Salary comparison
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors: Bakersfield vs Yakima
Bakersfield, CA pays about 1.4% more for educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors on paper — $97,700 vs $96,370. But once you factor in what it costs to live there, Bakersfield comes out ahead by $1,330 a year in real buying power.
Bakersfield, CA
$97,700
$73,810
$117,800
$46.97
100
$97,700/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
Yakima, WA
$96,370
$72,270
$115,520
$46.33
100
$96,370/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
What the numbers mean in practice
The headline gap is $1,330 a year (1.4%) in favor of Bakersfield. That is the raw salary difference before any living costs.
Bakersfield runs a cost index of 100 against the national baseline of 100; Yakima sits at 100. After adjusting the median for those costs, Bakersfield is the better deal by $1,330 a year — that is what each paycheck actually buys locally.
If you are weighing a move from Yakima to Bakersfield for this role, the raise needs to beat 1.4% to come out ahead after living costs. Anything below that and you are earning more on paper but keeping less.
Common questions
Where do educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors earn more, Bakersfield or Yakima?
Bakersfield pays $97,700 on median — about 1.4% more than Yakima ($96,370). Based on BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Which city is the better deal after living costs?
Bakersfield. Once you divide each median by the local cost index, Bakersfield gives you roughly$97,700 of real buying power versus $96,370 in the other city.