California LVN salaries by employer, 2025
LVNs (licensed vocational nurses) here are titles such as Licensed Vocational Nurse and the University of California's Voc Nurse Senior, counted apart from registered nurses. 7,128 people held an LVN title at 92 California public hospitals, health departments, prisons and clinics in 2025. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $90,412, overtime included, against $181,164 for registered nurses.
What is the average LVN salary in California?
Highest-paying employer
$133,604
San Benito Health Care District
Health care district in San Benito County
Highest- and lowest-paying among the 27 employers with at least 10 full-year LVNs. The lists below include every employer with at least 5.
- LVNs
- 7,128
- 3,299 of them worked the full year
- Median total pay
- $85,503
- the middle LVN: half earned more, half less
- Overtime
- $10,278
- average per full-year LVN; the middle one $2,831
- Official range
- $70,498
- to $80,184: the middle reported bottom and top
Which California employers pay LVNs the most?
By average total pay of full-year LVNs, among employers with at least 5 of them.
Highest average total pay
- San Benito Health Care DistrictHealth care district in San Benito County
15 full-year LVNs$133,604 - San FranciscoCity government
138 full-year LVNs$122,017 - San Mateo CountyCounty government
24 full-year LVNs$118,843 - Alameda Health SystemHealth care district in Alameda County
61 full-year LVNs$114,228 - Sacramento CountyCounty government
24 full-year LVNs$107,170 - Palomar Health DistrictHealth care district in San Diego County
20 full-year LVNs$103,349 - Santa Clara CountyCounty government
281 full-year LVNs$102,834 - California Department of State HospitalsState department
63 full-year LVNs$101,679 - Ventura CountyCounty government
41 full-year LVNs$101,357 - Last Frontier Health DistrictHealth care district in Modoc County
5 full-year LVNs$99,189
California average for LVNs, $90,412
Which California counties pay LVNs the most?
Average total pay of full-year LVNs across each county's public hospitals, health departments, prisons and clinics, where at least 5 of them worked the full year. The dashed line marks the California average of $90,412.
Compare LVN pay at every California employer
Every employer with at least 5 LVNs: what full-year LVNs earned and the official range for the job. Click a column to sort it.
Showing 1 to 25 of 62 employers, highest average total pay first.
| San Benito Health Care DistrictSan Benito County | San Benito | $133,604 | $6,735 | $101,712 to $154,336 | 30 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San FranciscoSan Francisco County | San Francisco | $122,017 | $16,624 | $90,298 to $109,746 | 204 |
| San Mateo CountySan Mateo County | San Mateo | $118,843 | $15,615 | $86,528 to $102,294 | 38 |
| Alameda Health SystemAlameda County | Alameda | $114,228 | $11,547 | $93,605 to $109,217 | 129 |
| Sacramento CountySacramento County | Sacramento | $107,170 | $17,612 | $74,980 to $91,162 | 39 |
| Palomar Health DistrictSan Diego County | San Diego | $103,349 | $17,701 | $59,966 to $90,106 | 23 |
| Santa Clara CountySanta Clara County | Santa Clara | $102,834 | $3,375 | $84,735 to $102,351 | 430 |
| California Department of State HospitalsStatewide | Statewide | $101,679 | $33,984 | $60,984 to $76,332 | 137 |
| Ventura CountyVentura County | Ventura | $101,357 | $4,710 | $84,660 to $88,587 | 84 |
| Last Frontier Health DistrictModoc County | Modoc | $99,189 | $9,774 | $64,106 to $94,765 | 13 |
| California Department of Corrections and RehabilitationStatewide | Statewide | $96,666 | $19,713 | $77,820 to $80,184 | 1,403 |
| Kern CountyKern County | Kern | $95,305 | $4,315 | $80,346 | 35 |
| Orange CountyOrange County | Orange | $94,203 | $7,936 | $66,518 to $82,659 | 71 |
| Soledad Community Health Care DistrictMonterey County | Monterey | $93,600 | $12,319 | $76,794 to $111,929 | 18 |
| Contra Costa CountyContra Costa County | Contra Costa | $92,502 | $5,008 | $70,498 to $90,029 | 263 |
| San Diego CountySan Diego County | San Diego | $92,388 | $14,365 | $57,158 to $73,757 | 67 |
| California Correctional Health Care ServicesStatewide | Statewide | $89,103 | $14,838 | $77,820 to $80,184 | 251 |
| Riverside CountyRiverside County | Riverside | $87,337 | $6,855 | $60,347 to $88,454 | 321 |
| California Department of Developmental ServicesStatewide | Statewide | $86,848 | $16,358 | $60,984 to $76,332 | 22 |
| Eastern Plumas Health Care DistrictPlumas County | Plumas | $83,882 | $973 | $66,560 to $112,320 | 19 |
| Kern County Hospital AuthorityKern County | Kern | $83,723 | $6,847 | $60,736 to $74,698 | 109 |
| Monterey CountyMonterey County | Monterey | $82,588 | $169 | $65,010 to $88,791 | 29 |
| California Department of Veterans AffairsStatewide | Statewide | $81,559 | $13,161 | $60,984 to $76,332 | 199 |
| Sierra View Local Health Care DistrictTulare County | Tulare | $81,425 | $9,846 | $59,342 to $83,075 | 37 |
| San Joaquin CountySan Joaquin County | San Joaquin | $79,990 | $12,086 | $55,694 to $67,696 | 64 |
No employer matches. Clear the search or pick another county or size.
"Fewer than 5": fewer than 5 LVNs worked the full year, too few for an average. Employers with fewer than 5 LVNs aren't listed. The University of California reported no ranges, so its campuses' ranges come from its contract with the California Nurses Association: the wage tables effective January 2025. Its vocational nurses are outside that contract and have no range here, so they count in headcounts but not in pay figures.
How much less do LVNs earn than registered nurses in California?
Average total pay of full-year staff at every California public hospitals, health departments, prisons and clinics, overtime included.
- Registered nurses$181,164
- Nurse practitioners$232,328
- LVNs$90,412
LVNs earn $90,752 less than registered nurses on average. Nurse Practitioners average $232,328.
Questions about LVN pay in California
How much does an LVN make in California?
Full-year California LVNs at public hospitals, health departments, prisons and clinics earned an average of $90,412 in 2025, including $10,278 in overtime. The middle LVN earned $85,503. Registered nurses averaged $181,164.
Which California employer pays LVNs the most?
Among employers with at least 10 full-year LVNs, San Benito Health Care District has the highest average total pay, $133,604, followed by San Francisco ($122,017) and San Mateo County ($118,843).
Which California county pays LVNs the most?
San Benito County, where full-year LVNs at its public hospitals, health departments, prisons and clinics averaged $128,031, followed by San Francisco County ($122,017) and San Mateo County ($118,843).
What is the official pay range for an LVN in California?
Across California's employers, the middle reported range for LVNs runs from $70,498 to $80,184 a year. Each employer's own range is in the table on this page.
Sources for the California LVN figures
Every person who held an LVN title at any point in 2025 counts toward the headcount. Pay figures use only people who worked roughly the full year: those whose regular pay reached at least 90% of the bottom of their official range. Total pay is gross wages before tax, including overtime, lump sums and other pay. Every figure covers at least 5 people.
- State Controller's Office, Government Compensation in California, 2025: positions, official pay ranges, wages and pension and health contributions as reported by each city, county, special district, state department and University of California campus.
- University of California and California Nurses Association, Registered Nurses (NX) contract, Appendix A: wage tables: each campus's hourly rates effective January 2025, lowest to highest step; yearly figures are the hourly rate times 2,088 hours, the tables' monthly rate times 12.