Electrical Lineworkers in the Bakersfield area earn a median of $126,670 a year, 31% above the typical U.S. metro. That ranks #28 of 260 metros nationwide.
Within driving distance, the same work pays more in Oxnard and Los Angeles, but less in San Luis Obispo.
It's one of 12 California metros with published pay for this trade; see statewide electrical lineworker pay.
What this means Our calculation
Pay for electrical lineworkers 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).
A summary of the numbers on this page; nothing here is estimated beyond them.
Bakersfield scorecard for electrical lineworkers 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 ($96,805).
Pay over time
The median pay for electrical lineworkers in the Bakersfield area went from $72,460 in 2020 to $126,670 in 2025, up 74.8%. Prices rose 25% over the same period, so after inflation that's +39.4% — a real raise.
BLS OEWS, May 2020–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 $125,558 would in a typical place, ranking #22 of 258 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 electrical lineworkers do
Install or repair cables or wires used in electrical power or distribution systems. May erect poles and light or heavy duty transmission towers.
Most important day-to-day tasks
- Adhere to safety practices and procedures, such as checking equipment regularly and erecting barriers around work areas.
- Drive vehicles equipped with tools and materials to job sites.
- Open switches or attach grounding devices to remove electrical hazards from disturbed or fallen lines or to facilitate repairs.
- Climb poles or use truck-mounted buckets to access equipment.
- Install, maintain, and repair electrical distribution and transmission systems, including conduits, cables, wires, and related equipment, such as transformers, circuit breakers, and switches.
Outlook & getting started
Nationally, electrical lineworker jobs are projected to grow 10.3% from 2025 to 2035 (all jobs: 3.5%), with about 10,900 openings a year. About 0% are self-employed.
What the work is like Government data
How often electrical lineworkers 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 electrical lineworkers.
Official California licensing site ↗
Requirements for electrical lineworkers vary by state and sometimes by city; always confirm with the official agency.
On-the-job safety Government data
Nationally, electrical lineworkers have 177 injuries or illnesses serious enough to miss work per 10,000 full-time workers, 2.0× 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 electrical lineworkers
| Metro | Median | Real pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| San JoseCALIFORNIA · CA | $157,620 | $142,742 | 300 |
| San FranciscoCALIFORNIA · CA | $137,180 | $118,654 | 770 |
| El CentroCALIFORNIA · CA | $134,950 | $141,793 | 40 |
| FresnoCALIFORNIA · CA | $134,150 | $131,316 | 230 |
| OxnardCALIFORNIA · CA | $131,050 | $118,561 | 200 |
| Los AngelesCALIFORNIA · CA | $130,440 | $114,858 | 2,140 |
| RiversideCALIFORNIA · CA | $128,750 | $120,958 | 1,580 |
| SacramentoCALIFORNIA · CA | $127,160 | $119,209 | 650 |
| BakersfieldCALIFORNIA · CA | $126,670 | $125,558 | 280 |
| San Luis ObispoCALIFORNIA · CA | $123,650 | $113,862 | 170 |
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 electrical lineworkers), 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.
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.
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 $126,670 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 electrical lineworker 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.
Report a data issue on this page
The Census doesn't publish one-person business or competition figures for electrical lineworkers as a separate industry, so that section is left out.