Registered Nurses pay in California
$150,280avg. a year
$72.25 an hour · 338,940 employed
Registered Nurses in California earn an average of $150,280 a year. That is $48,860 (48%) more than the U.S. average of $101,420. The best-paying metro area is San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA at $194,950.
$140,270Median pay
$72.25Average hourly
+25%Avg. pay since 2020
#1Of 50 states + D.C.
Top-paying California metro areas
Average pay for registered nurses by metro area. Swipe to see all 24.
122,930 jobs
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
$194,950
$93.73 an hour
24,120 jobs
Vallejo, CA
$182,820
$87.89 an hour
341,750 jobs
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA
$176,900
$85.05 an hour
43,720 jobs
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA
$170,000
$81.73 an hour
523,590 jobs
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA
$164,200
$78.94 an hour
61,750 jobs
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA
$159,830
$76.84 an hour
71,080 jobs
Yuba City, CA
$150,970
$72.58 an hour
82,180 jobs
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA
$147,410
$70.87 an hour
95,460 jobs
Stockton-Lodi, CA
$145,400
$69.91 an hour
1028,680 jobs
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA
$145,060
$69.74 an hour
114,850 jobs
Modesto, CA
$143,670
$69.07 an hour
12109,360 jobs
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
$140,370
$67.48 an hour
133,180 jobs
Salinas, CA
$138,810
$66.73 an hour
1435,290 jobs
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA
$136,670
$65.71 an hour
152,170 jobs
Chico, CA
$134,900
$64.86 an hour
163,280 jobs
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA
$134,680
$64.75 an hour
175,710 jobs
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA
$133,710
$64.28 an hour
181,720 jobs
Redding, CA
$133,700
$64.28 an hour
191,050 jobs
Merced, CA
$129,700
$62.35 an hour
205,620 jobs
Bakersfield-Delano, CA
$128,200
$61.63 an hour
21710 jobs
Hanford-Corcoran, CA
$127,640
$61.37 an hour
2211,030 jobs
Fresno, CA
$126,880
$61.00 an hour
232,990 jobs
Visalia, CA
$124,110
$59.67 an hour
24950 jobs
El Centro, CA
$113,380
$54.51 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.
Registered Nurses pay in California, charted
Pay over time
California, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where California registered nurses work
Employment by metro area, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · California highlighted · tap a state
AKMEWIVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILMINYMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTRICAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL
Under $87k$87k–$94k$94k–$101k$101k+California
California vs. neighbors
Average pay, May 2025
| Area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| United States | $101,420 | $48.76 |
| California | $150,280 | $72.25 |
| Oregon | $123,140 | $59.20 |
| Nevada | $105,710 | $50.82 |
| Arizona | $99,730 | $47.95 |
Related jobs in California
- Physicians, All Other$249,620
- Nurse Practitioners$176,760
- 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 registered nurses make in California?
The average is $150,280 a year, and the median is $140,270. That is $48,860 (48%) more than the U.S. average of $101,420.
What is the hourly wage in California?
$72.25 an hour on average; the median is $67.44.
Where in California do they earn the most?
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($194,950), followed by Vallejo, CA ($182,820). The lowest average among 24 metro areas with data is El Centro, CA ($113,380).
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 29-1141. 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 registered nurses 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.