Quick answer: Registered Nurses in the San Diego area earn a median $139,520 per year, above the national median of $97,550, and the metro employs about 28,680 of them (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
| Metric | San Diego metro | California | National |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median annual wage | $139,520 | $140,270 | $97,550 |
| 10th percentile | $102,480 | $101,260 | $68,940 |
| 25th percentile | $128,380 | $122,440 | $80,330 |
| 75th percentile | $169,920 | $173,170 | $112,350 |
| 90th percentile | $175,210 | $213,320 | $137,470 |
| Employment | 28,680 | 338,940 | 3,379,720 |
| Location quotient | 0.86 | - | 1.00 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Metro figures cover the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metropolitan statistical area.
The San Diego median of $139,520 is above the national median of $97,550, and below the California statewide median of $140,270 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
The metro’s location quotient of 0.86 means registered nurses are less concentrated here than in the average U.S. labor market (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Higher concentration generally means more employers competing for the same people, and an easier job change later.
Nursing is the one degree on this site where the training itself is geographically anchored: clinical rotations are completed in local hospitals and clinics, so program availability tracks the local health system.
| Metro area | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | $135,560 | 109,360 |
| San Francisco | $186,610 | 41,750 |
| Riverside | $133,940 | 35,290 |
| Sacramento | $171,460 | 23,590 |
| San Jose | $216,740 | 22,930 |
| Fresno | $125,420 | 11,030 |
| Oxnard | $131,160 | 5,710 |
| Bakersfield | $128,810 | 5,620 |
Figures: BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Licensing is a state matter, not a city one. Every state licenses registered nurses through its own board of nursing. The national constants are the degree (an ADN or BSN from a program accredited by CCNE or ACEN) and the NCLEX-RN examination administered through NCSBN. Many states also participate in the Nurse Licensure Compact, which can allow practice across member states on one multistate license.
See the California licensing and pay overview for the statewide picture, and confirm current requirements with your state board of nursing.
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.
We first gather the schools closest to the city or state page you are viewing, then rank that local group by BOC Score, with the highest at the top. The BOC Score is computed from federal IPEDS and College Scorecard data; schools without enough data to score appear last.
Schools without enough federal outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
The median annual wage for registered nurses in the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area is $139,520, above the national median of $97,550 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
The San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area employs about 28,680 registered nurses (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Licensing is handled at state level rather than by city. Every state licenses registered nurses through its own board of nursing. The national constants are the degree (an ADN or BSN from a program accredited by CCNE or ACEN) and the NCLEX-RN examination administered through NCSBN. Many states also participate in the Nurse Licensure Compact, which can allow practice across member states on one multistate license. Confirm current requirements with your state board of nursing.
The academic portion of these programs is widely available online for working adults, while labs, clinical hours or supervised field work are completed in person. Check that the program's accreditation satisfies your state board of nursing.
The San Diego metro median is $139,520 against a statewide median of $140,270 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Compare that gap with the difference in living costs before treating it as a raise.
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.
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/.
