San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a registered nurse make in San Jose-Sunnyvale, CA?

In the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metropolitan area, registered nurses earned a median of $216,740 a year ($104.20 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 22,930 of these jobs there. That is 158% above the $84,050 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $124,140 and $235,190; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and California tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $145,344 in take-home pay.

Registered nurse pay in San Jose-Sunnyvale, CA at a glance

Median salary

$216,740$104.20 per hour · $18,062 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$124,140$59.68/hr
25th percentile$165,050$79.35/hr
75th percentile$223,510$107.46/hr
90th percentile$235,190$113.07/hr
Jobs in this metro22,930Location quotient 0.93 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here158% aboveAll-jobs median $84,050
Against California55% aboveStatewide median $140,270
Against the U.S.122% 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 Jose-Sunnyvale, CA after taxes

$216,740
$85,000$435,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$216,740
Net 67%
Fed 19%
CA 7%
FICA 7%
Annual take-home$145,344After all taxes
Monthly deposit$12,112Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$5,590Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate32.9%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$40,752 / yr
California state income tax$15,912 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$14,732 / yr

Registered nurses pay range in San Jose-Sunnyvale, CA, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What registered nurses earned in the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (CA)
10th percentile$59.68/hr$10,345$124,140$88,816
25th percentile$79.35/hr$13,754$165,050$112,973
MedianMedian$104.20/hr$18,062$216,740$145,344
75th percentile$107.46/hr$18,626$223,510$149,250
90th percentile$113.07/hr$19,599$235,190$155,832

Is $216,740 a good salary in San Jose-Sunnyvale, 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$162,111Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)110.410.4% above national average
One paycheck vs. a household133.7%of area median income

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

Registered nurse pay in San Jose-Sunnyvale, CA: common questions

What is the median salary for registered nurses in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA?

The BLS median annual wage for registered nurses in the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro area was $216,740 in May 2025, about $18,062 a month or $104.20 an hour. Statewide, the California median for this job is $140,270, so the metro pays 55% above the state.

What is the hourly pay for registered nurses in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA?

The median hourly wage for registered nurses in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA was $104.20 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $59.68 an hour and one in ten earned more than $113.07.

How many registered nurses work in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA?

BLS estimated 22,930 jobs for registered nurses in the metro in May 2025, or 20.2 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.93 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for registered nurses in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA?

BLS wage estimates for registered nurses in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA run from $124,140 at the 10th percentile to $165,050 at the 25th, $223,510 at the 75th, and $235,190 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do registered nurses take home after taxes in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA?

On a median gross salary of $216,740, an estimated $145,344 lands in net take-home pay per year ($5,590 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in California in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $71,396 (an effective rate of 32.9%).

How much do registered nurses make per month in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA?

On the median annual salary of $216,740, gross monthly income is $18,062. After federal, FICA, and California state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $12,112 per month (or $5,590 every two weeks).

Is $216,740 a good salary in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA?

At $216,740, the median salary for registered nurses is 133.7% of the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA median household income ($162,111). It is 158% above the $84,050 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 110.4, so prices here run 10.4% above the U.S. average.