Registered Nurses pay range in San Diego
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $102,480 a year or less, while the top 10% make $175,210 or more. The middle half of registered nurses in San Diego earn between $128,380 and $169,920.
- $102K10th
- $128K25th
- $140KMedian
- $170K75th
- $175K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $145,060 | $12,088 | $69.74 |
| Median | $139,520 | $11,627 | $67.08 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $128,380 | $10,698 | $61.72 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $169,920 | $14,160 | $81.69 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Registered Nurses salary after taxes in San Diego
On the average salary of $145,060, a single filer in San Diego takes home about $101,016 a year, or $8,418 a month and $3,885 every two weeks. Taxes take 30% 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 San Diego a good place for registered nurses? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the San Diego area are 12% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 111.9), so the average $145,060 buys what about $129,649 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 2.4 times the median wage of all jobs in San Diego ($58,690). A typical home costs $946,365, or 6.5 years of this average salary before tax.
Registered Nurses salary in other California cities
San Diego ranks 10th 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
- San Diego$145,060
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 San Diego: questions
How much do registered nurses make an hour in San Diego?
$69.74 an hour on average, and $67.08 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level registered nurses salary in San Diego?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $102,480 a year and the 25th percentile is $128,380, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the registered nurses take-home pay in San Diego?
About $101,016 a year ($8,418 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $145,060. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Do registered nurses earn more in San Diego than elsewhere?
The average here is 41% 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 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA (41740). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 0.4%.
- 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 0.86, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.
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