Registered Nurses in California
Considering a career as a Registered Nurse in California?
You’re in luck! Jobs for Registered Nurses in California are projected to grow and these jobs tend to pay higher than average.
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Projected employment for Registered Nurses in California is growing faster than average.
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Registered Nurses in California earn higher salaries than the typical U.S. wage earner.
What Major Will Prepare You For a Registered Nurse Career?
- Health Professions
- Nursing
- Registered Nursing
- Nursing Administration
- Adult Health Nurse/Nursing
- Family Practice Nurse/Nursing
- Maternal/Child Health and Neonatal Nurse/Nursing
- Nursing Science
- School Nursing
- Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse/Nursing
- Public Health/Community Nurse/Nursing
- Perioperative/Operating Room and Surgical Nurse/Nursing
- Clinical Nurse Specialist
- Critical Care Nursing
- Occupational and Environmental Health Nursing
- Emergency Room/Trauma Nursing
- Nursing Practice
- Palliative Care Nursing
- Clinical Nurse Leader
- Geriatric Nurse/Nursing
- Other Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
How Many Registered Nurses Work in California?
In California, there were 294,510 people working as Registered Nurses in the year 2018.
There were 282,290 Registered Nurses employed in this state in 2017.
That’s growth of 12,220 jobs between 2017 and 2018.
The typical state has 43,110 Registered Nurses working in it, which means California has more Registered Nurses than average.
Job Projections for California
Jobs for Registered Nurses in this state are growing at a rate of 16.2% which is faster than the nationwide estimated projection of 14.8%.
California Annual Job Openings
The BLS is projecting 19,940 annual Registered Nurses job openings in California, and 327,800 total jobs in the year 2026.
Nationwide, the prediction is 203,700 annual jobs and 3,393,200 total jobs in 2026.
What do Registered Nurses Make in California?
In 2018 wages for Registered Nurses ranged from $66,440 to $157,160 with $104,410 being the median annual salary.
Broken down to an hourly rate, workers in this field made anywhere from $31.94 to $75.56. The median hourly rate was $50.2.
Workers in this field were paid a median of $48.43 an hour in 2017.
The hourly rate grew by $1.77.
The median salary in California is higher than the nationwide median salary.
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Top California Metros for Registered Nurses
The table below shows some of the metros in this state with the most Registered Nurses.
| Metro | Number Employed | Annual Median Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 103,910 | $99,660 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA | 38,740 | $132,430 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 29,950 | $98,870 |
| San Diego-Carlsbad, CA | 26,390 | $99,010 |
| Sacramento–Roseville–Arden-Arcade, CA | 18,830 | $124,950 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 16,450 | $133,970 |
| Fresno, CA | 7,730 | $86,820 |
| Bakersfield, CA | 5,310 | $91,970 |
| Modesto, CA | 4,550 | $103,180 |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | 4,540 | $114,890 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | 4,500 | $90,590 |
| Santa Rosa, CA | 3,380 | $101,470 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | 3,060 | $101,570 |
| Vallejo-Fairfield, CA | 3,000 | $115,620 |
| Chico, CA | 2,540 | $87,120 |
| Salinas, CA | 2,510 | $137,770 |
| Visalia-Porterville, CA | 2,050 | $89,010 |
| Napa, CA | 1,890 | $109,680 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA | 1,850 | $104,310 |
| Redding, CA | 1,590 | $103,530 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | 1,480 | $137,280 |
| El Centro, CA | 940 | $87,460 |
| Hanford-Corcoran, CA | 920 | $79,550 |
| Merced, CA | 920 | $96,070 |
Top States for Registered Nurses Employment
The table below shows the states where most Registered Nurses work.
| State | Number Employed | Annual Median Salary |
|---|---|---|
| California | 294,510 | $104,410 |
| Texas | 210,350 | $72,000 |
| New York | 182,490 | $85,300 |
| Florida | 177,600 | $64,400 |
| Pennsylvania | 148,520 | $69,170 |
| Illinois | 129,400 | $72,250 |
| Ohio | 125,380 | $64,200 |
| North Carolina | 102,500 | $62,940 |
| Michigan | 96,680 | $70,590 |
| Massachusetts | 80,630 | $86,860 |
| New Jersey | 79,530 | $81,820 |
| Georgia | 76,640 | $67,870 |
| Missouri | 71,770 | $62,270 |
| Minnesota | 69,000 | $77,940 |
| Indiana | 67,870 | $62,330 |
| Virginia | 64,750 | $68,000 |
| Tennessee | 60,360 | $60,120 |
| Wisconsin | 59,030 | $70,150 |
| Washington | 56,290 | $79,920 |
| Arizona | 54,690 | $75,770 |
Below are the states where Registered Nurses get paid the most:
| State | Annual Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Hawaii | $105,300 |
| California | $104,410 |
| Oregon | $91,220 |
| District of Columbia | $88,800 |
| Alaska | $87,650 |
| Massachusetts | $86,860 |
| New York | $85,300 |
| Nevada | $85,210 |
| New Jersey | $81,820 |
| Connecticut | $79,920 |
References
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)
- College Factual
- National Center for Education Statistics
- O*NET Online
- Image Credit: By Aleksahgabrielle under License
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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