2023 Salary Report for Nurse Practitioners in California

Salary Report for California Nurse Practitioners

California Rankings

Compare California to U.S.

California Nurse Practitioners earn an average of $151,830 which is 28% more than the national average salary of $118,040.

Type	California	U.S.	% Difference
Average Hourly Wage	$72.99	$56.75	28.62%
Average Annual Salary	$151,830	$118,040	28.63%

Salary Range by Education and Experience

In California, 50% of Nurse Practitioners earn between $127,240 and $170,900 a year, depending on factors such as level of education, experience, location and place of employment.

About 10% of Nurse Practitioners earn more than $0, a rate generally associated with highly educated and experienced Nurse Practitioners.

Approximately 10% of Nurse Practitioners earn under $103,910, a rate generally reserved for less experienced or entry level Nurse Practitioners.

Percent	Experience	Employed	Annual Salary
10%	Less than a Year	1,740	Under $103,910
15%	2 – 4 years	2,610	$103,910 – $127,240
25%	5 – 9 years	4,350	$127,240 – $149,910
25%	10 – 14 years	4,350	$149,910 – $170,900
15%	15 – 20 years	2,610	$149,910 – $0
10%	20+ years	1,740	Above $0

Adjusted for Cost-of-Living

After being adjusted for cost-of-living, Nurse Practitioners in California nurses earn about $137,552 per year which is more than the average U.S. nurse of $118,040.

Cost-of-living in California is 10% higher than the national average, which means California residents have an overall higher cost for food, housing, utilities and transportation compared to other states.

More cost-of-living reports for U.S. States.

Salary Compared to Related Professions

With an average annual salary of $151,830, California Nurse Practitioners tend to earn less than Nurse Anesthetists ($232,540).

However, Nurse Practitioners tend to earn more than Nursing Assistants ($39,760), LPNs ($65,140), Nursing Instructors ($106,850), Registered Nurses ($124,000), and Nurse Midwives ($137,070).

Title	Annual Salary
Nurse Anesthetists	$232,540
Nurse Practitioners	$151,830
Nurse Midwives	$137,070
Registered Nurses	$124,000
Nursing Instructors	$106,850
LPNs	$65,140
Nursing Assistants	$39,760

Projected Demand for Nurses in 2030

The U.S. Department of Labor projects that in California the three professions needing the most new nurses by 2030 are Registered Nurses (358,900), Nursing Assistants (110,000) and LPNs (83,500).

The three professions in California needing highest percentage new nurses by 2030 are Nurse Practitioners (55.5%), Nursing Instructors (26.3%) and Nurse Anesthetists (20%).

Title	2020	2030	Change	Yearly Openings
Registered Nurses	323,900	358,900	10.8%	21,200
Nursing Assistants	97,300	110,000	13.1%	13,780
LPNs	72,400	83,500	15.3%	6,980
Nurse Practitioners	17,300	26,900	55.5%	2,120
Nursing Instructors	3,800	4,800	26.3%	490
Nurse Anesthetists	2,000	2,400	20%	150
Nurse Midwives	1,200	1,400	16.7%	90

Salaries Ranked by California Cities

The average salary for Nurse Practitioners in California is $151,830. The top cities that pay Nurse Practitioners the most are San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara ($197,870), Napa ($184,700) and Vallejo-Fairfield ($180,380).

When adjusted for cost-of-living, the cities that pay Nurse Practitioners the highest average annual salary are San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara ($176,481), Vallejo-Fairfield ($166,372) and Napa ($165,754).

The following table shows the average yearly salary range for Nurse Practitioners in each city, and the average yearly salary after being adjusted for cost-of-living in that state.

The difference column shows how much more or less purchasing power a Nurse Practitioners salary will have in that area.

Area	Average Salary	COL Adjusted	Difference
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara	$197,870	$176,481	$-21,389
Napa	$184,700	$165,754	$-18,946
Vallejo-Fairfield	$180,380	$166,372	$-14,008
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward	$177,160	$150,941	$-26,219
Yuba City	$159,260	$160,060	$800
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande	$153,300	$139,962	$-13,338
Sacramento–Roseville–Arden-Arcade	$153,050	$144,251	$-8,799
Santa Rosa	$152,150	$138,520	$-13,630
Santa Cruz-Watsonville	$150,280	$137,342	$-12,938
Fresno	$147,760	$147,997	$237
Modesto	$147,190	$143,306	$-3,884
El Centro	$147,080	$157,440	$10,360
Redding	$146,040	$146,172	$132
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario	$145,250	$140,054	$-5,196
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim	$144,930	$129,529	$-15,401
Bakersfield	$144,770	$145,967	$1,197
Madera	$142,400	$147,887	$5,487
Salinas	$142,130	$128,334	$-13,796
Visalia-Porterville	$141,650	$145,178	$3,528
Chico	$137,760	$135,751	$-2,009
North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California	$136,510	$136,606	$96
North Coast Region of California	$136,150	$136,245	$95
Stockton-Lodi	$135,940	$130,963	$-4,977
Merced	$133,410	$134,540	$1,130
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara	$133,060	$120,942	$-12,118
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura	$132,180	$118,654	$-13,526
San Diego-Carlsbad	$130,240	$114,860	$-15,380
Hanford-Corcoran	$122,130	$127,113	$4,983

Salary FAQ for California Nurse Practitioners

City and Rural Summaries

Official Data Sources for Nurse Practitioners: Salary Data | Projected Employment | Cost of Living Data