SOC 45-2091 · Bakersfield-Delano, CA metro

Agricultural Equipment Operators Salary in Bakersfield, CA

The average salary for agricultural equipment operators in Bakersfield, California is $39,990 a year ($19.23 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $36,930: half of the 700 people in this job in the Bakersfield-Delano, CA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 9% less than the U.S. average for this job ($43,710).

$39,990average per year

$19.23 / hourMedian $36,930Take-home ≈ $33,577

  • $35K10th
  • $36K25th
  • $37KMedian
  • $44K75th
  • $46K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

700people in this job
-9%vs U.S. average
#14 of 17California metros
101cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Agricultural Equipment Operators pay range in Bakersfield

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $34,650 a year or less, while the top 10% make $45,630 or more. The middle half of agricultural equipment operators in Bakersfield earn between $35,830 and $44,240.

  • $35K10th
  • $36K25th
  • $37KMedian
  • $44K75th
  • $46K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$39,990$3,332$19.23
Median$36,930$3,078$17.75
Entry level (25th percentile)$35,830$2,986$17.23
Experienced (75th percentile)$44,240$3,687$21.27

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.

Agricultural Equipment Operators pay in Bakersfield vs. California and the U.S.

Agricultural equipment operators in Bakersfield earn 6% less than the California average ($42,730) and 9% less than the U.S. average ($43,710). At the median the gap is -12% against the U.S. median of $41,730.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Bakersfield$39,990$36,930$34,650$45,630700
California$42,730$38,820$35,620$54,5807,940
United States$43,710$41,730$33,500$58,65028,500

State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.

Agricultural Equipment Operators salary after taxes in Bakersfield

On the average salary of $39,990, a single filer in Bakersfield takes home about $33,577 a year, or $2,798 a month and $1,291 every two weeks. Taxes take 16% 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.

California paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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Is Bakersfield a good place for agricultural equipment operators? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Bakersfield area are in line with the U.S. average (BEA price parity 100.9), so the average $39,990 buys what about $39,639 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.8 times the median wage of all jobs in Bakersfield ($47,470). A typical home costs $364,264, or 9.1 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $39,990 is worth in another city

Agricultural Equipment Operators salary in other California cities

Bakersfield ranks 14th of 17 California metro areas for this job; Sacramento pays the most ($47,520).

All Agricultural Equipment Operators salaries in California

Highest-paying cities for agricultural equipment operators

Cincinnati, OH pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($54,160).

Agricultural Equipment Operators salary by city

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Reviewed before it counts. Agricultural Equipment Operators in Bakersfield, CA.

Agricultural Equipment Operators salary in Bakersfield: questions

How much do agricultural equipment operators make an hour in Bakersfield?

$19.23 an hour on average, and $17.76 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level agricultural equipment operators salary in Bakersfield?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $34,650 a year and the 25th percentile is $35,830, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the agricultural equipment operators take-home pay in Bakersfield?

About $33,577 a year ($2,798 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $39,990. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.

Do agricultural equipment operators earn more in Bakersfield than elsewhere?

The average here is 9% less than the U.S. average for this job ($43,710).

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 45-2091; area Bakersfield-Delano, CA (12540). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.3%.
  • U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
  • 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 11.30, this job is 11.3 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.

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