LED & Solar recruiters serving Bakersfield.
Bakersfield has 443% more solar photovoltaic installers per job than the country as a whole, about 370 in the metro. BLS counts 69 business locations of nonresidential electrical contractors across the metro. Below: local pay for every role we staff, the state licensing rules that apply and the nearby markets competing for the same people.
Positions we recruit for in Bakersfield.
BLS counts about 2,040 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Bakersfield metro, the largest group being electricians (about 1,410). Relative to the size of the local economy, solar photovoltaic installers are far more concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 5.43). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the LED & Solar hub.
Solar PV Installer
Bakersfield: 370 employed · $56,990 median, 20th-highest of 39 metros
NABCEP-Certified Solar Technician
Commercial LED Retrofit Electrician
Bakersfield: 1,410 employed · $75,860 median, 27th-highest of 112 metros
Solar Electrician
Solar Project Manager
O*NET 47-1011.03 - Solar Energy Installation Managers, a Bright Outlook occupation; wage data rolls up to the parent 47-1011 group
Solar Estimator/Designer
Bakersfield: 410 employed · $82,390 median, 20th-highest of 111 metros
Energy Auditor/Efficiency Consultant
O*NET 47-4011.01 - Energy Auditors; building energy assessments that often lead into LED retrofit and solar scoping
Solar O&M Technician
Electrical Foreman (LED/Solar specialty)
Bakersfield: 1,610 employed · $92,120 median, 21st-highest of 112 metros
Low-Voltage/Controls Technician
Bakersfield: 260 employed · $89,650 median, 8th-highest of 107 metros
What LED & Solar roles earn in Bakersfield.
Solar photovoltaic installers in Bakersfield earn a median $56,990, 7% over the $53,140 national figure, and 20th of 39 metros. Pay runs $42,210 at the tenth percentile to $78,290 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment, at $89,650 against $74,090 nationally.
| Role | Bakersfield median | Typical range | National median | vs. national | Employed locally |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solar PV Installer · NABCEP-Certified Solar Technician · Energy Auditor/Efficiency Consultant O*NET 47-4011.01 - Energy Auditors; building energy assessments that often lead into LED retrofit and solar scoping Solar O&M TechnicianSolar Photovoltaic Installers (47-2231) | $56,990 | $42,210–$78,290 | $53,140 | +7% | 370 |
| Commercial LED Retrofit Electrician · Solar ElectricianElectricians (47-2111) | $75,860 | $46,770–$123,940 | $63,190 | +20% | 1,410 |
| Solar Project Manager O*NET 47-1011.03 - Solar Energy Installation Managers, a Bright Outlook occupation; wage data rolls up to the parent 47-1011 group Solar Estimator/DesignerCost Estimators (13-1051) | $82,390 | $49,540–$145,340 | $78,740 | +5% | 410 |
| Electrical Foreman (LED/Solar specialty)First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers (47-1011) | $92,120 | $58,440–$132,820 | $79,920 | +15% | 1,610 |
| Low-Voltage/Controls TechnicianElectrical and Electronics Repairers, Commercial and Industrial Equipment (49-2094) | $89,650 | $66,120–$123,340 | $74,090 | +21% | 260 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Bakersfield metro. Range is 10th to 90th percentile; management and office roles are metro-wide. A metro ranking counts only the metros where BLS publishes that occupation.
How Bakersfield's LED & solar market has changed since 2018.
The number of nonresidential electrical contractors in Bakersfield rose from 65 in 2018 to 69 in 2023, up 6%, close to the 6% national change. Headcount at those firms went up 6%, to about 1,211 people. Average annual pay there went from $69,206 to $85,780 (+24%), faster than the 21% national increase, a sign employers here have had to bid up.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidential electrical contractors: business locations | 65 | 69 | +6% |
| Nonresidential electrical contractors: employment | 1,143 | 1,211 | +6% |
| Nonresidential electrical contractors: average annual pay | $69,206 | $85,780 | +24% |
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, private employers, annual averages. A dash means BLS did not publish the figure.
Free LED & Solar hiring resources.
Definitive Guide to LED & Solar · 2026 LED & Solar Salary Guide · 3-Step Interview Guide for LED & Solar
Bakersfield runs 443% more LED and solar workers per job than the country as a whole — well above the national concentration. More per job means more people to reach, and more employers reaching them.
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Solar Photovoltaic Installers (nearest published occupation for this trade). Metro-wide figures for the base occupation; the wage table above is role-specific and commercial.
How Bakersfield's LED and solar market compares
Among the 37 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Bakersfield ranks 16th for headcount, 18th for median pay and 1st for concentration for solar photovoltaic installers. That puts it among the deepest LED and solar labor markets in the country.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | 1,930 | $59,600 | 1.53 | 1,016 |
| Riverside | 790 | $60,050 | 2.28 | 399 |
| San Francisco | 710 | $72,150 | 1.49 | 337 |
| Sacramento | 700 | $59,930 | 3.23 | 217 |
| San Diego | 550 | $61,340 | 1.79 | 251 |
| Bakersfield | 370 | $56,990 | 5.43 | 69 |
| San Jose | 280 | $71,630 | 1.24 | 167 |
| Fresno | 210 | $58,220 | 2.15 | 78 |
| Stockton | 120 | $59,110 | 2.04 | 52 |
| Modesto | 50 | $59,920 | 1.39 | 46 |
BLS OEWS occupation figures and QCEW business-location counts; a dash means not published.
What this means for hiring:For LED and solar employers in Bakersfield, the pool is deep but local employers have been cutting headcount. Experienced people are here, and some will be open to a move, so a clear offer and a defined path up usually beat a higher posted rate.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, Bakersfield metro. Employers are counted by business location.
LED & Solar licensing in California.
California has a solar-specific C-46 Solar Contractor classification for installing, modifying, maintaining and repairing thermal and photovoltaic solar energy systems. C-46 holders may not take on other building trades except where needed to finish a solar installation. The same state rules apply in Los Angeles, Riverside, San Francisco, San Diego, Sacramento, San Jose, Fresno, Stockton and Modesto, so candidates licensed there can work in Bakersfield without re-qualifying.
Licensing authority: Contractors State License Board (CSLB). Confirm current rules with the agency.
4 LED & solar seats are open in California right now.
Nothing is open for this trade in Bakersfield this week. These are the live LED & solar searches elsewhere in California - commuting distance for some of them, a relocation conversation for the rest.
- Commercial Solar InstallerApply →
- Retro Commercial Solar EstimatorApply →
- Solar Commercial/Multi-family Crew LeadApply →
- Solar Commercial/Multi-Family Crew MemberApply →
Every open role we are running →
Board last synced November 4, 2026. Roles move fast; /jobs/ is always the current list.
Nearby markets competing for Bakersfield talent.
The closest metro we cover is Los Angeles, about 100 miles away, with roughly 1,930 solar photovoltaic installers (5.2 times Bakersfield's 370). San Jose pays the most nearby, a $71,630 median, 26% above Bakersfield. That is the number any Bakersfield offer is competing with when experienced people weigh a move. Los Angeles has the deepest pool within reach, so a search for senior roles here usually extends there.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bakersfield | – | 370 | $56,990 |
| Los Angeles | 101 mi | 1,930 | $59,600 |
| Fresno | 104 mi | 210 | $58,220 |
| Riverside | 135 mi | 790 | $60,050 |
| Modesto | 191 mi | 50 | $59,920 |
| San Jose | 210 mi | 280 | $71,630 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Bakersfield crews.
Not LED & solar work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Bakersfield in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- Regional clean-energy investment$69B (region-wide, as reported)Cumulative through 2026
Kern County has attracted a large wave of renewable natural gas, solar-to-hydrogen, and related facility investment, reshaping the region's traditional oil-and-gas industrial base.
- Bakersfield Renewable Fuels refinery conversion$365M capital partnershipCompleted 2024; restructured 2025, now operating as Grapevine Energy Holdings
Converted a former crude-oil refinery into a renewable diesel bio-refinery producing roughly 250,000 gallons per day. The project went through a 2025 prepackaged Chapter 11 restructuring after a dispute with its EPC contractor and emerged 118 days later under new ownership - real turbulence, but the facility itself is operating.
These are the 2 projects we track in Bakersfield. The Bakersfield market page covers hiring conditions across every trade here.
What credentials matter for LED & solar, and what kills offers in Bakersfield.
The 4 credentials that gate the work and the 4 things that most often end an LED & solar offer are the same in every market, kept in one place: LED & Solar credentials and offer risks, each linked to the body that issues it. What is local is the licensing rule above and the pay further up this page.
Frequently asked - LED & Solar hiring in Bakersfield.
What do solar photovoltaic installers earn in Bakersfield?
BLS puts the Bakersfield median for solar photovoltaic installers at $56,990 a year, 7% above the $53,140 national median. That ranks 20th of 39 metros with published figures, in the middle of the pack. Most of the market sits between $42,210 and $78,290, a 1.9x gap and a moderate spread, so a few thousand dollars over the median buys real experience. Within California, San Francisco pays more, at $72,150.
Is it hard to hire solar photovoltaic installers in Bakersfield?
Not by national standards. Solar photovoltaic installers make up 443% more of the Bakersfield workforce than they do nationally, about 370 people. The 69 nonresidential electrical contractors here average about 18 employees per location.
Which LED & solar roles pay the most in Bakersfield?
Of the roles we recruit for, Electrical Foreman (LED/Solar specialty) pays the most in Bakersfield, a $92,120 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Low-Voltage/Controls Technician at $89,650, 3% below it. Solar PV Installer is the lowest-paid field role at $56,990. Relative to national pay, Low-Voltage/Controls Technician is the strongest-paying role here (21% above).
How many nonresidential electrical contractors operate in Bakersfield?
BLS counted 69 nonresidential electrical contractors in Bakersfield in 2023, employing about 1,211 people between them. Up from 65 in 2018, a 6% increase against 6% growth nationally. That averages 18 people per location. They pay about the national average of $84,633. BLS counts commercial solar and LED retrofit firms under nonresidential electrical contractors.
Which nearby metros compete with Bakersfield for solar photovoltaic installers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Los Angeles (101 miles, about 1,930, $59,600 median), Fresno (104 miles, about 210, $58,220 median) and Riverside (135 miles, about 790, $60,050 median). Los Angeles has the larger pool, so it is the first place to look for senior people willing to move. Riverside pays 5% more, which is where Bakersfield employers tend to lose people.
Plenty of people. Few of them looking.
Bakersfield has one of the deeper pools of solar photovoltaic installers we cover, but the best of them are already working. Let's find the ones ready to move.
Schedule a Discovery Call →