Surveyors Salary
The median pay for a surveyors in Bakersfield-Delano, CA is $88,050/year ($42.33/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $50K at the entry level to $139K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 100.89), that's roughly $87,273 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,483/month, or 26.8% of estimated take-home pay.
Where the paycheck goes
What $88K actually covers in Bakersfield-Delano, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Bakersfield-Delano’s Regional Price Parity (100.89). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About surveyors
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What this looks like in Bakersfield-Delano
Bakersfield-Delano sits well above the national pay line for surveyors, local pay runs about 17% higher than the U.S. median of $75K. Rent runs $1,483/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 27% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 100.89) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for surveyors in metros near Bakersfield-Delano, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $102K | $90K |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $125K | $108K |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $101K | $94K |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $102K | $91K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Bakersfield-Delano, CA
Entry-level surveyors (10th percentile) start around $50K. Mid-career wages sit at $88K. Top earners bring in $139K or more, a $89K spread from bottom to top.
Surveyors pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Surveyors salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $105K | +40% | 4,520 |
| Alaska | $100K | +32% | 250 |
| Oregon | $97K | +29% | 530 |
| Massachusetts | $95K | +25% | 1,290 |
| Washington | $86K | +13% | 780 |
| Montana | $85K | +12% | 350 |
| Minnesota | $84K | +11% | 980 |
| Maine | $83K | +10% | 270 |
| Delaware | $83K | +10% | 120 |
| Nevada | $82K | +9% | 490 |
| Hawaii | $82K | +9% | 140 |
| Wyoming | $81K | +8% | 240 |
| Indiana | $81K | +7% | 870 |
| Wisconsin | $80K | +6% | 610 |
| North Dakota | $79K | +5% | 250 |
| Colorado | $79K | +5% | 1,620 |
| New York | $79K | +5% | 1,470 |
| Arizona | $77K | +3% | 1,360 |
| South Dakota | $77K | +2% | 180 |
| New Jersey | $77K | +2% | 900 |
| Iowa | $77K | +2% | 450 |
| Connecticut | $77K | +2% | 430 |
| Vermont | $76K | +1% | N/A |
| Tennessee | $76K | +1% | 920 |
| North Carolina | $76K | +1% | 1,530 |
| Illinois | $76K | +1% | 1,710 |
| Pennsylvania | $76K | +1% | 1,610 |
| Kansas | $76K | +1% | 350 |
| New Mexico | $74K | -2% | 290 |
| Idaho | $74K | -2% | 250 |
| Utah | $73K | -3% | 650 |
| Michigan | $72K | -4% | 1,050 |
| Kentucky | $72K | -5% | 670 |
| Virginia | $71K | -6% | 1,360 |
| Ohio | $71K | -6% | 1,300 |
| Nebraska | $68K | -10% | 430 |
| Alabama | $67K | -11% | 910 |
| Florida | $65K | -13% | 4,000 |
| New Hampshire | $65K | -14% | 280 |
| Maryland | $65K | -14% | 950 |
| South Carolina | $63K | -16% | 1,000 |
| Louisiana | $63K | -16% | 1,460 |
| Rhode Island | $63K | -17% | 150 |
| Missouri | $62K | -18% | 830 |
| West Virginia | $62K | -18% | 630 |
| Oklahoma | $61K | -19% | 960 |
| Texas | $61K | -19% | 6,410 |
| Mississippi | $59K | -22% | 570 |
| Georgia | $58K | -23% | 1,770 |
| Arkansas | $52K | -31% | 550 |
Showing 1–10 of 50 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track surveyors salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Bakersfield-Delano numbers change.
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a surveyor afford a 2BR apartment alone in Bakersfield-Delano?
Yes — at the median salary of $88K, rent takes 27% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,483/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for surveyors in Bakersfield-Delano?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new surveyors typically earn — is $50K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,024/month. At HUD’s $1,483/month FMR, rent would take 49% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is surveyor a high-paying job in Bakersfield-Delano?
Local pay is 17% above the national median — $88K here vs. $75K nationally.
How does Bakersfield-Delano compare to the national average for surveyors?
Bakersfield-Delano pays $88K median vs. the U.S. average of $75K — that’s +17%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 100.89), the purchasing-power equivalent is $87K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do surveyors make in Bakersfield-Delano, CA?
The median is $88,050 a year, that works out to about $42 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $50,400, and experienced surveyors can clear $139,240. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $88K enough to live in Bakersfield-Delano?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,500/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,483/month, which eats 27% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a surveyors salary go in Bakersfield-Delano?
Bakersfield-Delano has a Regional Price Parity of 100.89 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median surveyors salary is worth about $87,273 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do surveyors get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.