Nurse Salary Guide 2024
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Average Nurse Salary in

California

Average 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.

Top Nursing Salary States

Highest Paying Cities in

California

for...

Highest Paying Cities in California for...

Travel Nurse

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

Imperial - $3,714
Moreno Valley - $3,504
Chico - $3,144
Glendale - $2,920
Anaheim - $2,917
Arcata - $2,908
Riverside - $2,882
Santa Clara - $2,873
San Jose - $2,837
San Francisco - $2,598

(Data courtesy of Trusted Health, May 2021)

Registered Nurse

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

Santa Cruz - $164,710
San Jose - $159,860
San Francisco - $157,860
Vallejo/Fairfield Metro Area - $154,330
Santa Rosa - $135,680
Napa - $134,490
Salinas - $134,120
Sacramento - $131,760
Yuba City - $128,750
Hanford/Corcoran Metro Area - $125,180

(Data courtesy of the Bureau of Labor Statistics)

Nurse Specialties

Average annual nurse salary for the following nurse specialties

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

(Data courtesy of Salary.com, May 2021)

Cost of Living

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)

Job Growth for Nurses

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)

See What Your Nursing Salary Could Be in Your City

We combined proprietary data with official nurse salary data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics to create the most comprehensive view of nurse salary in the United States. We present our findings in hourly pay for staff nurses and gross weekly pay for travel nurses to account for the different ways nurses think about pay.

Use Salary Explorer to:

View facilities in any city and save them for later when you’re ready to find your next job.
Get detailed insights on what it actually costs to live in the city, including average rent, groceries and more.
Toggle between Staff Nurse and Travel Nurse pay and compare against state and national pay.

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