Healthcare Jobs in Bakersfield, CA
Healthcare is the fastest-growing part of the Bakersfield job market, and most of it sits along the downtown medical corridor on Chester Ave, Truxtun Ave and 34th St. Here are the current openings, followed by who is hiring, what the work pays and how to get trained locally.
Current healthcare Openings in Bakersfield, CA
Listings marked External are sponsored openings provided by the Jobs2Careers network.
Healthcare Work in Bakersfield
Education and health services added jobs faster than any other sector in the Bakersfield-Delano metro over the past year, up 3.5% while total employment stayed flat, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The work is concentrated downtown, where Adventist Health Bakersfield, Dignity Health Memorial Hospital and Dignity Health Mercy Hospital Downtown sit within a few blocks of each other, and in East Bakersfield at Kern Medical on Mount Vernon Ave, the county teaching hospital and the only Level II trauma center between Fresno and Los Angeles. In the Southwest, Mercy Southwest on Old River Rd and Kaiser Permanente's Stockdale Medical Offices serve the fast-growing neighborhoods west of Highway 99.
Beyond the hospitals, a large share of Kern County's care runs through community health centers. Clinica Sierra Vista and Omni Family Health operate dozens of clinics from East Bakersfield to Delano, Shafter, Lamont and Arvin, and the state prisons in Delano and Wasco hire nurses through California Correctional Health Care Services. That spread means jobs for every level of training, from front-desk and nursing-assistant roles to specialty nursing.
Top Bakersfield Employers Hiring Healthcare Workers
These Bakersfield health systems and clinic networks post healthcare openings year-round:
- Kern Medical - the 222-bed county teaching hospital on Mount Vernon Ave hires nurses, vocational nurses and support staff across its trauma, surgery and pediatric units.
- Adventist Health Bakersfield - the 253-bed downtown hospital on Chester Ave, home to the AIS Cancer Center, hires nursing and clinical staff.
- Dignity Health - runs Memorial Hospital on 34th St and the Mercy hospitals downtown and in the Southwest, with steady registered nurse postings.
- Kaiser Permanente - staffs its Stockdale and Chester Avenue medical offices with RNs, LVNs and clinic support roles.
- Clinica Sierra Vista - the community health center network hires LVNs and clinic staff for its Central and South Bakersfield health centers.
- Omni Family Health - headquartered on California Ave, it runs a dozen Bakersfield clinics and hires health center nurses and support staff.
Healthcare Salaries in Bakersfield
- Entry level: about $18 to $23 an hour for nursing assistants, medical assistants and front-desk roles.
- Licensed support: roughly $30 to $38 an hour for licensed vocational nurses.
- Registered and senior clinical: about $48 to $76 an hour for registered nurses, with specialty units paying at the top.
These are estimates based on federal wage data for the Bakersfield-Delano area and current local postings. California's health care worker minimum wage sets floors from $19.28 to $25 an hour depending on the type of facility, so many support roles start above the general $16.90 state minimum. Licensure, specialty unit, night shifts and union contracts move pay the most.
How to Start a Healthcare Career in Bakersfield
Most entry roles need a high school diploma and a short certificate. Bakersfield College on Panorama Drive offers nurse assistant, clinical medical assistant, phlebotomy, vocational nursing and registered nursing programs, and CSU Bakersfield on Stockdale Highway runs a BSN. Carrington College on New Stine Rd and the Bakersfield Adult School Health Careers Center on F St offer shorter certificate tracks. Licensed roles answer to state bodies: the California Board of Registered Nursing for RNs, the Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians for LVNs, and the California Department of Public Health for nursing assistants and phlebotomists. Medical assistants are not licensed in California.
What the Job Involves
Healthcare jobs range from hands-on patient care to the work that keeps a clinic running. Depending on the role, a day can include taking vital signs, giving medications, helping patients move and bathe, drawing blood, rooming patients, charting in an electronic health record, scheduling, and checking insurance. Hospital roles run on 8- or 12-hour shifts around the clock; clinic roles usually keep weekday hours.
Skills Employers Look For
- A current certificate or license for the role
- BLS (CPR) certification from the American Heart Association
- Electronic health record experience
- Bilingual English and Spanish communication
- Calm, accurate work under pressure
- Reliability across nights, weekends and holidays
Career Path and Advancement
Bakersfield's healthcare ladder is short and well marked. Many people start as a nursing assistant or medical assistant, move into Bakersfield College's vocational nursing certificate, then use its LVN to RN path to become a registered nurse. From there, CSU Bakersfield's RN to BSN and nurse practitioner programs lead to charge nurse, care coordinator and advanced practice roles at the downtown hospitals and Kern Medical.
Related Careers in Bakersfield
These Bakersfield healthcare guides go deeper on specific roles:
Frequently Asked Questions
What healthcare jobs can I get in Bakersfield without a degree?
Nursing assistant, medical assistant, phlebotomy technician and medical receptionist roles need a certificate or on-the-job training rather than a degree. Bakersfield College, Carrington College and the Bakersfield Adult School all run programs that take weeks to months.
How much do healthcare workers make in Bakersfield?
Support roles generally pay about $18 to $23 an hour, licensed vocational nurses about $30 to $38, and registered nurses about $48 to $76. California's health care minimum wage means many hospital and clinic support jobs start well above the $16.90 state minimum.
Which hospitals are in Bakersfield?
The main acute care hospitals are Kern Medical, Adventist Health Bakersfield, Adventist Health Specialty Bakersfield, Dignity Health Memorial Hospital, Mercy Hospital Downtown, Mercy Southwest and Good Samaritan Hospital. Kaiser Permanente runs medical offices on Stockdale Highway and Chester Ave.
Do healthcare jobs in Bakersfield require Spanish?
Spanish is rarely a legal requirement, but more than half of Bakersfield residents are Hispanic or Latino, and community clinics in particular value bilingual staff. Being bilingual makes you a stronger candidate for patient-facing roles across the city.
Who licenses nurses in California?
Registered nurses are licensed by the California Board of Registered Nursing, and licensed vocational nurses by the Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians. Nursing assistants are certified by the California Department of Public Health after passing the state competency exam.
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