Appliance Repair Technicians in the Bakersfield area earn a median of $60,040 a year, 19% above the typical U.S. metro. That ranks #21 of 125 metros nationwide.
Within driving distance, the same work pays more in Los Angeles, but less in Oxnard.
What this means Our calculation
Pay for appliance repair technicians here is in the top 20% of U.S. metros, and also in the top 20% once local prices are factored in. For the wider job market, unemployment is higher than in most metros (9.0%) and the population is growing at a typical pace (+2.3% since 2020). On your own, you'd join about 87 one-person appliance repair businesses averaging $46,908 in revenue, and you'd need to bill roughly $75/hour to match the median salary (at our default assumptions).
A summary of the numbers on this page; nothing here is estimated beyond them.
Bakersfield scorecard for appliance repair technicians Our calculation
Grades compare Bakersfield with every other U.S. metro for this trade (A = top 20%).
Pay Government data
Pay range
Shaded: the middle half of workers. Grey line: typical U.S. metro ($50,540).
Pay over time
The median pay for appliance repair technicians in the Bakersfield area went from $42,840 in 2022 to $60,040 in 2025, up 40.1%. Prices rose 10% over the same period, so after inflation that's +27.4% — a real raise.
BLS OEWS, May 2022–May 2025; inflation: CPI-U (May to May). Year-to-year changes can include survey noise.
Compared with nearby metros
What the pay is really worth in Bakersfield Our calculation
Prices in Bakersfield run 1% above the U.S. average. Adjusted for that, a median paycheck here buys what $59,513 would in a typical place, ranking #18 of 125 on real pay.
Two different views, don't combine them. Real pay already accounts for housing, because the price index includes rent. Rent burden shows what share of pay a typical 1-bedroom takes. Use either one, not both together.
What appliance repair technicians do
Repair, adjust, or install all types of electric or gas household appliances, such as refrigerators, washers, dryers, and ovens.
Most important day-to-day tasks
- Bill customers for repair work, and collect payment.
- Observe and examine appliances during operation to detect specific malfunctions such as loose parts or leaking fluid.
- Talk to customers or refer to work orders to establish the nature of appliance malfunctions.
- Refer to schematic drawings, product manuals, and troubleshooting manuals to diagnose and repair problems.
- Trace electrical circuits, following diagrams, and conduct tests with circuit testers and other equipment to locate shorts and grounds.
Outlook & getting started
Nationally, appliance repair technician jobs are projected to grow 1.9% from 2025 to 2035 (all jobs: 3.5%), with about 2,800 openings a year. About 20% are self-employed.
What the work is like Government data
How often appliance repair technicians deal with each condition, from surveys of workers in the job.
Getting started usually takes some preparation (high school plus months of training).
O*NET 31.0 Work Context and Job Zones (U.S. Department of Labor), national.
Licensing in California Official source
The main state licensing office in California is the Contractors State License Board. Licenses all trades by classification (e.g. C-10 electrical; C-36 plumbing). It can point you to the right license for appliance repair technicians.
Official California licensing site ↗
Requirements for appliance repair technicians vary by state and sometimes by city; always confirm with the official agency.
On-the-job safety Government data
Nationally, appliance repair technicians have 327 injuries or illnesses serious enough to miss work per 10,000 full-time workers, 3.8× the rate for all jobs (87). The most common cause is overexertion and repetitive strain.
BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses, 2023–2024 (national, cases with days away from work).
Highest-paying CA metros for appliance repair technicians
| Metro | Median | Real pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santa RosaCALIFORNIA · CA | $64,310 | $59,666 | 30 |
| San FranciscoCALIFORNIA · CA | $64,220 | $55,547 | 250 |
| San JoseCALIFORNIA · CA | $61,590 | $55,776 | 110 |
| Los AngelesCALIFORNIA · CA | $61,150 | $53,845 | 960 |
| BakersfieldCALIFORNIA · CA | $60,040 | $59,513 | 70 |
| SacramentoCALIFORNIA · CA | $59,770 | $56,033 | 200 |
| RiversideCALIFORNIA · CA | $57,610 | $54,123 | 320 |
| FresnoCALIFORNIA · CA | $56,180 | $54,993 | 90 |
| OxnardCALIFORNIA · CA | $50,540 | $45,723 | 40 |
| San DiegoCALIFORNIA · CA | $45,590 | $40,746 | 360 |
See every metro in California.
How much work is there? Government data
Local job market
The Bakersfield area's unemployment rate was 9.0% in 2025 (all workers, not just appliance repair technicians), above the typical U.S. metro's 4.1%. It was 9.9% in 2021.
BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual averages 2021–2025 (2025 preliminary).
Getting to work
The average commute in the Bakersfield area is 25 minutes each way, longer than the typical metro (24 min). 11% of commuters spend 45 minutes or more. 77% drive alone, 1% take transit and 8% work from home (all workers, not just trades).
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table S0801).
Population
The Bakersfield area's population grew 2.3% from 2020 to 2025 (905,960 → 927,068), ranking #202 of 387 metros for growth (typical metro +2.5%). More people moved out than in (net -1,086).
Census Bureau population estimates, July 1 of each year, 2020–2025.
Homes in Bakersfield
The Bakersfield area has about 312,130 homes. 41% were built before 1980 (typical metro 45%), so its housing is newer than most; 12% were built in 2010 or later. 61% of households own their home, and the median home value is $363,600.
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table DP04).
New construction
New-home permits in Bakersfield are up 38% from 2021 to 2025 (2,293 → 3,159).
In 2025 the Bakersfield area approved permits for 3,159 new homes (2,793 single-family), or 3.5 per 1,000 residents, ranking #195 of 393 metros.
Competition
In 2024 the area had 87 one-person businesses (no employees) in appliance repair, averaging $46,908 a year in revenue before expenses.
They compete with 11 appliance repair companies that have employees (about 37 workers in total). 64% of those companies have fewer than 5 employees.
Employee vs. working for yourself Your scenario
A model, not a market rate. It shows the minimum you'd need to bill to match a $60,040 employee salary once you cover what an employer normally pays for. Change any number.
Minimum billing rate
How this calculator works. Billable hours are hours you can charge a customer. Driving, quoting, paperwork and slow weeks aren't billable, which is why 1,400 is a common starting point versus 2,080 paid hours as an employee.
Get appliance repair technician pricing & estimate templates →Compare Bakersfield with another city →
About this data
- Pay: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2025, local to this metro.
- Pay over time: BLS OEWS May 2020–2025, local; inflation from the Consumer Price Index (CPI-U).
- Real pay: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024, local.
- Rent: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2027, local (county rents weighted by population).
- Job outlook, education, training: BLS Employment Projections 2025–35, national.
- Duties: O*NET 31.0, national.
- Safety: BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses, 2023–2024, national.
- New construction: Census Building Permits, 2021–2025, local.
- Housing: Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year, local (age of homes, ownership, home values).
- Population: Census Bureau population estimates, 2020–2025, local.
- Commute: Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year, local, all workers.
- Unemployment: BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, 2021–2025 annual averages, local, all workers (2025 preliminary).
- Competition: Census Nonemployer Statistics 2024 and County Business Patterns 2023, local, reported by industry, so related trades can share one figure.
- Jobs are employment estimates, not open positions. Grades rank this metro against all others for the same trade.