Registered Nurses Salary — San Jose, California

The average Registered Nurses in San Jose, California earns $194,950 a year.

$194,950 / year, mean
↑ 89.7% above national average 100th percentile in California

San Jose sits at the very top of the range for this role in California — among the highest-paying cities in the state for this occupation. That's a substantial premium — this metro pays far more for registered nurses than the U.S. average. Cost of living here runs meaningfully above the national average. This is a high-confidence estimate, based on a large sample of reported wages.

Percentile within California

0th 50th 100th
Employment (this metro)
22,930
Estimate confidence
RSE 0.4%
Cost of living 110 #9 most expensive of 188 cities in this dataset 100 = U.S. average · Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
Crime index 2124 #140 safest of 188 cities in this dataset Per 100k residents · Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer
Median home value $1,610,466 #1 priciest of 188 cities in this dataset Source: zillow_real
Median household income $157,444 #1 highest of 188 cities in this dataset Source: Census Bureau ACS 5-year

Combining these four figures gives a fuller picture than salary alone: San Jose ranks #9 for cost of living and #1 for home prices among the 188 cities in this pilot dataset, which matters as much as the headline salary number when comparing where to live.

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 Modesto $143,670 Los Angeles $140,370 Salinas $138,810 Riverside $136,670 Chico $134,900 Santa Maria $134,680 Oxnard $133,710 Redding $133,700 Merced $129,700 Bakersfield $128,200 Hanford $127,640 Fresno $126,880 Bend $126,700 Seattle $126,390 Salem $125,750 Portland $125,230 Visalia $124,110 Medford $120,520 New York $119,600 Eugene $117,700 Albany $117,590 Olympia $117,110 Bremerton $116,580 Grants Pass $114,640 Kennewick $114,560 El Centro $113,380 Spokane $113,280 Walla Walla $112,440 Wenatchee $112,290 Yakima $111,730 Mount Vernon $111,200 Ann Arbor $109,000 Kingston $104,300 Trenton $103,700 Kiryas Joel $102,250 Vineland $101,600 Philadelphia $101,400 Ithaca $101,390 Dallas $100,820 Houston $100,290 Atlantic City $100,040 Binghamton $99,450 Lebanon $99,410 South Bend $99,320 Baltimore $99,100 Buffalo $98,560 Albany $98,530 Chicago $97,930 Charlottesville $97,780 Austin $97,610 Battle Creek $97,210 Reading $96,790 Naples $96,750 Allentown $96,590 Killeen $96,440 Watertown $96,070 Dover $95,830 Glens Falls $95,810 Winchester $95,540 Detroit $95,460 Saginaw $95,440 Flint $94,990 Miami $94,990 Elkhart $94,110 San Antonio $93,760 Chambersburg $93,750 Harrisburg $93,660 Lexington Park $93,420 York $93,310 Hagerstown $93,170 Waco $93,150 Tampa $92,690 Lancaster $92,380 Rochester $92,250 Utica $92,110 Richmond $92,010 Fort Myers $91,830 Kankakee $91,550 Salisbury $91,370 Kalamazoo $91,100 Champaign $90,970 Amarillo $90,910 Williamsport $90,600 Evansville $90,520 Port St. Lucie $90,470 Traverse City $90,400 Charleston $90,340 Midland $90,330 Lansing $90,220 Louisville $90,190 Staunton $89,960 Grand Rapids $89,910 Syracuse $89,850 Indianapolis $89,630 Virginia Beach $89,350 Jacksonville $89,310 Deltona $89,210 Springfield $89,200 Orlando $89,170 Gettysburg $88,880 Pittsburgh $88,880 Roanoke $88,750 Michigan City $88,470 El Paso $88,420 Lafayette $88,270 College Station $88,090 Gainesville $88,020 Huntington $87,960 Morgantown $87,930 Odessa $87,820 Lubbock $87,660 Sebastian $87,660 Kokomo $87,650 Sebring $87,570 Scranton $87,560 Rockford $87,550 Decatur $87,530 State College $87,480 Palm Bay $87,300 Sarasota $87,060 Erie $87,030 Sherman $86,850 Midland $86,630 Altoona $86,610 Victoria $86,610 Peoria $86,570 Wichita Falls $86,510 Monroe $86,180 Brownsville $86,110 Bloomington $86,080 Lexington $86,050 Fort Wayne $86,030 Beaumont $85,900 Johnstown $85,640 Lynchburg $85,400 Abilene $85,170 Elmira $85,040 Longview $84,880 Bloomington $84,690 Wheeling $84,420 Blacksburg $84,090 Paducah $84,050 San Angelo $84,000 Crestview $83,970 Corpus Christi $83,920 Beckley $83,910 Homosassa Springs $83,840 Punta Gorda $83,840 Lakeland $83,680 Bowling Green $83,650 Muncie $83,430 Elizabethtown $83,380 Terre Haute $83,370 Wildwood $82,800 Parkersburg $82,760 Pensacola $82,280 Laredo $82,130 Columbus $81,150 Tyler $81,080 McAllen $80,960 Ocala $80,750 Tallahassee $80,570 Panama City $79,170 Eagle Pass $79,150 Texarkana $79,130 Weirton $77,910
CityMean salaryvs. San Jose
Abilene, Texas$85,170-56.3%
Albany, Oregon$117,590-39.7%
Albany, New York$98,530-49.5%
Allentown, Pennsylvania$96,590-50.5%
Altoona, Pennsylvania$86,610-55.6%
Amarillo, Texas$90,910-53.4%
Ann Arbor, Michigan$109,000-44.1%
Atlantic City, New Jersey$100,040-48.7%
Austin, Texas$97,610-49.9%
Bakersfield, California$128,200-34.2%
Baltimore, Maryland$99,100-49.2%
Battle Creek, Michigan$97,210-50.1%
Beaumont, Texas$85,900-55.9%
Beckley, West Virginia$83,910-57.0%
Bend, Oregon$126,700-35.0%
Binghamton, New York$99,450-49.0%
Blacksburg, Virginia$84,090-56.9%
Bloomington, Illinois$84,690-56.6%
Bloomington, Indiana$86,080-55.8%
Bowling Green, Kentucky$83,650-57.1%
Bremerton, Washington$116,580-40.2%
Brownsville, Texas$86,110-55.8%
Buffalo, New York$98,560-49.4%
Fort Myers, Florida$91,830-52.9%
Chambersburg, Pennsylvania$93,750-51.9%
Champaign, Illinois$90,970-53.3%
Charleston, West Virginia$90,340-53.7%
Charlottesville, Virginia$97,780-49.8%
Chicago, Illinois$97,930-49.8%
Chico, California$134,900-30.8%
College Station, Texas$88,090-54.8%
Columbus, Indiana$81,150-58.4%
Corpus Christi, Texas$83,920-57.0%
Crestview, Florida$83,970-56.9%
Dallas, Texas$100,820-48.3%
Decatur, Illinois$87,530-55.1%
Deltona, Florida$89,210-54.2%
Detroit, Michigan$95,460-51.0%
Dover, Delaware$95,830-50.8%
Eagle Pass, Texas$79,150-59.4%
El Centro, California$113,380-41.8%
Elizabethtown, Kentucky$83,380-57.2%
Elkhart, Indiana$94,110-51.7%
Elmira, New York$85,040-56.4%
El Paso, Texas$88,420-54.6%
Erie, Pennsylvania$87,030-55.4%
Eugene, Oregon$117,700-39.6%
Evansville, Indiana$90,520-53.6%
Flint, Michigan$94,990-51.3%
Fort Wayne, Indiana$86,030-55.9%
Fresno, California$126,880-34.9%
Gainesville, Florida$88,020-54.8%
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania$88,880-54.4%
Glens Falls, New York$95,810-50.9%
Grand Rapids, Michigan$89,910-53.9%
Grants Pass, Oregon$114,640-41.2%
Hagerstown, Maryland$93,170-52.2%
Hanford, California$127,640-34.5%
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania$93,660-52.0%
Homosassa Springs, Florida$83,840-57.0%
Houston, Texas$100,290-48.6%
Huntington, West Virginia$87,960-54.9%
Indianapolis, Indiana$89,630-54.0%
Ithaca, New York$101,390-48.0%
Jacksonville, Florida$89,310-54.2%
Johnstown, Pennsylvania$85,640-56.1%
Kalamazoo, Michigan$91,100-53.3%
Kankakee, Illinois$91,550-53.0%
Kennewick, Washington$114,560-41.2%
Killeen, Texas$96,440-50.5%
Kingston, New York$104,300-46.5%
Kiryas Joel, New York$102,250-47.6%
Kokomo, Indiana$87,650-55.0%
Lafayette, Indiana$88,270-54.7%
Lakeland, Florida$83,680-57.1%
Lancaster, Pennsylvania$92,380-52.6%
Lansing, Michigan$90,220-53.7%
Laredo, Texas$82,130-57.9%
Lebanon, Pennsylvania$99,410-49.0%
Lexington, Kentucky$86,050-55.9%
Lexington Park, Maryland$93,420-52.1%
Longview, Texas$84,880-56.5%
Los Angeles, California$140,370-28.0%
Louisville, Kentucky$90,190-53.7%
Lubbock, Texas$87,660-55.0%
Lynchburg, Virginia$85,400-56.2%
McAllen, Texas$80,960-58.5%
Medford, Oregon$120,520-38.2%
Merced, California$129,700-33.5%
Miami, Florida$94,990-51.3%
Michigan City, Indiana$88,470-54.6%
Midland, Michigan$90,330-53.7%
Midland, Texas$86,630-55.6%
Modesto, California$143,670-26.3%
Monroe, Michigan$86,180-55.8%
Morgantown, West Virginia$87,930-54.9%
Mount Vernon, Washington$111,200-43.0%
Muncie, Indiana$83,430-57.2%
Naples, Florida$96,750-50.4%
New York, New York$119,600-38.7%
Sarasota, Florida$87,060-55.3%
Ocala, Florida$80,750-58.6%
Odessa, Texas$87,820-55.0%
Olympia, Washington$117,110-39.9%
Orlando, Florida$89,170-54.3%
Oxnard, California$133,710-31.4%
Paducah, Kentucky$84,050-56.9%
Palm Bay, Florida$87,300-55.2%
Panama City, Florida$79,170-59.4%
Parkersburg, West Virginia$82,760-57.5%
Pensacola, Florida$82,280-57.8%
Peoria, Illinois$86,570-55.6%
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania$101,400-48.0%
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania$88,880-54.4%
Portland, Oregon$125,230-35.8%
Port St. Lucie, Florida$90,470-53.6%
Punta Gorda, Florida$83,840-57.0%
Reading, Pennsylvania$96,790-50.4%
Redding, California$133,700-31.4%
Richmond, Virginia$92,010-52.8%
Riverside, California$136,670-29.9%
Roanoke, Virginia$88,750-54.5%
Rochester, New York$92,250-52.7%
Rockford, Illinois$87,550-55.1%
Sacramento, California$164,200-15.8%
Saginaw, Michigan$95,440-51.0%
Salem, Oregon$125,750-35.5%
Salinas, California$138,810-28.8%
Salisbury, Maryland$91,370-53.1%
San Angelo, Texas$84,000-56.9%
San Antonio, Texas$93,760-51.9%
San Diego, California$145,060-25.6%
San Francisco, California$176,900-9.3%
San Luis Obispo, California$147,410-24.4%
Santa Cruz, California$159,830-18.0%
Santa Maria, California$134,680-30.9%
Santa Rosa, California$170,000-12.8%
Scranton, Pennsylvania$87,560-55.1%
Seattle, Washington$126,390-35.2%
Sebastian, Florida$87,660-55.0%
Sebring, Florida$87,570-55.1%
Sherman, Texas$86,850-55.5%
South Bend, Indiana$99,320-49.1%
Spokane, Washington$113,280-41.9%
Springfield, Illinois$89,200-54.2%
State College, Pennsylvania$87,480-55.1%
Staunton, Virginia$89,960-53.9%
Stockton, California$145,400-25.4%
Syracuse, New York$89,850-53.9%
Tallahassee, Florida$80,570-58.7%
Tampa, Florida$92,690-52.5%
Terre Haute, Indiana$83,370-57.2%
Texarkana, Texas$79,130-59.4%
Traverse City, Michigan$90,400-53.6%
Trenton, New Jersey$103,700-46.8%
Tyler, Texas$81,080-58.4%
Utica, New York$92,110-52.8%
Vallejo, California$182,820-6.2%
Victoria, Texas$86,610-55.6%
Vineland, New Jersey$101,600-47.9%
Virginia Beach, Virginia$89,350-54.2%
Visalia, California$124,110-36.3%
Waco, Texas$93,150-52.2%
Walla Walla, Washington$112,440-42.3%
Watertown, New York$96,070-50.7%
Weirton, West Virginia$77,910-60.0%
Wenatchee, Washington$112,290-42.4%
Wheeling, West Virginia$84,420-56.7%
Wichita Falls, Texas$86,510-55.6%
Wildwood, Florida$82,800-57.5%
Williamsport, Pennsylvania$90,600-53.5%
Winchester, Virginia$95,540-51.0%
Yakima, Washington$111,730-42.7%
York, Pennsylvania$93,310-52.1%
Yuba City, California$150,970-22.6%
Gross salary
194,950/yr
Estimated take-home
131,124/yr
Est. total withheld
32.7%

Single filer, federal + California state tax + FICA, 2025 rates. Does not include state-specific payroll withholdings beyond income tax (see Data transparency). Not tax advice — verify with a professional for your specific situation.

View cost of living in this state All Registered Nurses salaries in California → All Registered Nurses salaries →
Community reality check

Community reality check for San Jose

These notes add local color around San Jose, California: comfort ranges, budget constraints and location trade-offs reported in public discussions.

Relocation gap2.0× calculator gap
City comparison anecdotal

Discussion highlights that calculators may imply roughly 2x gross income for comparable standard of living, while some employers offer only about 10% location premiums. Tech total compensation can be an exception, so the page should distinguish salary from total compensation.

2.0×calculator multiplier10%HCOL premium cited$200KAtlanta TC example$450KBay Area TC example

Anecdotal public-discussion signals, not official salary data, rent data or financial advice. Read this alongside the official figures on the page.

Data transparency

Sources used for this page

Official occupation and area metadata behind the visible salary, cost, housing and safety signals.

Occupation 29-1141 SOC code
Official area San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA BLS metro/geographic area
Area code 41940 Stable geographic key
Reference year 2025 BLS OEWS
Cost: bea_realHousing: zillow_realCrime: latest availableNet-pay source: ca_ftb_verificado 2025
Metro also includes
SunnyvaleSanta Clara
No additional caveats are attached to this row.
Methodology

How this page is built

The salary figure is the mean annual wage reported by the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program for this occupation and metro area. Percentile and national-average comparisons are calculated directly from the 188 cities currently in this dataset, not from a fixed external benchmark. Cost of living, crime and housing figures come from BEA, FBI and Zillow respectively — see "Data transparency" above for the exact sources and reference years used on this specific page.

Confidence: the RSE (relative standard error) shown under Overview indicates how reliable the salary estimate is for this metro — a lower RSE means a larger underlying sample.

On this page

Where this is

AK HI

Highlighted: California

Population (metro area)
1,969,353