Salary · CA · SOC 29-1141

Registered Nurse (RN) salary in California, per year and per hour

BLS data for May 2025. Median, mean, and percentile pay for registered 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 registered nurses in California was $140,270 a year, or $67.44 an hour, in May 2025 (BLS). The middle 80% earned $101,260 to $213,320. About 338,940 were employed.

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Registered Nurse pay in California vs the US

Registered Nurse wages in California and the US, May 2025
Measure	CA annual	CA hourly	US annual
Median (50th percentile)	$140,270	$67.44	$97,550
Mean (average)	$150,280	$72.25	$101,420
10th percentile	$101,260	$48.68	$68,940
25th percentile	$122,440	$58.87	$80,330
75th percentile	$173,170	$83.25	$112,350
90th percentile	$213,320	$102.56	$137,470

Employment in California: 338,940. Location quotient: 0.86 (1.0 = the national share of jobs).

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

Registered Nurse salary by metro area in California

Registered Nurse median wage by metro area, California
Metro area	Median annual	Median hourly	Employed
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	$135,560	$65.18	109,360
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA	$186,610	$89.71	41,750
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA	$133,940	$64.40	35,290
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA	$139,520	$67.08	28,680
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA	$171,460	$82.43	23,590
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA	$216,740	$104.20	22,930
Fresno, CA	$125,420	$60.30	11,030
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA	$131,160	$63.06	5,710
Bakersfield-Delano, CA	$128,810	$61.93	5,620
Stockton-Lodi, CA	$134,580	$64.70	5,460
Modesto, CA	$132,590	$63.75	4,850
Vallejo, CA	$203,290	$97.74	4,120
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA	$174,550	$83.92	3,720
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA	$137,360	$66.04	3,280
Salinas, CA	$134,910	$64.86	3,180
Visalia, CA	$125,180	$60.18	2,990
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA	$138,820	$66.74	2,180
Chico, CA	$127,360	$61.23	2,170
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA	$170,960	$82.19	1,750
Redding, CA	$134,350	$64.59	1,720
Yuba City, CA	$149,320	$71.79	1,080
Merced, CA	$131,620	$63.28	1,050
El Centro, CA	$103,450	$49.73	950
Hanford-Corcoran, CA	$128,160	$61.61	710

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

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Registered Nurse salary in California

Median pay: $140,270 a year ($67.44 an hour)

Middle 80% earn $101,260 to $213,320 a year

Employed: 338,940

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">Registered Nurse salary in California</div><div style="margin:2px 0">Median pay: <strong>$140,270</strong> a year ($67.44 an hour)</div><div style="margin:2px 0">Middle 80% earn $101,260 to $213,320 a year</div><div style="margin:2px 0">Employed: 338,940</div><div style="margin-top:8px;font-size:12px;color:#555">BLS OEWS, May 2025. Source: <a href="https://rivvi.ai/salary/registered-nurse/ca" style="color:#3C38C9">Rivvi</a></div></div>

Questions

How much does an RN make per hour in California?

The median hourly wage was $67.44 in May 2025, per BLS. The 10th percentile was $48.68 and the 90th was $102.56.

What is the average RN salary in California?

BLS reports a mean (average) of $150,280 a year and a median of $140,270 for May 2025. The median is the middle wage; the mean is pulled up by the highest earners.

Do registered nurses in California earn more than the US median?

The California median of $140,270 is 44% higher than the US median of $97,550 (BLS, May 2025).

How does California rank for registered nurse pay?

California ranks 1 of 51 states (plus DC) by median annual wage for registered nurses (BLS, May 2025).

Where do these numbers come from?

The BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2025 estimates, SOC 29-1141. Figures BLS did not publish are left out.