Registered Nurses pay range in San Francisco
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $119,290 a year or less, while the top 10% make $223,770 or more. The middle half of registered nurses in San Francisco earn between $137,120 and $215,630.
- $119K10th
- $137K25th
- $187KMedian
- $216K75th
- $224K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $176,900 | $14,742 | $85.05 |
| Median | $186,610 | $15,551 | $89.72 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $137,120 | $11,427 | $65.92 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $215,630 | $17,969 | $103.67 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Registered Nurses salary after taxes in San Francisco
On the average salary of $176,900, a single filer in San Francisco takes home about $119,817 a year, or $9,985 a month and $4,608 every two weeks. Taxes take 32% 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 Francisco a good place for registered nurses? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the San Francisco area are 16% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 115.6), so the average $176,900 buys what about $153,010 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 2.5 times the median wage of all jobs in San Francisco ($74,260). A typical home costs $1,149,215, or 6.5 years of this average salary before tax.
Registered Nurses salary in other California cities
San Francisco ranks 3rd 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 Francisco: questions
How much do registered nurses make an hour in San Francisco?
$85.05 an hour on average, and $89.71 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level registered nurses salary in San Francisco?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $119,290 a year and the 25th percentile is $137,120, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the registered nurses take-home pay in San Francisco?
About $119,817 a year ($9,985 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $176,900. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Do registered nurses earn more in San Francisco than elsewhere?
The average here is 72% 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 Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA (41860). 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 0.81, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.
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