Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers salary in Bakersfield, CA
Median pay for heavy & tractor-trailer truck drivers in Bakersfield, CA: $55,770/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $36,080 – $70,150 · about 6,460 employed locally
Above the typical metro median ($51,330) by +$4,440 (+9%).
What it's really worth in Bakersfield
With Bakersfield's cost of living at 102 (US=100), that $55,770 has the buying power of about $54,469 in an average-cost US metro.
Local context: median household income $63,883 · median home $364,264 · median rent $1,788/mo.
How Bakersfield ranks for this job
On raw pay, Bakersfield, CA is 62nd of the 187 metros we hold heavy & tractor-trailer truck drivers wages for. Once Bakersfield's cost of living is applied, it ranks 94th.
The headline number flatters Bakersfield. Once housing and everyday costs are taken into account, heavy & tractor-trailer truck drivers here keep less of what they earn than the raw salary implies.
What that salary buys in Bakersfield
A median home in Bakersfield, CA costs $364,264 — about 6.5× this salary, against a typical US metro figure of 4.7×. Buying is harder here than in the average metro on this income.
Median rent of $1,788/mo works out at 38% of gross pay — above the conventional 30% affordability ceiling, so renting would stretch this salary.
Where heavy & tractor-trailer truck drivers earn more
Pay on its own is only half the picture, so each row shows what rent costs there relative to Bakersfield.
| Metro | Median pay | vs Bakersfield | Rent vs Bakersfield |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln, NE | $89,760 | +61% | 0.8× |
| Seattle, WA | $63,460 | +14% | 1.2× |
| San Francisco, CA | $62,750 | +13% | 1.8× |
| San Jose, CA | $62,560 | +12% | 2× |
Same job elsewhere in CA
| Metro | Median pay | vs Bakersfield | Rent vs Bakersfield |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco, CA | $62,750 | +13% | 1.8× |
| San Jose, CA | $62,560 | +12% | 2× |
| Stockton, CA | $59,060 | +6% | 1.4× |
| Santa Rosa, CA | $58,980 | +6% | 1.5× |
Staying in CA keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Who hires heavy & tractor-trailer truck drivers around Bakersfield
Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.
- Aera Energy · Energy
Other jobs in Bakersfield
Source: US BLS OEWS (May 2023) median annual wage; cost of living from BEA; home price and rent from Zillow; household income from US Census ACS. Rankings are across the 187 metros we hold wage data for in this occupation. Estimates for guidance only. See methodology.