San Diego County registered nurse salary, 2025
649 people worked as registered nurses for San Diego County in 2025. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $158,228, overtime included.
What is the average registered nurse salary at San Diego County?
Official pay range, jail or juvenile hall nurses1
$97,926 to $139,464
from the lowest entry salary to the top of the highest title for jail or juvenile hall nurses, the largest group
Based on the 505 of 649 registered nurses who worked the full year.
The largest group of San Diego County's registered nurses (266 of 649) hold the title Sheriff'S Detentions Nurse, with an official range of $97,926 to $139,464. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $193,441, $53,977 above the top of the range.
- Median total pay
- $143,682
- the middle registered nurse: half earned more, half less
- Overtime
- $21,335
- average per full-year registered nurse
- Starting salary
- $96,242
- bottom of the Staff Nurse range
- Average pay rank
- 22nd
- of 72 California employers
What does each registered nurse title at San Diego County pay?
Each bar is the official range for one title, lowest first. The dot marks the average total pay of full-year staff in that title, where at least 5 people stand behind it.1
Jail or juvenile hall nurses
- Sheriff'S Detentions Nurse$193,441
Public health nurses
- Public Health Nurse$121,063
- Sr Public Health Nurse$130,412
Behavioral health nurses
- Psychiatric Nurse$154,431
Health system nurses
- Staff Nurse$137,182
official range average total pay, full year. "Fewer than 5" means too few full-year people in that title to show.
Nurse practitioner and LVN pay at San Diego County
Counted on their own, kept out of the registered nurse figures on this page. Each group's name leads to its statewide overview. Range: the middle reported bottom and top of each group's official ranges. Pay: average total pay of full-year staff, overtime included.1
| Nurses | People | Official range | Average total pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registered nurses | 649 | $97,926 to $139,464 | $158,228 |
| Nurse practitioners | 12 | $125,549 to $154,211 | $147,407 |
| LVNs | 67 | $57,158 to $73,757 | $92,388 |
Full-year nurse practitioners averaged $147,407, $10,821 less than registered nurses.
Does San Diego County pay registered nurses more than other employers in San Diego County?
Average total pay of full-year registered nurses: San Diego County next to every employer in the county together, and the whole state.1
- San Diego County$158,228
- All employers in San Diego County$165,443
- All employers in California$181,164
Full-year registered nurses at San Diego County earned $7,215 less than the San Diego County average and $22,936 less than the California average.
Average registered nurse pay in San Diego County compared to nearby counties
Average total pay of full-year registered nurses across all employers in each county that borders San Diego County, and how much more or less it pays.1
Where does San Diego County rank among California employers?
Every employer with at least 5 full-year registered nurses, by average total pay.1
All 72 California employers
San Diego County ranks 22nd of 72, above the middle employer.
Middle employer: $138,446
Each bar counts the employers whose average total pay falls in a $5,000 band. The dashed line marks the middle employer.
Pension and health cover at San Diego County
As reported by the county. Contributions are what the employer paid per full-year registered nurse, on top of wages.1
- Pension formula
- 1.62% at 65
- the most common formula among San Diego County's registered nurses
- Employer pension contribution
- $50,023
- average per year
- Health, dental and vision
- $13,663
- average paid by the employer per year
Questions about registered nurse pay at San Diego County
What is the average registered nurse salary at San Diego County?
Registered nurses at San Diego County who worked the full year earned an average of $158,228 in 2025, overtime included. The middle registered nurse earned $143,682: half earned more, half less. The official pay range across its registered nurse titles runs from $97,926 to $139,464.
How much overtime do registered nurses at San Diego County earn?
Full-year registered nurses were paid an average of $21,335 in overtime in 2025. The middle one was paid $6,626: a few people with a lot of overtime pull the average up.
What is the starting salary for a registered nurse at San Diego County?
$96,242 a year: the bottom of the official range for San Diego County's Staff Nurse title in 2025, as reported. Pay rises with steps and overtime; full-year registered nurses averaged $158,228 in total pay.
How much does a nurse practitioner make at San Diego County?
Full-year nurse practitioners at San Diego County averaged $147,407 in total pay in 2025, overtime included, on an official range of $125,549 to $154,211.
What pension do registered nurses at San Diego County get?
The most common pension formula among San Diego County's registered nurses is 1.62% at 65, as reported by the county. The employer paid an average of $50,023 a year into the pension plan.
More salaries in San Diego County
- University of California, San Diego$172,285 average total pay
- Palomar Health District$147,408 average total pay
- Tri-City Healthcare District$130,343 average total pay
- Highest registered nurse salaries in CaliforniaThe best-paying employers, ranked
- 911 dispatcher salaries at San Diego County$101,447 average total pay
- Social worker salaries at San Diego County$97,669 average total pay
- Water operator salaries at San Diego County$127,551 average total pay
- Correctional officer salaries at San Diego County$133,298 average total pay
- Librarian salaries at San Diego County$94,087 average total pay
- Teacher salaries in San Diego CountyEvery school district's salary schedule
Sources for the San Diego County figures
Every person who held a registered nurse position at San Diego County 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. Averages lead; the median total pay is the middle person's, with half above and half below, and is less pulled by a few people with very high pay. Every figure covers at least 5 people.
- State Controller's Office, Government Compensation in California, 2025: positions, official pay ranges, wages, pension formula and employer contributions as reported by San Diego County.