The average salary for a registered nurse in California is around $125,340 per year.
Avg Salary
Registered nurses earn an average yearly salary of $125,340.
Wages typically start from $78,070 and go up to $165,620.
60% above national average Updated in 2021
Registered nurse earnings by seniority
90th percentile
Top-level registered nurse earnings begin at:
$79.63 per hour
$165,620 per year
75th percentile
Senior-level registered nurse earnings begin at:
$74.97 per hour
$155,930 per year
50th percentile
Mid-level registered nurse earnings begin at:
$60.26 per hour
$125,340 per year
25th percentile
Junior-level registered nurse earnings begin at:
$47.58 per hour
$98,960 per year
10th percentile
Starting level registered nurse earnings begin at:
$37.53 per hour
$78,070 per year
Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.
Registered nurse salary by state
| State Name | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Oregon | $99,410 |
| Alaska | $99,110 |
| Washington | $96,980 |
| New York | $96,170 |
| District of Columbia | $95,220 |
| Massachusetts | $94,960 |
| New Jersey | $94,690 |
| Connecticut | $83,860 |
| Nevada | $79,360 |
| Minnesota | $79,100 |
| Rhode Island | $78,900 |
| Maryland | $78,350 |
| New Mexico | $78,340 |
| Arizona | $78,260 |
| Colorado | $78,070 |
| Illinois | $77,580 |
| Texas | $77,320 |
| New Hampshire | $77,230 |
| Pennsylvania | $76,940 |
| Virginia | $76,900 |
| Michigan | $76,710 |
| Wisconsin | $76,560 |
| Idaho | $75,560 |
| Delaware | $75,380 |
| Vermont | $75,380 |
| Georgia | $75,040 |
| Maine | $75,040 |
| Florida | $75,000 |
| Montana | $75,000 |
| Utah | $75,000 |
| Wyoming | $75,000 |
| Virgin Islands, U.S. | $74,710 |
| Ohio | $74,080 |
| North Dakota | $73,250 |
| South Carolina | $72,650 |
| North Carolina | $72,220 |
| Louisiana | $64,450 |
| Nebraska | $64,000 |
| Kentucky | $62,480 |
| Indiana | $62,400 |
| Tennessee | $62,390 |
| West Virginia | $62,390 |
| Oklahoma | $62,170 |
| Missouri | $61,920 |
| Iowa | $61,790 |
| Kansas | $61,790 |
| Arkansas | $61,530 |
| Mississippi | $60,790 |
| South Dakota | $60,550 |
| Alabama | $60,510 |
| Guam | $58,980 |
| Puerto Rico | $36,320 |
| California | $125,340 |
| Hawaii | $111,070 |
How do registered nurse salaries compare to similar careers?
Registered nurses earn about the same as related careers in California. On average, they make less than physician assistants but more than MRI technologists.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Physician assistant salary | $131K |
| Health services manager salary | $126K |
| Optometrist salary | $128K |
| Veterinarian salary | $122K |
| Nuclear medicine technologist salary | $127K |
| Clinical nurse specialist salary | $125K |
| Registered nurse salary | $125K |
| Acute care nurse practitioner salary | $125K |
| Diagnostic medical sonographer salary | $101K |
| MRI technologist salary | $102K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)