The average salary for a registered nurse in California is around $140,270 per year.
Avg Salary
Registered nurses 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
Registered nurse earnings by seniority
90th percentile
Top-level registered nurse earnings begin at:
$102.56 per hour
$213,320 per year
75th percentile
Senior-level registered nurse earnings begin at:
$83.25 per hour
$173,170 per year
50th percentile
Mid-level registered nurse earnings begin at:
$67.44 per hour
$140,270 per year
25th percentile
Junior-level registered nurse earnings begin at:
$58.87 per hour
$122,440 per year
10th percentile
Starting level registered nurse earnings begin at:
$48.68 per hour
$101,260 per year
Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.
Registered nurse 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 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 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)