Registered Nurses pay range in Merced
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $95,070 a year or less, while the top 10% make $165,580 or more. The middle half of registered nurses in Merced earn between $118,890 and $151,880.
- $95K10th
- $119K25th
- $132KMedian
- $152K75th
- $166K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $129,700 | $10,808 | $62.36 |
| Median | $131,620 | $10,968 | $63.28 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $118,890 | $9,908 | $57.16 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $151,880 | $12,657 | $73.02 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Registered Nurses salary after taxes in Merced
On the average salary of $129,700, a single filer in Merced takes home about $91,946 a year, or $7,662 a month and $3,536 every two weeks. Taxes take 29% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Is Merced a good place for registered nurses? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Merced area are 2% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 98.3), so the average $129,700 buys what about $131,977 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 2.8 times the median wage of all jobs in Merced ($47,220). A typical home costs $419,171, or 3.2 years of this average salary before tax.
Registered Nurses salary in other California cities
Merced ranks 19th of 24 California metro areas for this job; San Jose pays the most ($194,950).
- San Jose$194,950
- Vallejo$182,820
- San Francisco$176,900
- Santa Rosa$170,000
- Sacramento$164,200
- Santa Cruz$159,830
- Yuba City$150,970
- San Luis Obispo$147,410
- Stockton$145,400
- Merced$129,700
Highest-paying cities for registered nurses
San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($194,950).
- San Jose, CA$194,950
- Vallejo, CA$182,820
- San Francisco, CA$176,900
- Santa Rosa, CA$170,000
- Sacramento, CA$164,200
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Registered Nurses salary in Merced: questions
How much do registered nurses make an hour in Merced?
$62.35 an hour on average, and $63.28 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level registered nurses salary in Merced?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $95,070 a year and the 25th percentile is $118,890, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the registered nurses take-home pay in Merced?
About $91,946 a year ($7,662 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $129,700. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Do registered nurses earn more in Merced than elsewhere?
The average here is 26% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($102,761).
Sources and how to read this page
- Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 29-1141; area Merced, CA (32900). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 0.6%.
- Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
- Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
- Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
- Job concentration: location quotient 0.61, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.61).
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