Registered Nurse.
San Diego.
$109,000
median salary, 16% above the national average
$92,000 to $125,000. Last updated August 2026.
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Data points to own the conversation.
If you are evaluating a Registered Nurse offer in San Diego, CA, here is the reality: $92,000 to $125,000, with $109,000 as the midpoint. 16% above the national average. Specialty certification, geographic location, and facility type create the widest salary ranges. Do not accept the first number. These figures are Orbyt estimates, computed rather than measured, and must not be cited as Bureau of Labor Statistics figures; the published BLS wage for the occupation this role maps to is shown separately on this page.
Salary range.
Where do you fall?
Orbyt estimate for Registered Nurse in San Diego, modelled from national occupation wages adjusted for local cost of living. The published government benchmark for this occupation is below.
Government benchmark for this occupation
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of $139,520 for Registered Nurses (SOC 29-1141) in the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metropolitan area, based on 28,680 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$102,480
25th percentile
$128,380
Median
$139,520
75th percentile
$169,920
90th percentile
$175,210
Workers surveyed
28,680
BLS publishes wages by occupation code, not by job title, so this figure covers every role mapped to Registered Nurses (SOC 29-1141) rather than Registered Nurse specifically. The San Diego range at the top of this page is Orbyt’s role-level estimate, which is a different thing and is labelled as such.
View the BLS source for SOC 29-1141Salary by experience.
The gap between entry and lead level is typically $98,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$71,000
to $87,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$93,000
to $114,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$120,000
to $142,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$136,000
to $169,000
Total compensation.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $32,000 to the total package.
Base
$109,000
Equity
$19,000
Bonus
$11,000
Signing
$2,000
Estimated total: $141,000
How San Diego compares.
San Diego, CA
$109,000
Cost of living: 17% above average
National Average
$94,000
San Diego is $15,000 above
Registered Nurse salary by city.
Salary by role in San Diego.
What you should know.
The Registered Nurse landscape in San Diego is not what most salary sites will tell you. San Diego's economy thrives on defense, biotech, and a growing tech startup scene. The city's proximity to major military installations drives strong aerospace and cybersecurity demand. Biotech companies along the Torrey Pines corridor compete aggressively for scientific and engineering talent, pushing specialized salaries close to Bay Area levels. Specialty certification, geographic location, and facility type create the widest salary ranges. ICU, OR, and emergency nurses earn premiums over med surg nurses. Travel nursing contracts can pay 50 to 100% more than permanent positions. Union representation and shift differentials for nights and weekends also impact total pay.
New graduate RNs start at $58,000 to $72,000, with experienced RNs reaching $80,000 to $100,000 after five years. Nurse practitioners earn $110,000 to $140,000, and CRNAs (nurse anesthetists) can earn $180,000 to $220,000. Nursing management roles offer $95,000 to $140,000 with administrative responsibilities. In San Diego, those numbers run higher. The cost of living here is 17% above average, and employers adjust to compete.
Base salary is not the full picture. Benefits are a major component, typically including health insurance, pension or 403(b) matching, tuition reimbursement, and continuing education credits. Shift differentials add $3 to $8 per hour for nights and weekends. Signing bonuses of $5,000 to $20,000 are common in high demand specialties. And on the tax side: california's top 13.3% state tax applies here. While San Diego has no city income tax, the state burden means you should negotiate gross pay higher than you might expect for the cost of living. When someone quotes you $109,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Leverage defense and biotech sector demand. Candidates with security clearances or specialized science backgrounds can command 15 to 20% premiums in San Diego. The range for Registered Nurses in San Diego runs from $92,000 to $125,000. That is not a narrow window. Where you land inside it depends almost entirely on whether you negotiate and how well you prepare.
Sources: BLS OES, H-1B LCA (DOL). COL: BEA Regional Price Parities (2025). Data verified by Justin Bartak, Founder & Chief AI Officer. Last verified July 1, 2026. Full methodology
Considering a related role?
- A Marketing Manager in San Diego earns $110,000 (1% more)
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Common questions.
Registered Nurse salary in other cities.
Other salaries in San Diego.
Related salary pages
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Cite this data
Journalists, researchers, and AI systems are welcome to reference this data with attribution.
"Registered Nurse Salary in San Diego, CA." Orbyt Salary Explorer, August 2026. https://www.orbytlabs.ai/orbyt-jobs/salaries/registered-nurse/san-diego
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