Nurse salary in California

California is one of the highest paying states for registered nurses. The registered nurse salary in California is $125,340 per year. This means that nurses in California earn an average of $60.26 per hour. On the other hand, the national average for registered nurses is $77,600 per year. This annual salary is approximately $37.31 per hour.

(Data courtesy of the Bureau of Labor Statistics)

Use Salary Explorer to see which cities in California are paying registered nurses the most.

Average gross weekly nurse pay in the top cities/wider metro area

1. Imperial - $3,714
2. Moreno Valley - $3,504
3. Chico - $3,144
4. Glendale - $2,920
5. Anaheim - $2,917
6. Arcata - $2,908
7. Riverside - $2,882
8. Santa Clara - $2,873
9. San Jose - $2,837
10. San Francisco - $2,598

(Data courtesy of Trusted Health, May 2021)

Average annual nurse salary in the following cities/wider metro areas

1. Santa Cruz - $164,710
2. San Jose - $159,860
3. San Francisco - $157,860
4. Vallejo/Fairfield Metro Area - $154,330
5. Santa Rosa - $135,680
6. Napa - $134,490
7. Salinas - $134,120
8. Sacramento - $131,760
9. Yuba City - $128,750
10. Hanford/Corcoran Metro Area - $125,180

(Data courtesy of the Bureau of Labor Statistics)

Average annual nurse salary for the following nurse specialties

1. Med/Surg Nurse - $108,635 (Range of $98,279 - $121,022)
2. Progressive Care Nurse - $96,851 (Range of $85,254 - $109,794)
3. Operating Room Nurse - $88,093 (Range of $79,040 - $97,385)
4. Emergency Nurse - $85,706 (Range of $76,535 - $95,195)
5. ICU Nurse - $85,132 (Range of $76,704 - $92,516)
6. Labor and Delivery Nurse - $82,700 (Range of $75,300 - $93,700)
7. Pediatric Nurse - $80,900 (Range of $73,400 - $92,700)

(Data courtesy of Salary.com, May 2021)

While nurse salaries in California may be 16% higher than the national average, living in California isn’t cheap. California ranks notoriously high on the national cost of living index. While your nursing salary may be higher, the cost of rent alone may make up for it. For more detailed cost of living by city, check out the nurse Salary Explorer.

(Data courtesy of World Population Review)

California is a popular destination for staff and travel nurses alike. In 2021, California was home to more than 310,600 nurses.

However, California has a strong job outlook, as the number of nurses in State Name is expected to grow. Registered nurse jobs are forecasted to grow by more than 3.5% between 2021 and 2023, bringing the total number of working nurses in California to more than 323,500.

(Data courtesy of Projections Central)