Highest registered nurse starting salaries in California, 2025
What a new registered nurse is paid at each of 64 California public employers: the bottom of the official pay range for the employer's plain staff nurse title (such as Registered Nurse I or Clinical Nurse I), as reported. The middle employer starts at $95,483.
What is the starting salary for a registered nurse in California?
Middle starting salary, California registered nurses1
$95,483
half of the 64 employers start higher, half lower
Highest starting salary
$177,042
University of California, San Francisco (UCSF)
University of California campus
- Employers compared
- 64
- with an official range for their registered nurse titles
- Starting at $100,000 or more
- 27
- employers
- Average total pay
- $181,164
- what full-year registered nurses earned, overtime included
- Above the start
- $47,899
- full-year pay above the starting salary, middle employer
Which California employers pay new registered nurses the most?
The 25 highest starting salaries: the bottom of the official range for each employer's plain staff nurse title (such as Registered Nurse I or Clinical Nurse I), as reported for 2025.
Highest starting salary
- University of California, San Francisco (UCSF)University of California campus
Clin Nurse 1$177,042 - San FranciscoCity government; most in a health system
Public Health Nurse$168,142 - Contra Costa CountyCounty government; most in hospitals
Registered Nurse$155,797 - San Mateo CountyCounty government; most in hospitals
Public Health Nurse$152,859 - Santa Clara CountyCounty government; most in a health system
Public Health Nurse I$150,028 - University of California, DavisUniversity of California campus
Clin Nurse 1$146,598 - Salinas Valley Memorial Healthcare DistrictHealth care district in Monterey County; most in hospitals
Staff Nurse I$144,123 - BerkeleyCity in Alameda County
2159 Reg Nurse$138,845 - San Benito Health Care DistrictHealth care district in San Benito County; most in hospitals
Staff Nurse I (Benefited)$136,614 - University of California, Irvine (UCI)University of California campus
Clin Nurse 1$130,646 - University of California, San Diego (UCSD)University of California campus
Clin Nurse 1$126,408 - Monterey CountyCounty government; most in hospitals
Staff Nurse I$122,620 - University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)University of California campus
Clin Nurse 1$122,044 - Soledad Community Health Care DistrictHealth care district in Monterey County; most in hospitals
Registered Nurse$121,992 - California Correctional Health Care Services (CCHCS)State department; most in state prisons
Registered Nurse, Correctional Facility, Range J$119,820 - California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR)State department; most in state prisons
Registered Nurse, Correctional Facility, Range J$119,820 - Alameda CountyCounty government; most in public health
Registered Nurse 1$118,997 - Santa Cruz CountyCounty government; most in public health
Public Health Nurse I$118,768 - Alameda Health SystemHealth care district in Alameda County; most in hospitals
Clinical Nurse I$117,777 - California Department of Developmental ServicesState department
Registered Nurse (Safety), Range T$114,120 - California Department of State Hospitals (DSH)State department; most in state hospitals
Registered Nurse (Safety), Range T$114,120 - California Department of Veterans Affairs (CalVet)State department; most in veterans homes
Registered Nurse, Range T$114,120 - California Emergency Medical Services AuthorityState department
Registered Nurse, Range T$114,120 - Napa CountyCounty government; most in public health
Staff Nurse$113,926 - San Joaquin CountyCounty government; most in hospitals
Staff Nurse I - Inpatient$110,556
Middle California employer, $95,483
Which California counties pay new registered nurses the most?
The middle starting salary across each county's employers, where at least 3 report one.
- Monterey County4 employers$122,306
- Alameda County3 employers$118,997
- Los Angeles County3 employers$98,675
- San Diego County3 employers$96,242
- Orange County3 employers$87,235
Compare registered nurse starting salaries at every California employer
Starting salary, the title it belongs to, and what full-year registered nurses at the same employer earned. Click a column to sort it.
Showing 1 to 25 of 64 employers, highest starting salary first.
| University of California, San Francisco (UCSF)San Francisco County | San Francisco | $177,042 | Clin Nurse 1 | $246,392 | 6,036 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San FranciscoSan Francisco County | San Francisco | $168,142 | Public Health Nurse | $240,719 | 2,365 |
| Contra Costa CountyContra Costa County | Contra Costa | $155,797 | Registered Nurse | $207,342 | 1,306 |
| San Mateo CountySan Mateo County | San Mateo | $152,859 | Public Health Nurse | $203,980 | 544 |
| Santa Clara CountySanta Clara County | Santa Clara | $150,028 | Public Health Nurse I | $242,999 | 4,345 |
| University of California, DavisStatewide | Statewide | $146,598 | Clin Nurse 1 | $200,401 | 3,798 |
| Salinas Valley Memorial Healthcare DistrictMonterey County | Monterey | $144,123 | Staff Nurse I | $187,968 | 754 |
| BerkeleyAlameda County | Alameda | $138,845 | 2159 Reg Nurse | Fewer than 5 | 7 |
| San Benito Health Care DistrictSan Benito County | San Benito | $136,614 | Staff Nurse I (Benefited) | $195,149 | 145 |
| University of California, Irvine (UCI)Orange County | Orange | $130,646 | Clin Nurse 1 | $185,774 | 4,542 |
| University of California, San Diego (UCSD)San Diego County | San Diego | $126,408 | Clin Nurse 1 | $172,285 | 4,626 |
| Monterey CountyMonterey County | Monterey | $122,620 | Staff Nurse I | $178,346 | 656 |
| University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)Los Angeles County | Los Angeles | $122,044 | Clin Nurse 1 | $175,376 | 5,136 |
| Soledad Community Health Care DistrictMonterey County | Monterey | $121,992 | Registered Nurse | Fewer than 5 | 16 |
| California Correctional Health Care Services (CCHCS)Statewide | Statewide | $119,820 | Registered Nurse, Correctional Facility, Range J | $156,532 | 604 |
| California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR)Statewide | Statewide | $119,820 | Registered Nurse, Correctional Facility, Range J | $159,562 | 2,013 |
| Alameda CountyAlameda County | Alameda | $118,997 | Registered Nurse 1 | $176,849 | 132 |
| Santa Cruz CountySanta Cruz County | Santa Cruz | $118,768 | Public Health Nurse I | $144,769 | 60 |
| Alameda Health SystemAlameda County | Alameda | $117,777 | Clinical Nurse I | $234,717 | 1,611 |
| California Department of Developmental ServicesStatewide | Statewide | $114,120 | Registered Nurse (Safety), Range T | $134,907 | 65 |
| California Department of State Hospitals (DSH)Statewide | Statewide | $114,120 | Registered Nurse (Safety), Range T | $160,251 | 1,850 |
| California Department of Veterans Affairs (CalVet)Statewide | Statewide | $114,120 | Registered Nurse, Range T | $144,657 | 241 |
| California Emergency Medical Services AuthorityStatewide | Statewide | $114,120 | Registered Nurse, Range T | Fewer than 5 | 13 |
| Napa CountyNapa County | Napa | $113,926 | Staff Nurse | $133,171 | 10 |
| San Joaquin CountySan Joaquin County | San Joaquin | $110,556 | Staff Nurse I - Inpatient | $183,905 | 1,131 |
No employer matches. Clear the search or pick another county or size.
Starting salary: the bottom of the official range for the employer's plain staff nurse title (such as Registered Nurse I or Clinical Nurse I), as reported. 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. "Fewer than 5": fewer than 5 registered nurses worked the full year, too few for an average.
Questions about registered nurse starting salaries in California
Which California employer has the highest starting salary for registered nurses?
University of California, San Francisco (UCSF): $177,042 a year, the bottom of the official range for its Clin Nurse 1 title in 2025. 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. San Francisco ($168,142) and Contra Costa County ($155,797) follow.
What is the starting salary for a registered nurse in California?
It depends on the employer. Across the 64 California employers that report a range, the middle starting salary is $95,483 a year; the highest is $177,042, the lowest $64,654.
How much more do registered nurses earn than their starting salary?
At the middle employer, full-year registered nurses earned $47,899 more on average than the starting salary in 2025. Steps with years of service, promotions within the job and overtime make up the difference.
Which California county pays new registered nurses the most?
Monterey County, where the middle starting salary across 4 employers is $122,306, followed by Alameda County ($118,997) and Los Angeles County ($98,675).
Sources for the California starting salaries
Starting salaries are the bottom of the official pay range for the employer's plain staff nurse title (such as Registered Nurse I or Clinical Nurse I), as the employer reported it. 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. Some employers report the range for a title that already needs experience or a certificate; the table names the title so you can check. Average total pay covers only people who worked roughly the full year, and every pay figure covers at least 5 people.
- State Controller's Office, Government Compensation in California, 2025: official pay ranges and wages as reported by each employer.
- 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.