Registered Nurses Salary in California (2024)
The median registered nurses salary in California is $140,330/year, based on May 2024 BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). That is 49.9% above the national median of $93,600.
Wage table
| Metric | Amount |
|---|---|
| Annual mean | $148,330 |
| Annual median | $140,330 |
| 10th percentile | $100,120 |
| 25th percentile | $119,710 |
| 75th percentile | $172,200 |
| 90th percentile | $208,880 |
| Hourly median | $67.47/hr |
| Employment (state) | 326,720 |
What the numbers mean
The gap between the 10th and 90th percentile is wide: the highest-paid 10% of registered nurses in California earn about 2.1× what the lowest-paid 10% earn. That spread usually reflects differences in experience, employer type, and local cost of living within the state — the median is a more representative figure than the mean for a "typical" salary, since a small number of very high earners can pull the mean upward.
See the full Registered Nurses salary by state ranking for all 53 states with available data.
Frequently asked questions
Is registered nurses pay in California above the national average?
The median registered nurses salary in California is $140,330/year, which is 49.9% above the national median of $93,600/year (May 2024 BLS OEWS data).
What is the median registered nurses salary in California?
$140,330/year, based on May 2024 BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
How much do the highest-paid registered nurses in California earn?
The 90th percentile registered nurses in California earns $208,880/year or more, compared to $100,120/year or less for the 10th percentile.