San Francisco registered nurse salary, 2025
San Francisco is a city in San Francisco County. 2,365 people worked as registered nurses for San Francisco in 2025. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $240,719, overtime included.
What is the average registered nurse salary at San Francisco?
Official pay range, health system nurses1
$168,142 to $225,082
from the lowest entry salary to the top of the highest title for health system nurses, the largest group, per diem rates aside
Based on the 1,470 of 2,365 registered nurses who worked the full year.
Most of San Francisco's registered nurses (1,744 of 2,365) hold the title Registered Nurse, with an official range of $168,142 to $225,082. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $241,587, $16,505 above the top of the range.
- Median total pay
- $227,442
- the middle registered nurse: half earned more, half less
- Overtime
- $15,418
- average per full-year registered nurse
- Starting salary
- $168,142
- bottom of the Public Health Nurse range
- Average pay rank
- 3rd
- of 72 California employers
What does each registered nurse title at San Francisco 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
Health system nurses
- Registered Nurse$241,587
- Special Nurse$253,196
Public health nurses
- Public Health Nurse$206,987
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 Francisco
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 | 2,365 | $168,142 to $225,082 | $240,719 |
| Nurse practitioners | 220 | $208,286 to $300,482 | $271,264 |
| LVNs | 204 | $90,298 to $109,746 | $122,017 |
Full-year nurse practitioners averaged $271,264, $30,545 more than registered nurses.
Does San Francisco pay registered nurses more than other employers in San Francisco County?
Average total pay of full-year registered nurses: San Francisco next to every employer in the county together, and the whole state.1
- San Francisco$240,719
- All employers in San Francisco County$244,709
- All employers in California$181,164
Full-year registered nurses at San Francisco earned $3,990 less than the San Francisco County average and $59,555 more than the California average.
Average registered nurse pay in San Francisco County compared to nearby counties
Average total pay of full-year registered nurses across all employers in each county that borders San Francisco County, and how much more or less it pays.1
- Contra Costa County$207,342 average, 1 employer$37,367 less than San Francisco County
- San Mateo County$203,980 average, 1 employer$40,729 less than San Francisco County
- Alameda County$200,120 average, 5 employers$44,589 less than San Francisco County
- Marin County$167,321 average, 1 employer$77,388 less than San Francisco County
Where does San Francisco rank among California employers?
Every employer with at least 5 full-year registered nurses, by average total pay.1
All 72 California employers
San Francisco ranks 3rd 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 Francisco
As reported by the city. Contributions are what the employer paid per full-year registered nurse, on top of wages.1
- Pension formula
- 2.3% at 65
- the most common formula among San Francisco's registered nurses
- Employer pension contribution
- $26,614
- average per year
- Health, dental and vision
- $20,651
- average paid by the employer per year
Questions about registered nurse pay at San Francisco
What is the average registered nurse salary at San Francisco?
Registered nurses at San Francisco who worked the full year earned an average of $240,719 in 2025, overtime included. The middle registered nurse earned $227,442: half earned more, half less. The official pay range across its registered nurse titles runs from $168,142 to $225,082.
How much overtime do registered nurses at San Francisco earn?
Full-year registered nurses were paid an average of $15,418 in overtime in 2025. The middle one was paid $12,330: a few people with a lot of overtime pull the average up.
What is the starting salary for a registered nurse at San Francisco?
$168,142 a year: the bottom of the official range for San Francisco's Public Health Nurse title in 2025, as reported. Pay rises with steps and overtime; full-year registered nurses averaged $240,719 in total pay.
How much does a nurse practitioner make at San Francisco?
Full-year nurse practitioners at San Francisco averaged $271,264 in total pay in 2025, overtime included, on an official range of $208,286 to $300,482.
What pension do registered nurses at San Francisco get?
The most common pension formula among San Francisco's registered nurses is 2.3% at 65, as reported by the city. The employer paid an average of $26,614 a year into the pension plan.
More salaries in San Francisco County
- University of California, San Francisco$246,392 average total pay
- Highest registered nurse salaries in CaliforniaThe best-paying employers, ranked
- Police officer salaries at San Francisco$255,036 average total pay
- 911 dispatcher salaries at San Francisco$192,456 average total pay
- Social worker salaries at San Francisco$129,691 average total pay
- Water operator salaries at San Francisco$164,802 average total pay
- Firefighter salaries at San Francisco$188,729 average total pay
- Librarian salaries at San Francisco$126,067 average total pay
- Paramedic and EMT salaries at San FranciscoPay by title
- Teacher salaries in San Francisco CountyEvery school district's salary schedule
Sources for the San Francisco figures
Every person who held a registered nurse position at San Francisco 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 Francisco.