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If you are looking for a career in California that offers job stability, an excellent salary, and the opportunity to work in the healthcare industry, consider a career as a Registered Nurse (RN). RNs in California earn an average salary of $133,340 per year, one of the highest wages for RNs in the U.S., and are in high demand, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
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Requirements to Become an RN in California
One of the fastest tracks to becoming an RN in California is to earn an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN). ADN programs typically take two years to complete and provide students with the knowledge and skills they need to pass the NCLEX-RN exam and obtain an entry-level RN position.
The NCLEX-RN is a two-part exam consisting of a written test and a clinical evaluation, developed and administered by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN).
You must pass both parts of the exam to obtain an RN license from the California Board of Registered Nursing (BRN).
Accredited RN Programs in California
California offers many excellent accredited RN programs. When choosing one, consider your needs and preferences, such as program length, cost, location, and accreditation. Some top schools include:
Allan Hancock College
800 S College Dr, Santa Maria, CA 93454(805) 922-6966American Career College
4021 Rosewood Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90004(323) 668-7555American River College
4700 College Oak Dr, Sacramento, CA 95841(916) 484-8011American University of Health Sciences
1600 E Hill St, Signal Hill, CA 90755(562) 988-2278Antelope Valley College
3041 W Ave K, Lancaster, CA 93536(661) 722-6300Azusa Pacific University
901 E Alosta Ave, Azusa, CA 91702(626) 969-3434Bakersfield College
1801 Panorama Dr, Bakersfield, CA 93305(661) 395-4011Biola University
13800 Biola Ave, La Mirada, CA 90639(562) 903-6000Butte College
3536 Butte Campus Dr, Oroville, CA 95965(530) 895-2511Cabrillo College
6500 Soquel Dr, Aptos, CA 95003(831) 479-6100California Baptist University
8432 Magnolia Ave, Riverside, CA 92504(951) 689-5771California Career College
7003 Owensmouth Ave, Canoga Park, CA 91303(818) 710-1310California State University, Bakersfield
9001 Stockdale Hwy, Bakersfield, CA 93311(661) 654-3036California State University, Channel Islands
1 University Dr, Camarillo, CA 93012(805) 437-8400California State University, Chico
400 W 1st St, Chico, CA 95929(530) 898-4636California State University, East Bay
25800 Carlos Bee Blvd, Hayward, CA 94542(510) 885-3000California State University, Fresno
5241 N Maple Ave, Fresno, CA 93740(559) 278-4240California State University, Fullerton
800 N State College Blvd, Fullerton, CA 92831(657) 278-2011California State University, Long Beach
1250 N Bellflower Blvd, Long Beach, CA 90840(562) 985-4111California State University, Los Angeles
5151 State University Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90032(323) 343-3000California State University, Sacramento
6000 Jed Smith Dr, Sacramento, CA 95819(916) 278-6011California State University, San Bernardino
5500 University Pkwy, San Bernardino, CA 92407(909) 537-5000California State University, San Marcos
333 S Twin Oaks Valley Rd, San Marcos, CA 92096(760) 750-4000California State University, Stanislaus
1 University Cir, Turlock, CA 95382(209) 667-3122Career Care Institute
43770 15th St W STE 115, Lancaster, CA 93534(661) 942-6204Cerritos College
11110 Alondra Blvd, Norwalk, CA 90650(562) 860-2451Chabot College
25555 Hesperian Blvd, Hayward, CA 94545(510) 723-6600Chaffey College
5885 Haven Ave, Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91737(909) 652-6000Chamberlain University College of Nursing
10971 Sun Center Dr, Rancho Cordova, CA 95670(877) 751-5783Charles Drew University
1731 E 120th St, Los Angeles, CA 90059(323) 563-4800Citrus College
1000 W Foothill Blvd, Glendora, CA 91741(626) 963-0323City College of San Francisco
50 Frida Kahlo Way, San Francisco, CA 94112(415) 239-3000CNI College
1610 E St Andrew Pl Suit 200, Santa Ana, CA 92705(888) 976-5120College of Marin
835 College Ave, Kentfield, CA 94904(415) 457-8811College of San Mateo
1700 W Hillsdale Blvd, San Mateo, CA 94402(650) 574-6161College of the Canyons
26455 Rockwell Canyon Rd, Santa Clarita, CA 91355(661) 259-7800College of the Desert
43500 Monterey Ave, Palm Desert, CA 92260(760) 346-8041College of the Redwoods
7351 Tompkins Hill Rd, Eureka, CA 95501(707) 476-4100College of the Sequoias
915 S Mooney Blvd, Visalia, CA 93277(559) 730-3700College of the Siskiyous
800 College Ave, Weed, CA 96094(530) 938-5555Compton College
1111 E Artesia Blvd, Compton, CA 90221(310) 900-1600Concordia University Irvine
1530 Concordia, Irvine, CA 92612(800) 229-1200Contra Costa College
2600 Mission Bell Dr, San Pablo, CA 94806(510) 235-7800Copper Mountain College
6162 Rotary Way, Joshua Tree, CA 92252(760) 366-3791Cuesta College
CA-1, San Luis Obispo, CA 93405(805) 546-3100Cypress College
9200 Valley View St, Cypress, CA 90630(714) 484-7000De Anza College
21250 Stevens Creek Blvd, Cupertino, CA 95014(408) 864-5300Dominican University of California
50 Acacia Ave, San Rafael, CA 94901(415) 457-4440East Los Angeles College
1301 Avenida Cesar Chavez, Monterey Park, CA 91754(323) 265-8650El Camino College
16007 Crenshaw Blvd, Torrance, CA 90506(310) 532-3670Evergreen Valley College
3095 Yerba Buena Rd, San Jose, CA 95135(408) 274-7900Fresno City College
1101 E University Ave, Fresno, CA 93741(559) 442-4600Gavilan College
5055 Santa Teresa Blvd, Gilroy, CA 95020(408) 848-4800Glendale Career College
240 N Brand Blvd, Glendale, CA 91203(800) 639-3384Glendale Community College
1500 N Verdugo Rd, Glendale, CA 91208(818) 240-1000Golden West College
15744 Goldenwest St, Huntington Beach, CA 92647(714) 892-7711Grossmont College
8800 Grossmont College Dr, El Cajon, CA 92020(619) 644-7000Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts
4747 N First St Ste 192, Fresno, CA 93726(559) 222-1903Hartnell College
411 Central Ave, Salinas, CA 93901(831) 755-6700Holy Names University
3500 Mountain Blvd, Oakland, CA 94619(510) 436-1000Imperial Valley College
380 E Aten Rd, Imperial, CA 92251(760) 352-8320LA City College
855 N Vermont Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90029(323) 953-4000Loma Linda University
11131 Anderson St, Loma Linda, CA 92354(909) 558-4000Long Beach City College
4271 Clark Ave #4153, Long Beach, CA 90808(562) 938-4811Los Angeles County College of Nursing & Allied Health
1237 N Mission Rd, Los Angeles, CA 90033(323) 226-4911Los Angeles Harbor College
1111 Figueroa Pl, Wilmington, CA 90744(310) 233-4000Los Angeles Mission College
13356 Eldridge Ave, Sylmar, CA 91342(818) 364-7600Los Angeles Southwest College
1600 W Imperial Hwy, Los Angeles, CA 90047(323) 241-5321Los Angeles Trade Technical College
400 W Washington Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90015(213) 763-7000Los Angeles Valley College
5800 Fulton Ave, Valley Glen, CA 91401(818) 947-2600Los Medanos College
2700 E Leland Rd, Pittsburg, CA 94565(925) 439-2181Mendocino College
1000 Hensley Creek Rd, Ukiah, CA 95482(707) 468-3000Merced College
3600 M St, Merced, CA 95348(209) 384-6000Merritt College
12500 Campus Dr, Oakland, CA 94619(510) 531-4911Mira Costa College
1 Barnard Dr, Oceanside, CA 92056(760) 757-2121Mission College
3000 Mission College Blvd, Santa Clara, CA 95054(408) 855-5083Modesto Junior College
435 College Ave, Modesto, CA 95350(209) 575-6550Monterey Peninsula College
980 Fremont St, Monterey, CA 93940(831) 646-4000Moorpark College
7075 Campus Rd, Moorpark, CA 93021(805) 378-1400Mount St. Mary's University - Los Angeles
12001 Chalon Rd, Los Angeles, CA 90049(310) 954-4250Mt. San Antonio College
1100 N Grand Ave, Walnut, CA 91789(909) 274-7500Mt. San Jacinto College
Mt. San Jacinto College San Jacinto, San Jacinto, CA 92583(951) 487-6752Napa Valley College
2277 Napa Vallejo Hwy, Napa, CA 94558(707) 253-3000National University
9388 Lightwave Ave, San Diego, CA 92123(858) 541-7700Ohlone College
43600 Mission Blvd, Fremont, CA 94539(510) 659-6000Pacific Union College
One Angwin Ave, Angwin, CA 94508(707) 965-6311Palomar College
1140 W Mission Rd, San Marcos, CA 92069(760) 744-1150Pasadena City College
1570 E Colorado Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91106(626) 585-7123Pierce College
6201 Winnetka Ave, Woodland Hills, CA 91367(818) 719-6404Point Loma Nazarene University
3900 Lomaland Dr, San Diego, CA 92106(619) 849-2200Porterville College
100 E College Ave, Porterville, CA 93257(559) 791-2200Rio Hondo College
3600 Workman Mill Rd, Whittier, CA 90601(562) 692-0921Riverside City College
4800 Magnolia Ave, Riverside, CA 92506(951) 222-8000Sacramento City College
3835 Freeport Blvd, Sacramento, CA 95822(916) 558-2351Saddleback College
28000 Marguerite Pkwy, Mission Viejo, CA 92692(949) 582-4500Samuel Merritt University
3100 Telegraph Ave, Oakland, CA 94609(510) 869-6511San Bernardino Valley College
701 S Mt Vernon Ave, San Bernardino, CA 92410(909) 384-4400San Diego City College
1313 Park Blvd, San Diego, CA 92101(619) 388-3400San Diego State University
5500 Campanile Dr, San Diego, CA 92182(619) 594-5200San Francisco State University
1600 Holloway Ave, San Francisco, CA 94132(415) 338-1111San Joaquin Delta College
5151 Pacific Ave, Stockton, CA 95207(209) 954-5151San Joaquin Valley College
8344 W Mineral King Ave, Visalia, CA 93291(866) 544-7898San Jose State University
1 Washington Sq, San Jose, CA 95192(408) 924-3131Santa Ana College
1530 W 17th St, Santa Ana, CA 92706(714) 564-6005Santa Barbara City College
721 Cliff Dr, Santa Barbara, CA 93109(805) 965-0581Santa Monica College
1900 Pico Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90405(310) 434-4000Santa Rosa Junior College
1501 Mendocino Ave, Santa Rosa, CA 95401(707) 527-4011Shasta College
11555 Old Oregon Trail, Redding, CA 96003(530) 242-7500Sierra College
5100 Sierra College Blvd, Rocklin, CA 95677(916) 624-3333Simpson University
2211 College View Dr, Redding, CA 96003(530) 224-5600Solano Community College
4000 Suisun Valley Rd, Fairfield, CA 94534(707) 864-7000Sonoma State University
1801 E Cotati Ave, Rohnert Park, CA 94928(707) 664-2880Southwestern College
900 Otay Lakes Rd, Chula Vista, CA 91910(619) 421-6700Stanbridge University
2041 Business Center Dr, Irvine, CA 92612(888) 789-6208UC Davis Betty Irene Moore School Of Nursing
2570 48th St, Sacramento, CA 95817(916) 734-2145Unitek College
4670 Auto Mall Pkwy, Fremont, CA 94538(888) 775-1514University of California, Irvine
N/A, Irvine, CA 92697(949) 824-5011University of California, Los Angeles
N/A, Los Angeles, CA 90095(310) 825-4321University of California, San Francisco
505 Parnassus Ave, San Francisco, CA 94143(415) 476-9000University of Phoenix
5330 Pirrone Rd, Salida, CA 95368(800) 266-2107University of San Diego
5998 Alcala Park Way, San Diego, CA 92110(619) 260-4600University of San Francisco
2130 Fulton St, San Francisco, CA 94117(415) 422-5555Vanguard University
55 Fair Dr, Costa Mesa, CA 92626(714) 556-3610Ventura College
4667 Telegraph Rd, Ventura, CA 93003(805) 289-6000Weimar Institute
20601 W Paoli Ln, Colfax, CA 95713(530) 422-7950West Coast University
12215 Victory Blvd, North Hollywood, CA 91606(818) 299-5500West Hills College Lemoore
555 College Ave, Lemoore, CA 93245(559) 925-3000Western University of Health Sciences
309 E 2nd St, Pomona, CA 91766(909) 623-6116Xavier College
1340 N El Dorado St, Stockton, CA 95202(209) 941-0968Yuba College
2088 N Beale Rd, Marysville, CA 95901(530) 741-6700
RN Job Outlook and Salary in California
California RNs are in high demand, with Projections Central forecasting a 10.8% job growth rate from 2020 to 2030. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, RNs in California earn an average annual salary of $133,340 per year, equivalent to $64.1 per hour.
The following table shows the total number of RNs employed in California, and their average wage and salary, by area.
Area | Total Employment | Avg Hourly Wage | Avg Annual Salary |
---|---|---|---|
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward | 41,970 | $79.21 | $164,760 |
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara | 20,150 | $76.94 | $160,020 |
Vallejo-Fairfield | 3,790 | $76.12 | $158,340 |
Santa Rosa | 3,490 | $72.67 | $151,150 |
Santa Cruz-Watsonville | 1,500 | $72 | $149,750 |
Napa | 1,420 | $70.38 | $146,400 |
Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade | 23,180 | $69.82 | $145,230 |
Modesto | 4,780 | $66.59 | $138,510 |
Stockton-Lodi | 4,760 | $62.68 | $130,370 |
Chico | 2,280 | $60.78 | $126,420 |
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | 111,660 | $60.26 | $125,350 |
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande | 1,820 | $60.31 | $125,430 |
Fresno | 8,340 | $59.31 | $123,370 |
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura | 5,280 | $58.78 | $122,260 |
Yuba City | 950 | $58.79 | $122,290 |
Redding | 1,570 | $58.53 | $121,730 |
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | 31,270 | $58.4 | $121,470 |
Salinas | 2,970 | $58.19 | $121,030 |
Bakersfield | 5,190 | $56.81 | $118,170 |
Merced | 860 | $56.6 | $117,730 |
San Diego-Carlsbad | 28,890 | $56.65 | $117,830 |
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara | 3,940 | $55.37 | $115,170 |
Visalia-Porterville | 2,640 | $54.77 | $113,920 |
El Centro | 820 | $47.73 | $99,280 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) May 2022
California Board of Registered Nursing
The California Board of Registered Nursing is the primary resource for RNs in California for all nursing-related questions and concerns.
California Board of Registered Nursing
1747 N Market Blvd #150, Sacramento, CA 95834
(916) 322-3350(916) 574-8637