Firefighters pay range in Bakersfield
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $49,120 a year or less, while the top 10% make $470,940 or more. The middle half of firefighters in Bakersfield earn between $57,710 and $470,940.
- $49K10th
- $58K25th
- $72KMedian
- $471K75th
- $471K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $199,490 | $16,624 | $95.91 |
| Median | $72,410 | $6,034 | $34.81 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $57,710 | $4,809 | $27.75 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $470,940 | $39,245 | $226.41 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Firefighters salary after taxes in Bakersfield
On the average salary of $199,490, a single filer in Bakersfield takes home about $134,086 a year, or $11,174 a month and $5,157 every two weeks. Taxes take 33% 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.
Is Bakersfield a good place for firefighters? 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 $199,490 buys what about $197,738 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.5 times the median wage of all jobs in Bakersfield ($47,470). A typical home costs $364,264, or 1.8 years of this average salary before tax.
Firefighters salary in other California cities
Bakersfield ranks 1st of 25 California metro areas for this job, the best-paid in the state.
- Bakersfield$199,490
- San Jose$134,270
- San Francisco$110,590
- Los Angeles$108,860
- Vallejo$99,530
- Sacramento$97,420
- Stockton$89,710
- Santa Maria$87,660
- Santa Rosa$86,410
- Modesto$85,430
Highest-paying cities for firefighters
Bakersfield, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($199,490).
- Bakersfield, CA$199,490
- San Jose, CA$134,270
- San Francisco, CA$110,590
- Los Angeles, CA$108,860
- Seattle, WA$100,450
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Firefighters salary in Bakersfield: questions
How much do firefighters make an hour in Bakersfield?
$95.91 an hour on average, and $34.81 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level firefighters salary in Bakersfield?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $49,120 a year and the 25th percentile is $57,710, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the firefighters take-home pay in Bakersfield?
About $134,086 a year ($11,174 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $199,490. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Do firefighters earn more in Bakersfield than elsewhere?
The average here is 202% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($65,977).
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 33-2011; area Bakersfield-Delano, CA (12540). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 3.0%.
- 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 1.04, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.
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