What is an average nurse salary in California? You are wondering if you can handle the stress and physical demands of the job. But you want to know more than just the average pay. You want to know where you can settle whether that means finding a facility and surrounding area that offer what you need.
The average nurse salary in California is $98,000.
Average nurse salary in California
The state of California has long been one of the most desirable places to live in the United States. With beautiful weather, picturesque landscapes, and a robust economy, it’s easy to see why many people choose to move to the Golden State. If you’re considering a career as a nurse in California, you know that this is also one of the highest paying states for registered nurses and advanced practice registered nurses. By understanding how your hourly wage will increase throughout your career and where you’ll have the highest earning potential, you can maximize your income as a RN or APRN and enjoy all California has to offer.
Nurse anesthetists, nurse midwives, and nurse practitioners have the highest average pay of registered nurses in California.
Nurse anesthetists, nurse midwives, and nurse practitioners have the highest average pay of registered nurses in California.
Nurses who are advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) earn considerably more than other RNs. The top three highest-paid APRNs in California are:
- Nurse anesthetists earn an average annual salary of $189,195.
- Midwives earn an average annual salary of $181,873.
- Nurse practitioners earn an average annual salary of $160,552 (which is only slightly less than the overall state average).
Entry-level hourly wages are more than $53/hour on average.
As of April 2019, the average hourly wage for a new RN was $53.02, according to the BLS. For a senior RN, it was $60.45; for an LPN (licensed practical nurse), $42.34; and for an LVN (licensed vocational nurse), $39.22.
Occupations with higher pay include nurse managers ($71/hour) and executive nurses ($84/hour).
Average salaries increase with experience.
If you’re considering a career as a nurse, it makes sense to take into account the level of compensation you can expect. While many people choose nursing because they want to make a difference in the world and help others, there are also significant financial rewards if you work hard and perform well at your job.
The average annual salary for nurses with more than 10 years of experience is $67,000; for those with over 20 years under their belts, it jumps up to $71,000.
Senior nurses who have worked over 20 years earn around $61/hour on average.
The average California nurse salary is $61/hour. However, this number can change depending on how many years of experience you have in the field. For example, a senior nurse who has worked over 20 years earns around $61/hour on average. In contrast, first-year nurses usually earn less than $50 per hour.
Anesthesia nurses are among the highest paid professionals in this industry with an average annual salary of $135k per year (or roughly $56/hour). Nurse practitioners also make an above-average living at an annual income of just under $118k (or about $53/hour).
Nurses in San Jose, California earn the highest salaries.
San Jose, California is the largest city in California and is known as the capital of Silicon Valley. It’s home to many large tech companies such as Apple and Facebook. With a high cost of living and many people wanting to live in San Jose, it may not be surprising that nurses in this area would earn higher salaries than those in other cities.
Nurses who work at Stanford University Medical Center can expect their salaries to be significantly higher than average for all nurses in California, with an average salary at $104,000 per year. They also receive bonuses based on experience and education level—bonuses can range from $1,000-$2,500 per year depending on how long you have been working there! For example: if your base pay was $70k/year then after adding these bonuses it would bring your total compensation up to about $74k/year!
You can make a great salary as a nurse in California if you’re willing to put in the work.
If you want to make a great salary as a nurse in California, there are several steps you can take to ensure that you’re compensated fairly. First and foremost, it’s important to consider the cost of living in your area. This is especially important if you’re moving from out-of-state or if you’re moving from an area with a significantly lower cost of living than California’s—it’s easy for people who aren’t familiar with California’s cost of living to assume that their salaries will go farther here than they did back home, but this isn’t always true! If anything, moving from Oklahoma might actually mean that your take-home pay goes down once you factor in driving costs and taxes on everything from gas (California has high gas tax rates) through groceries (where prices are often higher than what Oklahomans may be used to) all the way up through housing costs (which can vary wildly depending on where someone lives). It’s also worth considering whether or not any benefits offered by one hospital over another would offset any difference between their starting salaries: does one offer better health care plans? More paid time off? Better retirement options? These factors matter too!
Conclusion
If you’re a registered nurse (or want to become one) in California, these statistics are very encouraging.
