Anucha Cheechang // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Switchboard operators, including answering service
- Median annual wage: $37,650
- Median hourly wage: $18.10
- Total employment: 110 people (0.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lowest-paying jobs in Bakersfield
Uncertainty clouds the current job market. On one hand, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports unemployment rates at 4.2% as of May 2025—and that hasn't changed much in the past year, a typical indicator of a positive economy. At the same time, average weekly earnings have increased by 3.9% over the 12 months ending May 2025 to reach $1,243.03.
However, the American economy may soon shift. The Trump administration's federal budget cuts have eliminated tens of thousands of jobs, and constant changes in import tariffs leave companies unable to plan for their future employment needs.
With these factors in mind, minimum or low-wage jobs are increasingly unsustainable for most. In 2025, a full-time job at the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour puts a worker under the poverty threshold, according to the Economic Policy Institute. While states can opt to have higher minimum wages, 20 states are at or below the federal minimum as of 2025.
Salaries can also vary by gender, race, and educational attainment. According to a March 2025 report from the Pew Research Center, women's earnings are about 85% of men's, and women also remain overrepresented in low-paying jobs. Meanwhile, April 2025 BLS data shows that Hispanic workers' median earnings lag behind those of other race and ethnicity groups, and full-time workers without a high school diploma earned the least compared to their more educated counterparts.
It's important to note, though, that low pay doesn't always equal low job satisfaction. Some people feel drawn to a particular field, seek a certain work environment, or aim for work-life balance. No matter the reason, Stacker used BLS data to find the 50 lowest-paying jobs in Bakersfield. Jobs are ranked by their median annual pay as of May 2024, so any jobs without annual compensation figures available were excluded from this analysis.
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Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Cooks, restaurant
- Median annual wage: $37,630
- Median hourly wage: $18.09
- Total employment: 2,240 people (6.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Peter Braakmann // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Agricultural equipment operators
- Median annual wage: $37,600
- Median hourly wage: $18.08
- Total employment: 600 people (1.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
UfaBizPhoto // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Parts salespersons
- Median annual wage: $37,560
- Median hourly wage: $18.06
- Total employment: 750 people (2.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Production workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $37,500
- Median hourly wage: $18.03
- Total employment: 580 people (1.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Driver/sales workers
- Median annual wage: $37,350
- Median hourly wage: $17.96
- Total employment: 780 people (2.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
kanemme6 // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Tire repairers and changers
- Median annual wage: $37,200
- Median hourly wage: $17.88
- Total employment: 280 people (0.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
VH-studio // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Protective service workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $37,150
- Median hourly wage: $17.86
- Total employment: 730 people (2.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jason Person // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Cooks, short order
- Median annual wage: $37,040
- Median hourly wage: $17.81
- Total employment: 450 people (1.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Suteren // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Dietetic technicians
- Median annual wage: $37,010
- Median hourly wage: $17.79
- Total employment: 130 people (0.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Library assistants, clerical
- Median annual wage: $36,870
- Median hourly wage: $17.73
- Total employment: 80 people (0.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Olena Yakobchuk // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Automotive and watercraft service attendants
- Median annual wage: $36,860
- Median hourly wage: $17.72
- Total employment: 240 people (0.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paul.J.West // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Teaching assistants, except postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $36,790
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 4,490 people (13.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BlueSkyImage // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Fast food and counter workers
- Median annual wage: $36,440
- Median hourly wage: $17.52
- Total employment: 9,400 people (28.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oksana Shufrych // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Recreation workers
- Median annual wage: $36,400
- Median hourly wage: $17.50
- Total employment: 1,290 people (3.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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UfaBizPhoto // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Sewing machine operators
- Median annual wage: $36,360
- Median hourly wage: $17.48
- Total employment: 60 people (0.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
NIKCOA // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Medical transcriptionists
- Median annual wage: $36,280
- Median hourly wage: $17.44
- Total employment: 120 people (0.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nejron Photo // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Cleaners of vehicles and equipment
- Median annual wage: $36,160
- Median hourly wage: $17.39
- Total employment: 1,450 people (4.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Childcare workers
- Median annual wage: $35,980
- Median hourly wage: $17.30
- Total employment: 1,230 people (3.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pearl PhotoPix // Shutterstock
20 / 50#30. Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists (tie)
- Median annual wage: $35,840
- Median hourly wage: $17.23
- Total employment: 190 people (0.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Africa Studio // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Shuttle drivers and chauffeurs (tie)
- Median annual wage: $35,840
- Median hourly wage: $17.23
- Total employment: 380 people (1.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Food preparation workers
- Median annual wage: $35,720
- Median hourly wage: $17.17
- Total employment: 1,750 people (5.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BearFotos // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Graders and sorters, agricultural products
- Median annual wage: $35,680
- Median hourly wage: $17.15
- Total employment: 900 people (2.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Alena Veasey // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Cooks, fast food
- Median annual wage: $35,620
- Median hourly wage: $17.12
- Total employment: 2,590 people (7.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Maids and housekeeping cleaners
- Median annual wage: $35,610
- Median hourly wage: $17.12
- Total employment: 1,400 people (4.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Laundry and dry-cleaning workers
- Median annual wage: $35,470
- Median hourly wage: $17.05
- Total employment: 310 people (0.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Physical therapist aides
- Median annual wage: $35,360
- Median hourly wage: $17.00
- Total employment: 100 people (0.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gabriel Georgescu // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks
- Median annual wage: $35,340
- Median hourly wage: $16.99
- Total employment: 400 people (1.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
VGstockstudio // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Food servers, nonrestaurant
- Median annual wage: $35,240
- Median hourly wage: $16.94
- Total employment: 440 people (1.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Retail salespersons
- Median annual wage: $35,190
- Median hourly wage: $16.92
- Total employment: 5,630 people (16.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Demonstrators and product promoters
- Median annual wage: $35,110
- Median hourly wage: $16.88
- Total employment: 150 people (0.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
MAVV // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse
- Median annual wage: $35,090
- Median hourly wage: $16.87
- Total employment: 34,210 people (102.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers
- Median annual wage: $35,070
- Median hourly wage: $16.86
- Total employment: 80 people (0.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Animal caretakers
- Median annual wage: $35,040
- Median hourly wage: $16.85
- Total employment: 320 people (0.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Material moving workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $34,930
- Median hourly wage: $16.80
- Total employment: 260 people (0.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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SviatlanaLaza // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Packers and packagers, hand
- Median annual wage: $34,900
- Median hourly wage: $16.78
- Total employment: 2,900 people (8.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Dishwashers
- Median annual wage: $34,780
- Median hourly wage: $16.72
- Total employment: 1,030 people (3.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dean Drobot // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Cashiers
- Median annual wage: $34,730
- Median hourly wage: $16.70
- Total employment: 8,550 people (25.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
shocky // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers
- Median annual wage: $34,490
- Median hourly wage: $16.58
- Total employment: 50 people (0.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Motortion Films // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Personal care and service workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $34,140
- Median hourly wage: $16.41
- Total employment: Not available
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Finist4 // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Manicurists and pedicurists
- Median annual wage: $34,100
- Median hourly wage: $16.40
- Total employment: 420 people (1.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Ushers, lobby attendants, and ticket takers
- Median annual wage: $34,060
- Median hourly wage: $16.38
- Total employment: 200 people (0.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dragon Images // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop
- Median annual wage: $33,800
- Median hourly wage: $16.25
- Total employment: 570 people (1.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Alexander Oganezov // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Amusement and recreation attendants
- Median annual wage: $33,540
- Median hourly wage: $16.13
- Total employment: 640 people (1.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Food processing workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $33,490
- Median hourly wage: $16.10
- Total employment: 160 people (0.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Nature's Charm // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Food preparation and serving related workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $33,470
- Median hourly wage: $16.09
- Total employment: 320 people (0.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Home health and personal care aides
- Median annual wage: $33,430
- Median hourly wage: $16.07
- Total employment: 14,550 people (43.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
santypan // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Bartenders
- Median annual wage: $33,390
- Median hourly wage: $16.05
- Total employment: 860 people (2.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Waiters and waitresses
- Median annual wage: $33,350
- Median hourly wage: $16.03
- Total employment: 3,210 people (9.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
aboutsung // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers
- Median annual wage: $33,280
- Median hourly wage: $16.00
- Total employment: 870 people (2.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou, writing by Jill Jaracz, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 364 metros.
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