Salary · CA · SOC 29-2061

Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) salary in California, per year and per hour

BLS data for May 2025. Median, mean, and percentile pay for licensed practical and vocational nurses in California, with every metro area BLS publishes.

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates, released May 15, 2026. Publisher page

Quick answer

The median pay for licensed practical and vocational nurses in California was $79,750 a year, or $38.34 an hour, in May 2025 (BLS). The middle 80% earned $64,390 to $100,450. About 82,850 were employed.

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Licensed Practical Nurse pay in California vs the US

Licensed Practical Nurse wages in California and the US, May 2025
Measure	CA annual	CA hourly	US annual
Median (50th percentile)	$79,750	$38.34	$64,400
Mean (average)	$82,340	$39.59	$67,050
10th percentile	$64,390	$30.96	$49,740
25th percentile	$74,840	$35.98	$59,000
75th percentile	$93,720	$45.06	$76,030
90th percentile	$100,450	$48.29	$83,440

Employment in California: 82,850. Location quotient: 1.09 (1.0 = the national share of jobs).

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Publisher page

Licensed Practical Nurse salary by metro area in California

Licensed Practical Nurse median wage by metro area, California
Metro area	Median annual	Median hourly	Employed
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	$79,310	$38.13	33,590
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA	$94,310	$45.34	8,800
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA	$76,970	$37.01	8,200
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA	$79,720	$38.33	6,610
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA	$81,570	$39.22	4,760
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA	$95,320	$45.83	3,290
Fresno, CA	$75,580	$36.34	2,360
Bakersfield-Delano, CA	$76,130	$36.60	1,480
Stockton-Lodi, CA	$77,830	$37.42	1,430
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA	$79,020	$37.99	1,230
Modesto, CA	$78,200	$37.59	1,120
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA	$92,580	$44.51	870
Vallejo, CA	$85,430	$41.07	870
Visalia, CA	$73,540	$35.36	830
Salinas, CA	$80,910	$38.90	710
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA	$79,010	$37.99	650
Redding, CA	$74,140	$35.64	510
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA	$79,940	$38.43	440
Chico, CA	$78,750	$37.86	380
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA	$81,000	$38.94	340
Yuba City, CA	$78,260	$37.63	330
Hanford-Corcoran, CA	$77,650	$37.33	310
El Centro, CA	$74,710	$35.92	300
Merced, CA	$75,890	$36.49	300
Napa, CA	$83,690	$40.24	280

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Publisher page

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Licensed Practical Nurse salary in California

Median pay: $79,750 a year ($38.34 an hour)

Middle 80% earn $64,390 to $100,450 a year

Employed: 82,850

BLS OEWS, May 2025. Source: Rivvi

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<div style="font:14px/1.45 system-ui,sans-serif;color:#222;border:1px solid #E6E6EE;border-radius:12px;padding:14px 16px;max-width:360px;background:#fff"><div style="font-weight:600;font-size:15px;margin-bottom:6px">Licensed Practical Nurse salary in California</div><div style="margin:2px 0">Median pay: <strong>$79,750</strong> a year ($38.34 an hour)</div><div style="margin:2px 0">Middle 80% earn $64,390 to $100,450 a year</div><div style="margin:2px 0">Employed: 82,850</div><div style="margin-top:8px;font-size:12px;color:#555">BLS OEWS, May 2025. Source: <a href="https://rivvi.ai/salary/licensed-practical-nurse/ca" style="color:#3C38C9">Rivvi</a></div></div>

Questions

How much does an LPN make per hour in California?

The median hourly wage was $38.34 in May 2025, per BLS. The 10th percentile was $30.96 and the 90th was $48.29.

What is the average LPN salary in California?

BLS reports a mean (average) of $82,340 a year and a median of $79,750 for May 2025. The median is the middle wage; the mean is pulled up by the highest earners.

Do licensed practical and vocational nurses in California earn more than the US median?

The California median of $79,750 is 24% higher than the US median of $64,400 (BLS, May 2025).

How does California rank for licensed practical nurse pay?

California ranks 6 of 51 states (plus DC) by median annual wage for licensed practical and vocational nurses (BLS, May 2025).

Where do these numbers come from?

The BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2025 estimates, SOC 29-2061. Figures BLS did not publish are left out.