Registered Nurses pay range in San Jose
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $124,140 a year or less, while the top 10% make $235,190 or more. The middle half of registered nurses in San Jose earn between $165,050 and $223,510.
- $124K10th
- $165K25th
- $217KMedian
- $224K75th
- $235K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $194,950 | $16,246 | $93.73 |
| Median | $216,740 | $18,062 | $104.20 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $165,050 | $13,754 | $79.35 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $223,510 | $18,626 | $107.46 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Registered Nurses salary after taxes in San Jose
On the average salary of $194,950, a single filer in San Jose takes home about $131,124 a year, or $10,927 a month and $5,043 every two weeks. Taxes take 33% 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 Jose a good place for registered nurses? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the San Jose area are 10% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 110.4), so the average $194,950 buys what about $176,548 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 2.6 times the median wage of all jobs in San Jose ($84,050). A typical home costs $1,610,466, or 8.3 years of this average salary before tax.
Registered Nurses salary in other California cities
San Jose ranks 1st of 24 California metro areas for this job, the best-paid in the state.
- 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 Jose: questions
How much do registered nurses make an hour in San Jose?
$93.73 an hour on average, and $104.20 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level registered nurses salary in San Jose?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $124,140 a year and the 25th percentile is $165,050, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the registered nurses take-home pay in San Jose?
About $131,124 a year ($10,927 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $194,950. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Do registered nurses earn more in San Jose than elsewhere?
The average here is 90% 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 Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA (41940). 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 0.93, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.
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