Bakersfield police officer salary, 2025
Bakersfield is a city in Kern County. 361 people worked as police officers for Bakersfield in 2025. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $120,052, overtime included.
What is the average police officer salary at Bakersfield?
Official pay range1
$71,273 to $93,293
from the lowest entry salary to the top of the highest police officer title
Based on the 271 of 361 police officers who worked the full year.
Most of Bakersfield's police officers (318 of 361) hold the title Police Officer, with an official range of $71,273 to $86,650. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $117,145, $30,495 above the top of the range.
- Median total pay
- $115,779
- the middle police officer: half earned more, half less
- Overtime
- $28,994
- average per full-year police officer
- Starting salary
- $71,273
- bottom of the Police Officer range
- Average pay rank
- 250th
- of 301 California employers
What does each police officer title at Bakersfield pay?
Each bar is the official range for one title, lowest first. The dot marks the average total pay of full-year staff in that title, where at least 5 people stand behind it.1
- Police Officer$117,145
- Senior Police Officer$135,902
official range average total pay, full year. "Fewer than 5" means too few full-year people in that title to show.
Police detective, sergeant, lieutenant and captain pay at Bakersfield
Ranks above officer, kept out of the officer figures on this page. Each rank's name leads to its statewide overview. Range: the middle reported bottom and top of each rank's official range. Pay: average total pay of full-year staff, overtime included.1
| Rank | People | Official range | Average total pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Officers | 361 | $71,273 to $93,293 | $120,052 |
| Detectives | 71 | $84,550 to $102,791 | $148,905 |
| Sergeants | 63 | $106,105 to $128,996 | $187,472 |
| Lieutenants | 23 | $130,237 to $158,334 | $176,754 |
| Captains | 9 | $152,813 to $185,781 | $189,087 |
Full-year sergeants averaged $187,472, $67,420 more than officers.
Does Bakersfield pay police officers more than other employers in Kern County?
Average total pay of full-year police officers: Bakersfield next to every employer in the county together, and the whole state.1
- Bakersfield$120,052
- All employers in Kern County$121,328
- All employers in California$179,627
Full-year police officers at Bakersfield earned $1,276 less than the Kern County average and $59,575 less than the California average.
Where does Bakersfield rank among California employers?
Every employer with at least 5 full-year police officers, by average total pay.1
All 301 California employers
Bakersfield ranks 250th of 301, below the middle employer.
Middle employer: $159,513
The 8 employers in Kern County
Bakersfield ranks 4th of 8, above the middle employer.
Middle employer: $118,345
Each bar counts the employers whose average total pay falls in a $5,000 band. The dashed line marks the middle employer.
Pension and health cover at Bakersfield
As reported by the city. Contributions are what the employer paid per full-year police officer, on top of wages.1
- Pension formula
- 2.7% at 55
- the most common formula among Bakersfield's police officers
- Employer pension contribution
- $21,280
- average per year
- Health, dental and vision
- $13,933
- average paid by the employer per year
Questions about police officer pay at Bakersfield
What is the average police officer salary at Bakersfield?
Police officers at Bakersfield who worked the full year earned an average of $120,052 in 2025, overtime included. The middle police officer earned $115,779: half earned more, half less. The official pay range across its police officer titles runs from $71,273 to $93,293.
How much overtime do police officers at Bakersfield earn?
Full-year police officers were paid an average of $28,994 in overtime in 2025. The middle one was paid $21,609: a few people with a lot of overtime pull the average up.
What is the starting salary for a police officer at Bakersfield?
$71,273 a year: the bottom of the official range for Bakersfield's Police Officer title in 2025, as reported. Pay rises with steps and overtime; full-year officers averaged $120,052 in total pay.
How much does a police sergeant make at Bakersfield?
Full-year sergeants at Bakersfield averaged $187,472 in total pay in 2025, overtime included, on an official range of $106,105 to $128,996.
What pension do police officers at Bakersfield get?
The most common pension formula among Bakersfield's police officers is 2.7% at 55, as reported by the city. The employer paid an average of $21,280 a year into the pension plan.
More salaries in Kern County
- Delano$143,288 average total pay
- Arvin$126,895 average total pay
- California City$125,821 average total pay
- Tehachapi$116,638 average total pay
- McFarland$114,080 average total pay
- Ridgecrest$106,981 average total pay
- Taft$85,200 average total pay
- Shafterpolice officer pay
- Highest police officer salaries in CaliforniaThe best-paying employers, ranked
- Teacher salaries in Kern CountyEvery school district's salary schedule
Sources for the Bakersfield figures
Every person who held a police officer position at Bakersfield at any point in 2025 counts toward the headcount. Pay figures use only people who worked roughly the full year: those whose regular pay reached at least 90% of the bottom of their official range. Total pay is gross wages before tax, including overtime, lump sums and other pay. Averages lead; the median total pay is the middle person's, with half above and half below, and is less pulled by a few people with very high pay. Every figure covers at least 5 people.
- State Controller's Office, Government Compensation in California, 2025: positions, official pay ranges, wages, pension formula and employer contributions as reported by Bakersfield.