Registered Nurse Salary in California
Median annual pay in California
$140,270
$67.44/hour
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Adjusted for cost of living in California
$126,689
Regional Price Parity: 110.720 (U.S. = 100)
Wages: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Cost of living: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
Difference from the U.S. median ($97,550): +$42,720 (+43.8%)
California ranks 1st of 51 states by median pay, and 1st of 51 after adjusting for cost of living.
Pay
| Annual | Hourly | |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $101,260 | $48.68 |
| 25th percentile | $122,440 | $58.87 |
| Median | $140,270 | $67.44 |
| 75th percentile | $173,170 | $83.25 |
| 90th percentile | $213,320 | $102.56 |
Employment
- Employment in California
- 338,940
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Comparison
Compared with the U.S.
- Median annual pay in California
- $140,270
- Median annual pay in the U.S.
- $97,550
- Difference
- +$42,720 (+43.8%)
Cost of living
$140,270 ÷ 110.720 × 100 = $126,689
Wages: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Cost of living: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
Ranking
| Rank | Median annual pay | Adjusted for cost of living (annual) |
|---|---|---|
| California This page | ||
| 1st | $140,270 | $126,689 1st |
| Hawaii | ||
| 2nd | $136,320 | $123,983 3rd |
| Oregon | ||
| 3rd | $129,010 | $124,815 2nd |
Similar occupations
Related occupations from O*NET, in O*NET's order, with their BLS median pay. Each figure shows the place it is for.
- Nurse Practitioner salary in California
$168,520/year California
- Nurse Anesthetist salary in California
$292,410/year California
- Physician Assistant salary in California
$165,650/year California
- Nursing Assistant salary in California
$47,630/year California
- Paramedic salary in California
$74,590/year California
- Emergency Medicine Physician salary in the U.S.
$335,550/year U.S.
Outlook
- Projected employment change, 2025–35 (U.S.)
- +5.6%
- Typical education needed for entry (U.S.)
- Bachelor's degree
BLS publishes employment projections only for the U.S. as a whole. BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35
Specialties included in this occupation
- Acute Care Nurses
- Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nurses
- Critical Care Nurses
- Clinical Nurse Specialists
BLS publishes one wage figure for all Registered Nurses; it does not publish separate data for these specialties.
O*NET 31.0
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Registered Nurse salary in nearby places
- Registered Nurse salary in Arizona
$99,500/year Arizona
- Registered Nurse salary in Nevada
$103,670/year Nevada
- Registered Nurse salary in Oregon
$129,010/year Oregon
- Registered Nurse salary in the U.S.
$97,550/year U.S.
Sources and update
- Wages and employment: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025.
- Cost of living: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
- Related occupations and specialties: O*NET® 31.0 Database, CC BY 4.0. Attributions
- Employment projections and typical education: BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35.
- Neighboring states: U.S. Census Bureau, County Adjacency File, 2024.
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