SOC 51-9032 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders — Bakersfield
Bakersfield-Delano, CA · 9 metro areas compared
At $43,310, median pay for Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders in Bakersfield, CA tracks the national median of $46,570 closely.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
How pay has moved
The next ten years
Projected to decline
- Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
- -2.3%
- Openings per year
- 5,300
- Typical entry-level education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.
Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for Bakersfield-Delano, CA.
Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.
Salary overview
At $43,310, median pay for Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders in Bakersfield, CA tracks the national median of $46,570 closely. Pay ranges from under $34,320 at the tenth percentile to more than $63,040 at the ninetieth, with the interquartile range running from $35,330 to $50,290.
Employment stands at 40, or 0.1 jobs per thousand held locally. Within the state, San Francisco records the highest median at $51,750. Of the 474 occupations with published wages in this area, it sits 389th.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $34,320 | −26.3% |
| 25th | $35,330 | −24.1% |
| Median (50th) | $43,310 | −7.0% |
| 75th | $50,290 | +8.0% |
| 90th | $63,040 | +35.4% |
| Mean | $45,400 | −2.5% |
Other metro areas in California
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco | $51,750 | 220 | |
| 2 | Sacramento | $47,580 | 90 | |
| 3 | San Diego | $47,350 | 130 | |
| 4 | Salinas | $47,230 | 90 | |
| 5 | Stockton | $46,480 | 100 | |
| 6 | Fresno | $45,570 | 130 | |
| 7 | Oxnard | $45,150 | 60 | |
| 8 | Los Angeles | $44,870 | 1,460 | |
| 9 | Riverside | $44,170 | 350 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Bakersfield sit close to the national average, so $43,310 is worth roughly its face value against pay elsewhere.
Published median
$43,310as reported by BLSLocal price level
100.9US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$42,924US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $43,310 a year, 7.0% below the national median.
- Published pay spans $34,320 to $63,040 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 40 jobs in this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is San Francisco, at $51,750.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders in Bakersfield, CA?
The median annual wage is $43,310, or $20.82 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.
Is that higher than the national average?
The national median for this occupation is $46,570, so pay in Bakersfield, CA is 7.0% lower. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.
What do the top earners make?
The top tenth of this occupation in Bakersfield, CA earns more than $63,040 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $34,320 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.
Which area nearby pays the most?
The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in San Francisco, at $51,750 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 40 jobs in this occupation in Bakersfield, CA. Self-employed workers are not included.
Source and methodology
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.
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