Quick answer: California employs about 338,940 registered nurses (BLS OEWS, May 2025), and licensing runs through the state board for the specific credential you are pursuing. Programs, the careers this degree opens, and what they pay are below.
Compare health care programs enrolling now:
Licensing and Credentials in California
Health care is licensed credential by credential rather than as a field, so there is no single permit to work in it. Each path on this page has its own accreditor and its own examination - CCNE or ACEN and the NCLEX for nursing, ARC-PA and the PANCE for physician assistants, ACPE and the NAPLEX for pharmacy, and so on - and every one of them is issued state by state.
Requirements are set at state level and are amended periodically. Before you enroll in any program, confirm with the state board for the specific credential you are pursuing that the specific program you are considering satisfies the education requirement, and ask what it accepts from any training you have already completed. Get the answer in writing.
Earning the Degree While You Work
Most people reading this already have a job in the field, and the practical question is whether the credential can be earned without leaving it. Programs designed for working adults deliver the academic portion online or in the evening, while any labs, clinical hours or supervised field experience happen in person and locally. Prior college credit, military training, apprenticeship coursework and industry certifications can all shorten the path, so request a written transfer credit evaluation before you commit to any school.
Schools Near You
Schools in our database near this area, ranked by BOC Score. The list favors schools with a related program on record, but program availability and delivery format change, so confirm directly with any school that it currently offers the program you want.
How we rank schools – graduation rate, graduate earnings, cost and retention.
Advertising plays no part.
This page lists 10 schools
within 70 miles, closest group first, then ordered by
BOC Score with the highest at the top.
9 of them carry a score.
1 does not have enough federal
outcome data to score, and appears last rather than being hidden.
LOCAL RANK
Location / proximity to this page
Defines the local group
Graduation rate how often students finish
30%
Median earnings, 10 years after entry whether it paid off
25%
Average net price what students actually pay after aid; lower ranks higher
20%
Retention rate how many come back for year two
15%
Fully online availability whether you can study while working
10%
Scores come from IPEDS (2024) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
Earnings are for all graduates of a school, not one program, so treat them as a signal
about the institution rather than about this subject.
Sponsored listings are paid placements and are labelled as such; they are separate from
this ranking and never change it. Read the full methodology.
Registered Nurses in California earn a median $140,270 per year, above the national median of $97,550 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Health Care Pay and Employment in California at a Glance
Metric
California
National
Source
Median annual wage
$140,270
$97,550
BLS OEWS, May 2025
10th percentile
$101,260
$68,940
BLS OEWS, May 2025
25th percentile
$122,440
$80,330
BLS OEWS, May 2025
75th percentile
$173,170
$112,350
BLS OEWS, May 2025
90th percentile
$213,320
$137,470
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Employment
338,940
3,379,720
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Location quotient
0.86
1.00
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Projected change (2024-34)
not published by state
4.9%
BLS Employment Projections, 2024-34
How California Pay Compares to the Rest of the Country
The California median of $140,270 sits above the national median of $97,550 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Percentiles matter more than the midpoint when you are deciding whether a degree pays for itself: the 10th percentile is roughly where people start, and the 90th is what the top of the local market looks like after years of experience.
A location quotient of 0.86 puts California slightly below the national average, so the occupation is a little less common here than in the typical state (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The measure compares how concentrated the occupation is here against the national average of 1.00.
Figures: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Health care hiring follows the local care network - the hospital systems, clinics and long-term care facilities in a metro are what create the openings.
Registered Nurses Wages by Metro Area in California
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics ( OES data), registered nurses wages in California vary by metro area.
Metro Area
Employment
Median Annual Wage
Avg. Annual Wage
Entry Level (10th pctile)
Experienced (90th pctile)
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim
109,360
$135,560
$140,370
$100,980
$174,200
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont
41,750
$186,610
$176,900
$119,290
$223,770
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario
35,290
$133,940
$136,670
$100,510
$172,900
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad
28,680
$139,520
$145,060
$102,480
$175,210
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom
23,590
$171,460
$164,200
$100,630
$218,780
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara
22,930
$216,740
$194,950
$124,140
$235,190
Fresno
11,030
$125,420
$126,880
$89,890
$167,160
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura
5,710
$131,160
$133,710
$94,360
$169,780
Bakersfield-Delano
5,620
$128,810
$128,200
$87,760
$162,020
Stockton-Lodi
5,460
$134,580
$145,400
$101,390
$212,700
Modesto
4,850
$132,590
$143,670
$102,770
$197,800
Vallejo
4,120
$203,290
$182,820
$122,140
$218,590
Santa Rosa-Petaluma
3,720
$174,550
$170,000
$110,800
$225,940
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara
3,280
$137,360
$134,680
$101,260
$169,240
Salinas
3,180
$134,910
$138,810
$102,300
$176,990
Visalia
2,990
$125,180
$124,110
$97,560
$160,680
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles
2,180
$138,820
$147,410
$100,560
$199,540
Chico
2,170
$127,360
$134,900
$103,400
$160,170
Santa Cruz-Watsonville
1,750
$170,960
$159,830
$97,980
$210,870
Redding
1,720
$134,350
$133,700
$96,990
$168,480
Napa
1,610
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
Yuba City
1,080
$149,320
$150,970
$98,270
$178,300
Merced
1,050
$131,620
$129,700
$95,070
$165,580
El Centro
950
$103,450
$113,380
$84,500
$150,990
Hanford-Corcoran
710
$128,160
$127,640
$102,410
$157,910
Wages reflect survey data and vary based on experience, credentials, employer, and local market conditions. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May .
Wage and employment figures describe the occupation as measured by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, not the graduates of any particular program, and individual outcomes may vary. Licensing rules change; confirm current requirements with the responsible state board before enrolling.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do registered nurses make in California?
The median annual wage for registered nurses in California is $140,270, above the national median of $97,550 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle of the range runs from $122,440 at the 25th percentile to $173,170 at the 75th.
How many registered nurses work in California?
California holds about 338,940 registered nurse jobs (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Nationally the occupation employs 3,379,720, and BLS projects about 189,100 openings per year through 2034 (BLS Employment Projections, 2024-34).
Do I need a license to work as a registered nurse in California?
Health care is licensed credential by credential rather than as a field, so there is no single permit to work in it. Each path on this page has its own accreditor and its own examination - CCNE or ACEN and the NCLEX for nursing, ARC-PA and the PANCE for physician assistants, ACPE and the NAPLEX for pharmacy, and so on - and every one of them is issued state by state. Requirements are set at the state level and change periodically, so confirm the current rules with the state board for the specific credential you are pursuing before you enroll in any program.
Can I earn a health care degree online while working in California?
Often yes. Programs built for working adults deliver coursework online or in the evenings, though any required labs, clinical hours or supervised field experience are completed in person. Confirm that the program's accreditation satisfies the state board for the specific credential you are pursuing.
What is the highest-paying area of California for registered nurses?
Among California metro areas with published data, San Jose reports the highest median at $216,740 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Is California a good state for registered nurses?
On pay, the state median of $140,270 sits above the national $97,550 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). A location quotient of 0.86 means the occupation is less concentrated here than in the average state. Weigh that against cost of living and how concentrated the work is near where you actually want to live.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 - Registered Nurses (SOC 29-1141), national, state and metropolitan estimates
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2024-34
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook - education and licensing requirements
About this guide: Researched and written by the TradeCareerPath Editorial Team. Our editorial team researches and sources every trade school and career guide using federal labor and education data, including BLS OEWS and Employment Projections, DOL apprenticeship records, IPEDS, College Scorecard, and state licensing boards. We follow the editorial standards documented at /editorial-policy/.
