TradeWages

Heavy Equipment Operator Salary in Bakersfield, California — 2026 Data

Heavy Equipment Operators in Bakersfield, California earn an average of $86,130 per year ($41.41 per hour). The median (50th percentile) wage is $77,960 per year. That is 30% above the national average of $66,290. Data updated August 2026.

Methodology: Wage figures come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 release data vintage (survey reference period May 2025), mapped from SOC occupation 47-2073 Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators to the job title "Heavy Equipment Operator". Values are measured survey estimates for the Bakersfield-Delano, CA metropolitan statistical area (MSA) — not modeled or interpolated. Year-over-year comparisons use the May 2024 OEWS release. The year shown in page titles is the publication and update year, not the data vintage.

Heavy Equipment Operator Pay in Bakersfield at a Glance

Heavy Equipment Operator wages in Bakersfield, CA (2026)
Average (mean) annual salary$86,130
Average (mean) hourly rate$41.41 per hour
Median (50th percentile) annual$77,960
Median hourly wage$37.48 per hour
Entry-level pay (10th percentile)$52,600
Senior-level pay (90th percentile)$126,170
National average$66,290
Employment (Bakersfield-Delano, CA)1,000 workers
Data vintageBLS OEWS May 2025 · SOC 47-2073

Salary Percentiles for Heavy Equipment Operators in Bakersfield

Annual and hourly wage percentiles
PercentileAnnual wageHourly wage
10th percentile$52,600$25.29/hr
25th percentile$60,940$29.30/hr
50th percentile (median)$77,960$37.48/hr
75th percentile$112,100$53.89/hr
90th percentile$126,170$60.66/hr

Explore More Heavy Equipment Operator Wage Data

Heavy Equipment Operator Salaries in Other California Cities

Other Trades in Bakersfield, CA