The average salary for a clinical nurse specialist in California is around $140,270 per year.
Avg Salary
Clinical nurse specialists earn an average yearly salary of $140,270.
Wages typically start from $101,260 and go up to $213,320.
84% above national average Updated in 2025
Clinical nurse specialist earnings by seniority
Top-level clinical nurse specialist earnings begin at:
$102.56 per hour
$213,320 per year
Senior-level clinical nurse specialist earnings begin at:
$83.25 per hour
$173,170 per year
Mid-level clinical nurse specialist earnings begin at:
$67.44 per hour
$140,270 per year
Junior-level clinical nurse specialist earnings begin at:
$58.87 per hour
$122,440 per year
Starting level clinical nurse specialist earnings begin at:
$48.68 per hour
$101,260 per year
Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.
Clinical nurse specialist salary by state
| State Name | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Maryland | $99,790 |
| New Hampshire | $99,700 |
| Delaware | $99,520 |
| Arizona | $99,500 |
| Vermont | $97,460 |
| Pennsylvania | $96,430 |
| Illinois | $95,990 |
| Texas | $95,970 |
| Wisconsin | $95,530 |
| New Mexico | $94,340 |
| Michigan | $94,300 |
| Virginia | $93,600 |
| Georgia | $93,550 |
| Idaho | $92,460 |
| Maine | $86,990 |
| Montana | $85,280 |
| Nebraska | $84,730 |
| Utah | $84,600 |
| North Carolina | $84,350 |
| Florida | $84,190 |
| Wyoming | $83,760 |
| Indiana | $83,500 |
| Oklahoma | $82,920 |
| Ohio | $82,510 |
| South Carolina | $82,360 |
| Missouri | $81,780 |
| Tennessee | $81,500 |
| Kentucky | $81,040 |
| North Dakota | $80,730 |
| Louisiana | $80,230 |
| West Virginia | $80,130 |
| Kansas | $79,320 |
| Arkansas | $78,940 |
| Iowa | $78,630 |
| South Dakota | $78,060 |
| Mississippi | $77,090 |
| Alabama | $77,080 |
| Virgin Islands, U.S. | $74,710 |
| Guam | $58,980 |
| Puerto Rico | $36,320 |
| California | $140,270 |
| Hawaii | $136,320 |
| Oregon | $129,010 |
| Washington | $124,200 |
| Alaska | $109,480 |
| New York | $109,440 |
| New Jersey | $106,500 |
| Massachusetts | $104,550 |
| Nevada | $103,670 |
| Connecticut | $102,740 |
| District of Columbia | $102,540 |
| Minnesota | $101,510 |
| Rhode Island | $100,640 |
| Colorado | $100,260 |
How do clinical nurse specialist salaries compare to similar careers?
Clinical nurse specialists earn about the same as related careers in California. On average, they make less than physician assistants but more than optometrists.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Physician assistant salary | $166K |
| Pharmacist salary | $165K |
| Radiation therapist salary | $166K |
| Nuclear medicine technologist salary | $162K |
| Health services manager salary | $141K |
| Advanced practice registered nurse salary | $140K |
| Clinical nurse specialist salary | $140K |
| Acute care nurse practitioner salary | $140K |
| Registered nurse salary | $140K |
| Optometrist salary | $136K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)