Updated · 2026 tax rules · Data: IRS, BLS, BEA, HUD · How we calculate

Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education Salary in Bakersfield, CA

Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education in the Bakersfield-Delano, CA metro area earn a median $99,150 a year — 38% more than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $72,302 take-home, or $6,025 a month.

Median salary
$99,150
$47.67 per hour
Typical range
$63,350 – $125,170
10th to 90th percentile
Jobs in Bakersfield, CA
3,300
1.42× national concentration
▼0.2%
Pay trend: The median for secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education in Bakersfield, CA fell from $99,370 (May 2024) to $99,150 (May 2025). That trailed inflation (2.4%), so buying power slipped about 2.6%.

Take-home pay calculator

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Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education in Bakersfield, CA
Deductions, kids & local tax

2026 tax year. Federal brackets from IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32.

Your take-home pay
$72,302
per year · effective tax rate 27.1%
$6,025Monthly
$3,013Twice a month
$2,781Every 2 weeks
$34.76Hourly
  • Federal income tax$12,983
  • Social Security (6.2%)$6,147
  • Medicare (1.45%)$1,438
  • California income tax$4,991
  • CA State Disability Insurance (SDI)$1,289
  • Take-home pay$72,302

Marginal rate: 22% federal + 9.30% state

Got an offer somewhere else? Compare it with this one after taxes and rent →

Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education pay by experience in Bakersfield, CA

PercentileSalaryHourlyTake-home / yrPer month
10th percentile (entry level)$63,350$30.46$50,402$4,200
25th percentile$78,730$37.85$60,101$5,008
Median (50th)$99,150$47.67$72,302$6,025
75th percentile$104,700$50.34$75,618$6,301
90th percentile (top earners)$125,170$60.18$87,781$7,315

Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, California resident, 2026 tax rules.

What $99,150 buys in Bakersfield, CA

Prices in Bakersfield, CA are 0.9% higher than the U.S. average (housing costs are 10% below the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education's $72,302 take-home pay has the buying power of $71,667 in a typical American city.

1-bedroom rent
$1,140
19% of monthly take-home
2-bedroom rent
$1,483
25% of monthly take-home
Left after 1-BR rent
$4,885
per month for everything else

Rents: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2026 (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities). Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.

Bakersfield, CA has 1.4× the national concentration of secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education jobs — a strong local market for this occupation.

Best-paying cities for secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education, adjusted for cost of living

Bakersfield, CA ranks #3 of 84 metro areas once taxes and local prices are taken into account.

#Metro areaMedian salaryTake-homeReal value*
1Seattle, WA $102,670$81,058$72,938
2Fresno, CA $100,750$73,258$71,710
3Bakersfield, CA $99,150$72,302$71,667
4Chicago, IL $98,970$73,701$71,144
5Sacramento, CA $105,060$75,833$71,091
6San Jose, CA $108,230$77,727$70,390
7Providence, RI $92,110$70,792$69,559
8Akron, OH $81,820$64,923$69,533

*Take-home pay divided by the BEA price level, so every city is measured in U.S.-average dollars. See all 84 metros →

About the job: secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education

Teach one or more subjects to students at the secondary school level.

Typical education
Bachelor's degree
Work experience
None required
On-the-job training
None
Job outlook, 2025–35
-0.2% (slower than average)

Source: BLS Standard Occupational Classification and Employment Projections, 2025–35.

Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education salaries elsewhere in California

Frequently asked questions

How much does a secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education make in Bakersfield, CA?

The median secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education salary in the Bakersfield-Delano, CA metro area is $99,150 a year, or about $47.67 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $78,730 and $104,700.

What is a secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education’s take-home pay in Bakersfield, CA?

On the median $99,150 salary, a single filer living in California takes home about $72,302 a year ($6,025 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $6,280 in California taxes in 2026.

Is Bakersfield, CA a good place to work as a secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education?

Pay here is 38% above the national median of $72,040. Local prices are 0.9% above the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $71,667 would in a typical U.S. city. Bakersfield, CA ranks #3 of 84 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.

Can a secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education afford rent in Bakersfield, CA?

HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Bakersfield, CA is $1,140 a month ($1,483 for two bedrooms) — 19% of a median secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.

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