Roofers in the Bakersfield area earn a median of $60,640 a year, 21% above the typical U.S. metro. That ranks #64 of 265 metros for roofers nationwide.
Within driving distance, the same work pays more in Oxnard and Los Angeles, but less in Visalia.
It's one of 22 California metros with published pay for this trade; see roofer pay in California.
What this means Our calculation
Pay for roofers here is above average compared with other U.S. metros, and also above average 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 416 one-person foundation, framing & exterior work businesses averaging $50,471 in revenue, and you'd need to bill roughly $75/hour to match the median salary (at our default assumptions).
Bakersfield scorecard for roofers 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 ($50,140).
Pay over time
The median pay for roofers in the Bakersfield area went from $53,210 in 2020 to $60,640 in 2025, up 14.0%. Prices rose 25% over the same period, so after inflation that's -9.1% — a real pay cut.
BLS OEWS, May 2020–May 2025; inflation: CPI-U (May to May). Year-to-year changes can include survey noise.
Compared with nearby metros
Check your pay here
Enter a rate to see where it falls among roofers in Bakersfield.
Comparing two real offers with overtime and commutes? Use the job offer checker.
What the pay is really worth in Bakersfield Our calculation
Prices in the Bakersfield area run 1% above the U.S. average. Adjusted for that, a median paycheck here buys what $60,107 would in a typical place, ranking #68 of 263 on real pay.
Real pay or rent burden?
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.
Want the full picture? Build a cost-of-living budget for Bakersfield from this pay, local rent and prices.
What roofers do
Cover roofs of structures with shingles, slate, asphalt, aluminum, wood, or related materials. May spray roofs, sidings, and walls with material to bind, seal, insulate, or soundproof sections of structures.
Most important day-to-day tasks
- Inspect problem roofs to determine the best repair procedures.
- Waterproof or damp-proof walls, floors, roofs, foundations, or basements by painting or spraying surfaces with waterproof coatings or by attaching waterproofing membranes to surfaces.
- Cover exposed nailheads with roofing cement or caulking to prevent water leakage or rust.
- Apply reflective roof coatings, such as special paints or single-ply roofing sheets, to existing roofs to reduce solar heat absorption.
- Remove snow, water, or debris from roofs prior to applying roofing materials.
Outlook & getting started
Nationally, roofer jobs are projected to grow 5.3% from 2025 to 2035 (all jobs: 3.5%), with about 12,000 openings a year. About 20% are self-employed.
What the work is like Government data
How often roofers 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 roofers.
Official California licensing site ↗
Requirements for roofers vary by state and sometimes by city; always confirm with the official agency.
On-the-job safety Government data
Nationally, roofers have 162 injuries or illnesses serious enough to miss work per 10,000 full-time workers, 1.9× the rate for all jobs (87). The most common cause is falls, slips and trips.
BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses, 2023–2024 (national, cases with days away from work).
Highest-paying CA metros for roofers
| Metro | Median | Real pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| San JoseCALIFORNIA · CA | $76,650 | $69,415 | 1,660 |
| San FranciscoCALIFORNIA · CA | $74,340 | $64,301 | 2,610 |
| Santa RosaCALIFORNIA · CA | $64,020 | $59,397 | 430 |
| Los AngelesCALIFORNIA · CA | $63,560 | $55,967 | 5,480 |
| SacramentoCALIFORNIA · CA | $63,320 | $59,361 | 1,800 |
| San Luis ObispoCALIFORNIA · CA | $63,030 | $58,041 | 190 |
| ModestoCALIFORNIA · CA | $62,940 | $60,456 | 290 |
| OxnardCALIFORNIA · CA | $62,840 | $56,851 | 430 |
| FresnoCALIFORNIA · CA | $62,400 | $61,082 | 640 |
| San DiegoCALIFORNIA · CA | $62,180 | $55,574 | 1,830 |
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 roofers), 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 416 one-person businesses (no employees) in foundation, framing & exterior work, averaging $50,471 a year in revenue before expenses. See how Bakersfield compares among the best cities to start a roofer business.
They compete with 194 foundation, framing & exterior work companies that have employees (about 1,682 workers in total). 58% of those companies have fewer than 5 employees.
Licensed contractors
The Bakersfield area has 86 active C-39 Roofing contractor licenses, about 0.9 per 10,000 residents (#22 of 25 California metros, where #1 is the most crowded). That's the competition you'd face bidding your own jobs.
California Contractors State License Board, License Master file, October 2026. Counted by the county in each license's address.
Working outdoors in Bakersfield Government data
In an average year, Bakersfield has 112 days at 90°F or hotter (more than most metros; typical metro 33), including 36 at 100°F or more, 10 nights below freezing (typical 90) and 18 days with a tenth of an inch of rain or more. Summer afternoons average 96°F and winter nights 41°F. That matters for roofers: heat and freezes shape the working season and the hours.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 averages, Bakersfield Airport, CA station. Compare cities on outdoor work weather.
Employee vs. working for yourself Your scenario
A model, not a market rate. It shows the break-even rate to match a $60,640 employee salary once you cover what an employer normally pays for (including the employer half of Social Security and Medicare, 7.65%), then adds your profit margin. Change any number.
Break-even rate
With your profit margin
How this calculator works. Weighing a contractor job against a W-2 one? Try the 1099 vs. W-2 comparison. 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 roofer pricing & estimate templates →Compare Bakersfield with another city →
Keep exploring
Could this trade pay more somewhere else?
ToolBest cities for roofersRank every metro on pay, buying power, rent and jobs.Is a job offer here any good?
ToolCheck an offer in BakersfieldSee where it falls among local roofers, after the commute.Could you afford to live here?
ToolBakersfield budgetMonthly take-home, HUD rent and local prices on this pay.About this data
Local to the Bakersfield metro: pay (BLS, May 2025) and pay over time (2020–2025, CPI-adjusted), prices (BEA, 2024), rent (HUD, FY2027), new construction, housing, population and commuting (Census), unemployment (BLS) and business counts (Census, by industry). National: job outlook and training (BLS projections), injury rates (BLS) and duties (O*NET). Jobs are employment estimates, not open positions; grades rank Bakersfield against every other metro for roofers. Every source, year and formula is on our data page.