San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a registered nurse make in San Diego-Chula Vista, CA?

In the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metropolitan area, registered nurses earned a median of $139,520 a year ($67.08 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 28,680 of these jobs there. That is 138% above the $58,690 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $102,480 and $175,210; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and California tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $97,898 in take-home pay.

Registered nurse pay in San Diego-Chula Vista, CA at a glance

Median salary

$139,520$67.08 per hour · $11,627 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$102,480$49.27/hr
25th percentile$128,380$61.72/hr
75th percentile$169,920$81.69/hr
90th percentile$175,210$84.24/hr
Jobs in this metro28,680Location quotient 0.86 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here138% aboveAll-jobs median $58,690
Against California1% belowStatewide median $140,270
Against the U.S.43% aboveNational median $97,550

Run the numbers on your own pay

Same U.S. tax tables as the rest of the site. Change the salary, state, or filing status.

Registered nurse salary in San Diego-Chula Vista, CA after taxes

$139,520
$55,000$280,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$139,520
Net 70%
Fed 16%
CA 6%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$97,898After all taxes
Monthly deposit$8,158Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$3,765Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate29.8%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$22,219 / yr
California state income tax$8,730 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$10,673 / yr

Registered nurses pay range in San Diego-Chula Vista, CA, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What registered nurses earned in the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (CA)
10th percentile$49.27/hr$8,540$102,480$75,639
25th percentile$61.72/hr$10,698$128,380$91,319
MedianMedian$67.08/hr$11,627$139,520$97,898
75th percentile$81.69/hr$14,160$169,920$115,849
90th percentile$84.24/hr$14,601$175,210$118,973

Is $139,520 a good salary in San Diego-Chula Vista, CA?

It depends on what else people there earn and what things cost. Here is the median for registered nurses next to both.

Median household income$106,268Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)111.911.9% above national average
One paycheck vs. a household131.3%of area median income

The same job statewide and nationally, and a calculator for your own paycheck.

Registered nurse pay in San Diego-Chula Vista, CA: common questions

What is the median salary for registered nurses in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA?

The BLS median annual wage for registered nurses in the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area was $139,520 in May 2025, about $11,627 a month or $67.08 an hour. Statewide, the California median for this job is $140,270, so the metro pays 1% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for registered nurses in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA?

The median hourly wage for registered nurses in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA was $67.08 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $49.27 an hour and one in ten earned more than $84.24.

How many registered nurses work in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA?

BLS estimated 28,680 jobs for registered nurses in the metro in May 2025, or 18.6 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.86 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for registered nurses in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA?

BLS wage estimates for registered nurses in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA run from $102,480 at the 10th percentile to $128,380 at the 25th, $169,920 at the 75th, and $175,210 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do registered nurses take home after taxes in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA?

On a median gross salary of $139,520, an estimated $97,898 lands in net take-home pay per year ($3,765 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in California in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $41,622 (an effective rate of 29.8%).

How much do registered nurses make per month in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA?

On the median annual salary of $139,520, gross monthly income is $11,627. After federal, FICA, and California state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $8,158 per month (or $3,765 every two weeks).

Is $139,520 a good salary in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA?

At $139,520, the median salary for registered nurses is 131.3% of the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA median household income ($106,268). It is 138% above the $58,690 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 111.9, so prices here run 11.9% above the U.S. average.