The vertical distribution of soil microorganisms in soil indicates the restoration degree of degraded soil ecosystems. We took the untreated bare land and vegetation restoration sample plot in the red soil erosion area of southern China as the object of study; comparatively analysed the soil bacterial community changes in the 0 to 10, 10 to 20, 20 to 30 and 30 to 40 cm soil layers; and explored the environmental factors driving the change in the soil bacterial community. The poor nutrient conditions created by soil erosion increased the competitiveness of autotrophs and made Chloroflexi the dominant phylum of bacteria. Soil erosion led to the gradual similarity of soil bacterial communities in the 0 to 10, 10 to 20 and 20 to 30 cm soil layers. However, only the relative abundance of Actinobacteria changed in different soil layers in the erosion area, mainly due to the inconsistent distribution of soil organic carbon caused by erosion affecting the change in the Actinobacteria relative abundance in the soil layer. After vegetation restoration, the soil properties of the eroded land were obviously improved, and the dominant bacterial phylum changed from autotrophic bacteria ( Chloroflexi) to heterotrophic bacteria ( Actinobacteria). The change in community structure existed only in the 0 to 30 cm soil layer in the restoration area, while the community structure changed to mainly Proteobacteria in the 30 to 40 cm soil layer. The change in the respective proportions of Chloroflexi, Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria was the main reason for the difference in soil bacterial community structure among soil layers. The change in soil aggregates caused by vegetation restoration was the main environmental factor driving the variation in soil bacterial community structure, and the formation of aggregates was closely related to soil organic carbon. The vertical distribution of Actinobacteria in different soil layers can indicate the degree of soil ecosystem restoration in the red soil erosion area of southern China, and the relationship between Actinobacteria and soil organic carbon was significant.