Bookkeeper salary in Bakersfield-Delano, CA
Bakersfield-Delano pays bookkeepers less than California as a whole but still more than the country. The median is $53,170 a year1: 10.2% below the California statewide median of $59,230 and 4.9% above the US median of $50,670. That is in the top quarter of US areas (#70 of 521). BLS counts about 2,580 people in this job here, 2% of the California total.
BLS occupation 43-3031, area Bakersfield-Delano, CA. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Bakersfield-Delano against California and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | $39,210 | $53,170 | $75,120 | |
| California | $41,600 | $59,230 | $81,990 | |
| United States | $36,000 | $50,670 | $74,550 |
The middle half of bookkeepers in Bakersfield-Delano earns $47,010–$61,630. The top tenth earns $75,120 or more, 1.9 times the bottom tenth, close to the US pattern of 2.1 times. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $14,620 wide, against $22,000 across California and $17,950 nationally: employers in Bakersfield-Delano pay within a narrower band.
What to budget for a bookkeeper here
| Point in the local range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $39,210 | $3,268 | $18.85 | $50,594 |
| 25th percentile | $47,010 | $3,918 | $22.60 | $60,658 |
| Median | $53,170 | $4,431 | $25.56 | $68,606 |
| 75th percentile | $61,630 | $5,136 | $29.63 | $79,523 |
| 90th percentile | $75,120 | $6,260 | $36.12 | $96,929 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $8,460 a year in pay and about $10,916 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $6,160 in pay. These percentiles describe what people in the job earn locally, not experience levels, so place your offer by the tasks and seniority you need.
For scale, the US median of $50,670 falls between the 25th percentile and the median in Bakersfield-Delano, and the California statewide median of $59,230 falls between the median and the 75th percentile.
What a hire really costs in Bakersfield-Delano
Pay is only part of it. Benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, which adds about $15,436 to the $53,170 median and brings it to $68,606 a year. Recruiting, equipment and office space come on top. Benefit levels vary by employer, so treat this as an estimate.
We place executive assistants, customer support and e-commerce staff today; for bookkeepers we answer within one business day whether we can help. Enter the monthly pay you have in mind to compare it with a local hire. The fee field shows our standard fee3; Deel's contractor plan is the default payroll tool4.
Other roles in Bakersfield-Delano
Of the 17 roles we track in Bakersfield-Delano, this one ranks #10 by median pay, between payroll specialists ($56,650) and HR assistants ($51,570). Project Coordinator is the highest at $104,580.
| Role | Median | vs bookkeeper | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sales Development Representative | +17.8% | 1,540 | |
| Payroll Specialist | +6.5% | 500 | |
| Bookkeeper | this role | 2,580 | |
| HR Assistant | -3.0% | 230 | |
| Administrative Assistant | -4.2% | 2,730 |
Measured against the US median, bookkeepers rank #5 of the 17 roles we track in Bakersfield-Delano (+4.9%), between customer support specialists (+5.7%) and virtual receptionists (+4.4%). The typical role here is at +2.2%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Bookkeepers hold 12.1% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Bakersfield-Delano, 9.1% across California and 8.7% nationally. The job is a bigger part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in California
Across the 28 areas of California with data for this job, the median runs from $47,960 in El Centro to $66,130 in San Jose-Sunnyvale, a gap of $18,170 a year. All 8 areas in California with more bookkeepers than Bakersfield-Delano also pay more, among them Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA ($58,590) and San Francisco-Oakland, CA ($65,530).
| Area | Median | vs Bakersfield-Delano | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Modesto, CA | +3.5% | 1,730 | |
| North Coast Region of California (Nonmetro) | +3.0% | 1,300 | |
| Fresno, CA | +1.9% | 4,310 | |
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | this area | 2,580 | |
| Hanford-Corcoran, CA | -0.5% | 370 | |
| North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California (Nonmetro) | -0.8% | 1,180 | |
| Merced, CA | -2.7% | 680 |
Bakersfield-Delano against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Bakersfield-Delano is #93 of 521 US areas for this job. It is one of the larger markets for this job and one of the better-paying ones. Outside California, Madison and Fort Collins-Loveland pay just above Bakersfield-Delano and Spokane-Spokane Valley and Philadelphia-Camden just below. All four are within $460 a year of the median in Bakersfield-Delano. Of the three markets with about as many bookkeepers, none pays as much.
| Metro area | Median | vs Bakersfield-Delano | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Collins-Loveland, CO | +0.3% | 1,760 | pay | |
| Madison, WI | +0.1% | 3,760 | pay | |
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | this area | 2,580 | ||
| Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA | -0.2% | 2,550 | pay | |
| Philadelphia-Camden, PA-NJ | -0.9% | 22,660 | pay | |
| Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | -4.5% | 2,570 | jobs | |
| Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL | -7.9% | 2,600 | jobs | |
| Dayton-Kettering, OH | -7.9% | 2,570 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a bookkeeper in Bakersfield-Delano, CA?
About $68,606 a year at the median, or $5,717 a month: $53,170 in pay plus about $15,436 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do bookkeepers earn in Bakersfield-Delano?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $53,170 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $39,210, the 90th $75,120, and the middle half earned $47,010 to $61,630.
Is Bakersfield-Delano cheaper than the rest of California for bookkeepers?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $53,170 against $59,230 statewide. The next area up in California is Fresno at $54,170, the next down Hanford-Corcoran at $52,920.
How many bookkeepers work in Bakersfield-Delano?
BLS counts about 2,580 in the May 2025 survey. That is 2% of the California total of 151,870. 8 areas in California have more; the closest in size is Oxnard-Thousand Oaks, with about 3,250.
Does a bookkeeper cost more than an HR assistant in Bakersfield-Delano?
Yes: $1,600 a year more at the median. The medians are $53,170 and $51,570.
Sources
4 sources, with links
- BLS OEWS May 2025, 43-3031: bls.gov
- BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, private industry, June 2026: bls.gov
- Stafka pricing: stafka.com
- Deel pricing, contractor management: deel.com
How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-12.