SalaryExplorer

SOC 25-1123 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS

English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary — Bakersfield

Bakersfield-Delano, CA · 8 metro areas compared

$132,230 /year
50jobs in area
+67.9%vs US median

The median wage for English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary in Bakersfield, CA is $132,230 per year, well above the national median of $78,760.

Wage distribution · annual

Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners

US MEDIAN $78,76010TH$98,270MEDIAN$132,23090TH$155,200

How pay has moved

$135,125$117,75520212022202320242025$132,230
$123,290 in 2021 to $132,230 in 2025, +7.3% before inflation. BLS states that OEWS estimates are not designed for comparison across years: the occupational classification, the sampling frame and the survey method have all changed inside this window. Read the direction, not the exact difference.

The next ten years

Projected to grow more slowly than average

Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
0.0%
Openings per year
5,100
Typical entry-level education
Doctoral or professional degree

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

The median wage for English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary in Bakersfield, CA is $132,230 per year, well above the national median of $78,760. The gap of 67.9% is among the widest recorded for this occupation. Half of workers earn between $127,350 and $155,200. Beyond that band, the tenth percentile sits at $98,270 and the ninetieth at $155,200.

The area has 50 jobs in this occupation, which works out to 0.2 of every thousand jobs. Within the state, San Francisco records the highest median at $165,090. Of the 474 occupations with published wages in this area, it sits 30th.

Percentile breakdown

Annual wages by percentile · Bakersfield-Delano, CA · May 2025
PercentileAnnualvs US median
10th$98,270+24.8%
25th$127,350+61.7%
Median (50th)$132,230+67.9%
75th$155,200+97.1%
90th$155,200+97.1%
Mean$134,280+70.5%

Why the average earner is usually not a typical earner

Other metro areas in California

Median annual wage for English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary, by metro area
#Metro areaMedianJobsRelative
1San Francisco$165,090610
2Riverside$160,050480
3Fresno$137,730200
4San Diego$132,500500
5Los Angeles$128,8102,150
6Sacramento$128,160370
7San Jose$107,770290
8Santa Maria$99,850100

What the pay is worth locally

Prices in Bakersfield sit close to the national average, so $132,230 is worth roughly its face value against pay elsewhere.

Published median

$132,230as reported by BLS

Local price level

100.9US average = 100 · BEA 2024

Adjusted for local prices

$131,051US average = 100 · BEA 2024

Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest

Key takeaways

  • Median pay is $132,230 a year, 67.9% above the national median.
  • Published pay spans $98,270 to $155,200 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
  • The area has 50 jobs in this occupation.
  • The highest-paying metro area covered is San Francisco, at $165,090.

Frequently asked questions

What is the median wage for English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary in Bakersfield, CA?

The median annual wage is $132,230, 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 $78,760, so pay in Bakersfield, CA is 67.9% higher. 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 $155,200 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.

What is the starting range?

The tenth percentile wage is $98,270 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 $165,090 per year.

How many jobs are there in this occupation here?

The survey estimates 50 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.