is Family Medicine Physician at $332,530 median. Top-paying roles in any U.S. city skew toward physicians, executives, tech specialists, and licensed professionals; the specific ranking varies with the local industry mix. Cities at the national cost-of-living baseline are useful reference points for cross-region comparisons — the gross wage and adjusted wage are roughly equivalent, so headline comparisons work.
Salaries by Occupation in Bakersfield, CA
| Role | Category | Median | Range (10th–90th) | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Family Medicine Physician | Healthcare | $332,530 | $107,650 – $434,630 | 190 |
| Pediatrician | Healthcare | $290,420 | $93,350 – $375,700 | 70 |
| Physician Assistant | Healthcare | $198,070 | $126,200 – $219,990 | 350 |
| Dentist | Healthcare | $172,120 | $99,850 – $346,300 | 220 |
| Nurse Practitioner | Healthcare | $165,580 | $106,710 – $205,450 | 430 |
| Computer and Information Systems Manager | Technology | $164,470 | $101,820 – $271,190 | 430 |
| Pharmacist | Healthcare | $161,930 | $125,170 – $200,850 | 600 |
| Financial Manager | Finance | $153,030 | $90,070 – $276,790 | 900 |
| Lawyer | Legal | $150,900 | $77,490 – $245,020 | 610 |
| Veterinarian | Healthcare | $150,780 | $61,270 – $276,250 | 100 |
| Marketing Manager | Management | $149,960 | $87,740 – $271,050 | 240 |
| Engineers (Other) | Engineering | $139,980 | $53,440 – $195,190 | 670 |
| Human Resources Manager | Management | $138,130 | $87,960 – $216,540 | 240 |
| Medical and Health Services Manager | Healthcare | $132,670 | $66,700 – $220,480 | 1,020 |
| Software Developer | Technology | $130,330 | $88,670 – $203,810 | 740 |
| Optometrist | Healthcare | $129,370 | $99,980 – $197,000 | 100 |
| Registered Nurse | Healthcare | $128,810 | $87,760 – $162,020 | 5,620 |
| Electrical Engineer | Engineering | $126,960 | $86,610 – $163,720 | 460 |
| Physical Therapist | Healthcare | $125,490 | $98,300 – $156,370 | 310 |
| Occupational Therapist | Healthcare | $123,200 | $79,590 – $156,000 | 170 |
| Computer Network Architect | Technology | $122,910 | $75,260 – $199,200 | 100 |
| Mechanical Engineer | Engineering | $119,790 | $78,490 – $171,540 | 560 |
| Operations Research Analyst | Technology | $119,020 | $64,320 – $159,700 | 80 |
| Speech-Language Pathologist | Healthcare | $117,350 | $98,150 – $147,300 | 310 |
| Software Quality Assurance Analyst | Technology | $116,650 | $87,760 – $159,700 | 490 |
| Dental Hygienist | Healthcare | $114,380 | $97,090 – $121,280 | 340 |
| Personal Financial Advisor | Finance | $111,580 | $58,440 – $268,860 | 80 |
| Architect | Engineering | $111,070 | $73,100 – $165,020 | 100 |
| Computer Occupations (Other) | Technology | $110,180 | $58,100 – $159,700 | 1,080 |
| Information Security Analyst | Technology | $108,020 | $69,530 – $159,130 | 160 |
| Industrial Engineer | Engineering | $104,700 | $71,320 – $155,100 | 280 |
| General and Operations Manager | Management | $104,460 | $53,910 – $218,740 | 4,100 |
| Financial Analyst | Finance | $101,230 | $69,220 – $152,990 | 190 |
| Network Architect | Technology | $100,730 | $70,120 – $129,530 | 330 |
| Computer Systems Analyst | Technology | $100,400 | $63,040 – $150,540 | 490 |
| Civil Engineer | Engineering | $99,300 | $75,580 – $163,180 | 870 |
| Secondary School Teacher | Education | $99,150 | $63,350 – $125,170 | 3,300 |
| Sales Manager | Management | $98,270 | $57,410 – $211,000 | 1,220 |
| Management Analyst | Management | $96,580 | $61,320 – $159,700 | 1,530 |
| Data Scientist | Technology | $92,200 | $65,840 – $158,350 | 200 |
| Database Architect | Technology | $89,070 | $52,760 – $136,850 | 90 |
| Web Designer | Technology | $88,240 | $46,250 – $162,910 | 40 |
| Software Quality Assurance Tester | Technology | $83,290 | $48,900 – $162,050 | 180 |
| Web Developer | Technology | $82,800 | $40,820 – $153,070 | 50 |
| Elementary School Teacher | Education | $79,900 | $61,230 – $118,580 | 4,540 |
| Accountant | Finance | $79,620 | $55,090 – $133,810 | 1,870 |
| Financial Examiner | Finance | $77,610 | $63,340 – $125,140 | 30 |
| Public Relations Specialist | Creative | $76,580 | $45,860 – $126,190 | 270 |
| Loan Officer | Finance | $76,500 | $38,630 – $158,870 | 290 |
| Electrician | Trades | $75,860 | $46,770 – $123,940 | 1,410 |
| Writer/Author | Creative | $73,600 | $45,380 – $123,040 | 40 |
| Market Research Analyst | Management | $69,910 | $40,630 – $125,820 | 740 |
| Computer Network Support Specialist | Technology | $69,230 | $40,610 – $103,980 | 200 |
| Carpenter | Trades | $66,540 | $45,120 – $104,810 | 1,100 |
| Plumber | Trades | $66,450 | $45,670 – $117,840 | 960 |
| Paralegal | Legal | $63,420 | $45,950 – $97,180 | 300 |
| Clinical Laboratory Technologist | Healthcare | $63,210 | $45,860 – $102,210 | 360 |
| Automotive Technician | Trades | $62,450 | $38,760 – $92,810 | 1,250 |
| Graphic Designer | Creative | $61,970 | $40,690 – $108,560 | 160 |
| Welder | Trades | $57,360 | $38,020 – $78,710 | 800 |
What These Numbers Tell You
The single highest-paying occupation tracked in Bakersfield, CA is Family Medicine Physician, with a median of $332,530 and a 90th-percentile reading of $434,630. That $326,980 spread between the 10th and 90th percentiles is typical for a role of this seniority — entry-level workers cluster near the bottom of the band, while senior specialists and managers earn at the top.
Across all 60 BLS-tracked occupations in Bakersfield, CA, the average median salary is $114,605. The top five roles average $231,744 — about 2.0× the citywide average — which is the expected shape for a U.S. metro economy: a small concentration of high-skill, high-credential occupations sits well above the broader middle.
Bakersfield, CA sits close to the U.S. average on cost of living (index 100.6). Headline salary numbers translate roughly one-for-one into purchasing power — useful as a national benchmark city when comparing offers across markets.
Salary Negotiation in Bakersfield, CA
For salary negotiation in Bakersfield, CA, the practical input is the percentile band for your role and city, not the citywide average. The OEWS publishes 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, and 90th percentile wages for every metro and occupation; you can find your role's exact percentile in the table above and use the SalaryTruth percentile calculator to anchor your offer. Cost-of-living index 100.6 should also factor in any cross-metro comparison.
For city-vs-city moves, the right benchmark is COL-adjusted pay rather than nominal pay. Our COL-adjusted salaries guide shows the exact math; the negotiation playbook covers how to use BLS percentile bands to anchor offers.
How Bakersfield, CA Salary Data Is Built
Wages on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program — a federal survey of more than 1.2 million U.S. establishments, published once per year by Metropolitan Statistical Area and Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code. We pull the BLS data file for Bakersfield, CA, match each occupation against our role catalog, and surface percentile wages alongside employment counts. The cost-of-living index (100.6) is a composite of housing, food, transportation, and utility data from public sources, calibrated to a U.S. national average of 100. Read the full methodology.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average salary in Bakersfield, CA in 2026?
The average salary in Bakersfield, CA is $114,605 as of 2026, based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics' OEWS 2025 release covering 60 occupations. The mean (employment-weighted average) gives slightly more weight to large occupations; the median across roles is also close to $114,605. The top-paying role is Family Medicine Physician at $332,530.
Is $100,000 a good salary in Bakersfield, CA?
In Bakersfield, CA, $100,000 has the purchasing power of $99,404 in an average-cost U.S. metro (COL index 100.6). That is roughly in line with what $100K buys in a typical U.S. city. Compared to the city's average median of $114,605, $100K is below the typical worker.
What are the highest-paying jobs in Bakersfield, CA?
The top-paying tracked occupations in Bakersfield, CA are Family Medicine Physician ($332,530), Pediatrician ($290,420), Physician Assistant ($198,070), and Dentist ($172,120). Across the top 10, median salaries range from $150,780 to $332,530. See the full ranking at /ranking/highest-paying-jobs/bakersfield.
How does Bakersfield, CA's cost of living affect salaries?
Bakersfield, CA has a cost-of-living index of 100.6, 1% above the U.S. national average. A nominal salary of $114,605 in this metro has the equivalent purchasing power of $113,921 in an average-cost U.S. city. Housing is the dominant driver of this gap; in higher-COL markets, mortgage or rent typically eats 5–15 percentage points more of pre-tax pay than in average-cost metros.
How many people are employed in Bakersfield, CA?
Across the 60 BLS-tracked occupations on this page, total employment in the Bakersfield, CA metro is approximately 43,960. BLS OEWS sample-based estimates cover all major occupational categories but exclude very small or volatile fields where the sample is too thin to publish.
Where does this Bakersfield, CA salary data come from?
Every wage figure on this page is sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program at bls.gov/oes — public domain federal survey data covering about 1.2 million U.S. employers. The same data is used by the U.S. Department of Labor for prevailing wage determinations.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Bakersfield, CA MSA, 2026 release. Public domain. See bls.gov/oes. Cite as: "SalaryTruth, BLS OEWS 2026."
Last refreshed 2026-05-21 · 60 occupations · COL Index 100.6.