Bakersfield City School District teacher salaries
Bakersfield City School District is an elementary school district in Kern County, with its district office in Bakersfield. Pay starts at $59,232 on the first step. The largest group (61%) is on the BA+60 column, which climbs to $118,012 by step 20.
Lowest
$59,232
BA, step 1
Average salary on the teacher schedule1
$90,521
- about the same as the Kern County average
- $13,031 below California average
Highest
$118,012
BA+60, step 20
Bakersfield City average
Kern County average$90,536
California average$103,552
- Full-time equivalents on the schedule
- 1,677
- Starting salary
- $59,232
- BA, step 1
- Median salary
- $86,508
- Half earn more, half earn less
- Average pay rank in California
- 482nd of 828 reporting
- of 828 reporting
Does Bakersfield City pay teachers more than the median California district?
Line up all 828 reporting California districts from the lowest average salary to the highest. The one in the middle is the median district: half the districts pay a lower average, half pay a higher one. A median isn't pulled up or down by a few unusually high- or low-paying districts, so it shows what a typical district pays.
No
Bakersfield City's average of $90,521 is below the middle California district's $94,573.
All 828 reporting districts in California
Bakersfield City ranks 482nd of 828.
Middle district: $94,573
The 37 reporting districts in Kern County
Bakersfield City ranks 12th of 37, above the middle district.
Middle district: $83,787
Each bar counts the districts whose average salary falls in a $5,000 band. The dashed line marks the median district.
What BA+98, steps and credentials mean
Teacher pay in California is set by a grid. Two things place you on it: how long you've taught and how much college you've done.
- Step
- Steps go up with years of service. Step 5 on Bakersfield City's BA column pays $67,026. Experienced teachers joining Bakersfield City can be placed as high as step 20.
- Column, such as BA+98
- Your bachelor's degree (BA) plus the college semester units you've completed since. BA+98 means a bachelor's plus 98 more units. Bakersfield City's columns run from BA to BA+60, 6 in all.
How fast does a teacher's salary grow at Bakersfield City?
Pick a column and a step to see the salary, and how far it is from the top.
$89,295
a year at step 10. This column tops out at $118,012 on step 20.
Bakersfield City's full salary schedule, 2024-252
Shading shows where teachers actually sit. 33% of Bakersfield City's full-time equivalents are on step 15 or higher.
| Step | BA | BA+12 | BA+24 | BA+36 | BA+48 | BA+60 |
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Only BA+60 continues past step 14.
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
Tap any salary to see how many full-time equivalents are paid it and follow it on the chart above.
- 5+
- 420
Bonuses, health cover and work days at Bakersfield City
Bonuses are paid on top of the schedule, in the amounts the district reported.2 Teachers are exempt from federal overtime pay.3 Extra pay for coaching, clubs and similar duties isn't part of this report.
- Health insurance, family planUp to $22,788paid by the district each year
- Master's degree bonus$2,000789 full-time equivalents eligible
- Doctorate bonus$2,00016 full-time equivalents eligible
- Bilingual teaching bonus$2,00039 full-time equivalents eligible
- National Board Certification bonusNot reported
- Special education bonus$2,000167 full-time equivalents eligible
- Summer school payNot reported
- Work days a year182 days180 of them with students
- Schedule raise on last year0%can also mean not reported
- Highest starting step for experienced hiresStep 20
Questions about teacher pay at Bakersfield City
How much do Bakersfield City teachers make?
The average salary on Bakersfield City's teacher schedule is $90,521 a year (2024-25). The salary schedule runs from $59,232 (BA, step 1) to $118,012 (BA+60, step 20).
What does a new teacher earn at Bakersfield City?
The schedule starts at $59,232 (BA, step 1). Teachers who bring experience from another district can start as high as step 20.
How long does it take to reach the top of the Bakersfield City pay scale?
On the BA+60 column, where 61% of full-time equivalents are paid, pay keeps rising until step 20, where it reaches $118,012. Steps go up with years of service.
Does a master's degree raise pay at Bakersfield City?
Yes, in two ways. The college units from a master's move you to a higher column on the schedule, and Bakersfield City reports a master's bonus of $2,000 on top. For a doctorate it reports $2,000.
Is Bakersfield City teacher pay high for California?
Bakersfield City's average salary on the teacher schedule ranks 482nd of the 828 California school districts and county offices of education that reported and 12th of 37 in Kern County. Across all of them, the average salary on teacher schedules is $103,552 statewide and $90,536 in Kern County.
Keep exploring teacher pay in Kern County
Sources for the Bakersfield City figures
Salaries are the annual amounts on the district's certificated salary schedule. Following the state's definitions, they leave out extended-year pay, bonuses and extra-curricular pay such as coaching. Counts are full-time equivalents, so two half-time teachers count as one, and they can include counselors, nurses and librarians paid on the same schedule. County averages, ranks and percentages are our own arithmetic on these figures; our statewide average matches the state's published $103,552.
- California Department of Education, Selected Certificated Salaries and Related Statistics, 2024-25, Table I: average salary paid, raise on last year, highest starting step. The median salary is our own calculation from source 2.
- Bakersfield City's report to the California Department of Education, Form J-90 database, 2024-25: salary schedule, full-time equivalents per cell, bonuses, health contributions, work days.
- U.S. Department of Labor, Fact Sheet #17D: Exemption for Professional Employees Under the FLSA: teachers are exempt from federal overtime pay.