Nurse Practitioners pay in California
$176,760avg. a year
$84.98 an hour · 25,120 employed
Nurse Practitioners in California earn an average of $176,760 a year. That is $39,460 (29%) more than the U.S. average of $137,300. The best-paying metro area is San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA at $225,610.
$168,520Median pay
$84.98Average hourly
+21%Avg. pay since 2020
#1Of 50 states + D.C.
Top-paying California metro areas
Average pay for nurse practitioners by metro area. Swipe to see all 25.
11,580 jobs
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
$225,610
$108.47 an hour
23,110 jobs
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA
$215,430
$103.57 an hour
3180 jobs
Vallejo, CA
$196,780
$94.61 an hour
460 jobs
Napa, CA
$188,720
$90.73 an hour
5380 jobs
Modesto, CA
$187,690
$90.24 an hour
61,170 jobs
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA
$177,260
$85.22 an hour
7280 jobs
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA
$172,330
$82.85 an hour
8200 jobs
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA
$172,240
$82.81 an hour
91,710 jobs
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA
$171,680
$82.54 an hour
10140 jobs
Salinas, CA
$170,650
$82.04 an hour
1170 jobs
Hanford-Corcoran, CA
$170,070
$81.76 an hour
12190 jobs
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA
$170,020
$81.74 an hour
13140 jobs
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA
$169,020
$81.26 an hour
14570 jobs
Fresno, CA
$167,690
$80.62 an hour
1570 jobs
Yuba City, CA
$167,630
$80.59 an hour
16140 jobs
Chico, CA
$166,540
$80.07 an hour
17250 jobs
Visalia, CA
$166,120
$79.86 an hour
18430 jobs
Bakersfield-Delano, CA
$165,290
$79.47 an hour
192,340 jobs
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA
$164,870
$79.27 an hour
2010,060 jobs
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
$163,610
$78.66 an hour
21280 jobs
Stockton-Lodi, CA
$163,400
$78.56 an hour
2270 jobs
El Centro, CA
$161,840
$77.81 an hour
23120 jobs
Redding, CA
$158,640
$76.27 an hour
24100 jobs
Merced, CA
$157,090
$75.52 an hour
25320 jobs
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA
$152,250
$73.20 an hour
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Nurse Practitioners pay in California, charted
Pay over time
California, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where California nurse practitioners work
Employment by metro area, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · California highlighted · tap a state
AKMEWIVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILMINYMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTRICAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL
Under $129k$129k–$133k$133k–$141k$141k+California
California vs. neighbors
Average pay, May 2025
| Area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| United States | $137,300 | $66.01 |
| California | $176,760 | $84.98 |
| Oregon | $155,780 | $74.89 |
| Arizona | $140,600 | $67.59 |
| Nevada | $137,410 | $66.06 |
Related jobs in California
- Registered Nurses$150,280
- Physicians, All Other$249,620
- Pharmacists$162,340
- Physical Therapists$122,580
- Dental Hygienists$128,110
- Speech-Language Pathologists$118,600
Average pay, California, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Questions and answers
How much do nurse practitioners make in California?
The average is $176,760 a year, and the median is $168,520. That is $39,460 (29%) more than the U.S. average of $137,300.
What is the hourly wage in California?
$84.98 an hour on average; the median is $81.02.
Where in California do they earn the most?
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($225,610), followed by San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA ($215,430). The lowest average among 25 metro areas with data is Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA ($152,250).
How does California rank?
California ranks #1 of 51 states (including D.C.) with published data for this job, by average pay.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 29-1171. State rank compares average pay across states with published data. Metro figures cover metropolitan statistical areas; a metro area can cross state lines. See also the national nurse practitioners page. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.