Median annual wage
$140,270
Official BLS data · Salary Explorer
Registered Nurse Salary in California
See the latest Registered Nurse salary data for California from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, including median and mean pay, wage percentiles, employment, U.S. comparison, and local-area estimates.
Mean annual wage
$150,280
Median hourly wage
$67.44
Employment
338,940
State vs. U.S.
California Salary Compared With the U.S.
The median annual wage for Registered Nurses in California is 43.8% higher than the national median in the same OEWS release.
California median$140,270
U.S. median$97,550
This comparison describes the reported wage difference. It does not by itself establish why the difference exists.
Wage distribution
Registered Nurses Salary Range in California
Percentiles show positions in the reported wage distribution. They are not direct measures of years of experience.
10th$101,260
25th$122,440
Median$140,270
75th$173,170
90th$213,320
Visual comparison
Wage Distribution at a Glance
This chart uses the same BLS annual wage percentiles shown above. Longer bars represent higher annual wage estimates.
Local comparison
Highest-Paying Areas for Registered Nurses in California
These are the highest median annual wages among the 20 matching metropolitan or nonmetropolitan areas available to this page from the same BLS release.
| Area | Median annual | Mean annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $216,740 | $194,950 | 22,930 |
| Vallejo, CA | $203,290 | $182,820 | 4,120 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $186,610 | $176,900 | 41,750 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $174,550 | $170,000 | 3,720 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $171,460 | $164,200 | 23,590 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $170,960 | $159,830 | 1,750 |
| Yuba City, CA | $149,320 | $150,970 | 1,080 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $139,520 | $145,060 | 28,680 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | $138,820 | $147,410 | 2,180 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $137,360 | $134,680 | 3,280 |
| North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area | $135,560 | $135,220 | 1,610 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $135,560 | $140,370 | 109,360 |
| Eastern Sierra-Mother Lode Region of California nonmetropolitan area | $135,270 | $136,730 | 1,290 |
| Salinas, CA | $134,910 | $138,810 | 3,180 |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | $134,580 | $145,400 | 5,460 |
| Redding, CA | $134,350 | $133,700 | 1,720 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $133,940 | $136,670 | 35,290 |
| North Coast Region of California nonmetropolitan area | $133,830 | $137,690 | 2,200 |
| Modesto, CA | $132,590 | $143,670 | 4,850 |
| Merced, CA | $131,620 | $129,700 | 1,050 |
#1
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
Median annual$216,740
Mean annual$194,950
Employment22,930
#2
Vallejo, CA
Median annual$203,290
Mean annual$182,820
Employment4,120
#3
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA
Median annual$186,610
Mean annual$176,900
Employment41,750
#4
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA
Median annual$174,550
Mean annual$170,000
Employment3,720
#5
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA
Median annual$171,460
Mean annual$164,200
Employment23,590
#6
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA
Median annual$170,960
Mean annual$159,830
Employment1,750
#7
Yuba City, CA
Median annual$149,320
Mean annual$150,970
Employment1,080
#8
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA
Median annual$139,520
Mean annual$145,060
Employment28,680
#9
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA
Median annual$138,820
Mean annual$147,410
Employment2,180
#10
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA
Median annual$137,360
Mean annual$134,680
Employment3,280
#11
North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area
Median annual$135,560
Mean annual$135,220
Employment1,610
#12
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
Median annual$135,560
Mean annual$140,370
Employment109,360
#13
Eastern Sierra-Mother Lode Region of California nonmetropolitan area
Median annual$135,270
Mean annual$136,730
Employment1,290
#14
Salinas, CA
Median annual$134,910
Mean annual$138,810
Employment3,180
#15
Stockton-Lodi, CA
Median annual$134,580
Mean annual$145,400
Employment5,460
#16
Redding, CA
Median annual$134,350
Mean annual$133,700
Employment1,720
#17
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA
Median annual$133,940
Mean annual$136,670
Employment35,290
#18
North Coast Region of California nonmetropolitan area
Median annual$133,830
Mean annual$137,690
Employment2,200
#19
Modesto, CA
Median annual$132,590
Mean annual$143,670
Employment4,850
#20
Merced, CA
Median annual$131,620
Mean annual$129,700
Employment1,050
Area estimates can include metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas. Cross-state metropolitan areas may span more than one state.
How Much Do Registered Nurses Make in California?
According to the OEWS figures used on this page, the median annual wage for Registered Nurses in California is $140,270, while the mean annual wage is $150,280. The employment estimate is 338,940. These measures describe the occupation in the BLS dataset and should not be read as a guaranteed salary for an individual worker.
How California Compares With the U.S.
The national median in the same release is $97,550. That puts the California median about 43.8% above the U.S. median. This is a direct comparison of reported wage estimates; the data alone do not establish the reasons for the difference.
How to Read the Wage Percentiles
The annual wage distribution runs from $101,260 at the 10th percentile to $213,320 at the 90th percentile. Percentiles describe positions in the wage distribution. They should not automatically be treated as experience levels, so the 10th percentile is not necessarily an entry-level salary.
How to Use This Data
Use the state median, national comparison, wage percentiles, and local-area estimates together when researching pay. Actual compensation can vary by employer, schedule, specialty, experience, and other factors not directly measured on this page. The calculator provides a simple gross-pay conversion and is an estimate rather than a prediction of take-home pay.
Tool
Salary Calculator
Convert hourly and annual gross pay for a simple 40-hour-week benchmark. This does not estimate taxes, overtime, bonuses, benefits, or deductions.
Calculated annual equivalents may differ slightly from published BLS annual wages because hourly figures are rounded.
Quick answers
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the median salary for Registered Nurse in California?
The median annual wage in the May 2025 OEWS data shown on this page is $140,270.
What is the median hourly wage?
The median hourly wage shown for Registered Nurses in California is $67.44.
Is the 10th percentile an entry-level salary?
No. The 10th percentile describes a point in the wage distribution; OEWS does not make it a direct measure of experience level.
How often is this page checked?
Curiworld Data checks the source on a scheduled basis and records the last successful update. New values are validated before they are approved for indexing.
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Related Salary Data
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Transparency
Methodology & Sources
Primary source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS).
Data period: May 2025
Last successful update: Aug 28, 2026
How it is produced: Curiworld Data retrieves official BLS datasets, validates required fields and unexpected changes, calculates comparisons, and presents the results in a readable format. Automated refreshes do not overwrite human-edited explanatory text.