+$42,720 (+43.8%) versus the national median
| Metro area | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $216,740 | $104.20 | 22,930 |
| Vallejo, CA | $203,290 | $97.74 | 4,120 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $186,610 | $89.71 | 41,750 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $174,550 | $83.92 | 3,720 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $171,460 | $82.43 | 23,590 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $170,960 | $82.19 | 1,750 |
| Yuba City, CA | $149,320 | $71.79 | 1,080 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $139,520 | $67.08 | 28,680 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | $138,820 | $66.74 | 2,180 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $137,360 | $66.04 | 3,280 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $135,560 | $65.18 | 109,360 |
| Salinas, CA | $134,910 | $64.86 | 3,180 |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | $134,580 | $64.70 | 5,460 |
| Redding, CA | $134,350 | $64.59 | 1,720 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $133,940 | $64.40 | 35,290 |
| Modesto, CA | $132,590 | $63.75 | 4,850 |
| Merced, CA | $131,620 | $63.28 | 1,050 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $131,160 | $63.06 | 5,710 |
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | $128,810 | $61.93 | 5,620 |
| Hanford-Corcoran, CA | $128,160 | $61.61 | 710 |
| Chico, CA | $127,360 | $61.23 | 2,170 |
| Fresno, CA | $125,420 | $60.30 | 11,030 |
| Visalia, CA | $125,180 | $60.18 | 2,990 |
| El Centro, CA | $103,450 | $49.73 | 950 |
| Napa, CA | — | — | 1,610 |
— = estimate missing or suppressed by BLS; # = suppressed for insufficient reporting units; * = estimate not comparable.
In California, the OEWS May 2025 median annual wage for Registered Nurses was $140,270, compared with $97,550 nationally. The median hourly wage was $67.44 in California and $46.90 in the United States. OEWS employment was 338,940 in California and 3,379,720 nationwide for this occupation. The California median was 43.8 percent higher than the national median.
Figures are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2025 release. A wage shown as $239,200 or More means the estimate falls in BLS's highest, open-ended wage interval and is a lower bound, not a maximum. In tables, — means the estimate is missing or suppressed by BLS; # means suppressed because of insufficient reporting units; * means the estimate is not comparable.
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