Nurse practitioner salary in California
California nurse practitioners earn a median of $168,520 a year ($81.02 an hour), according to BLS data for May 2025. That is 27% above the national median of $132,300, and ranks 1st of 51 states.
Median, California
$168,520
Mean $176,760
Middle half earns
$145,980 to $209,350
US: $117,990 to $156,700
Employed in California
25,120
0.66x the national concentration
Where California sits in the range
California
Statewide
United States
National
Los Angeles
Metro area
San Francisco
Metro area
San Diego
Metro area
Riverside
Metro area
Nurse practitioner pay by percentile
Ten percent of California nurse practitioners earned less than $120,340 and ten percent earned more than $240,830, a spread of $120,490. Where you land depends mostly on specialty, setting, experience and how the productivity pay is built, which is why two offers in the same city can be far apart.
| Percentile | California | United States | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | $120,340 | $101,340 | +18.7% |
| 25th | $145,980 | $117,990 | +23.7% |
| Median | $168,520 | $132,300 | +27.4% |
| 75th | $209,350 | $156,700 | +33.6% |
| 90th | $240,830 | $174,420 | +38.1% |
Nurse practitioner pay by metro area
BLS published NP pay for 25 metro areas that include part of California. San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA has the highest median at $231,560. Metro estimates rest on smaller samples than the statewide figure, so treat a low-precision row as a direction, not a number.
| Metro area | Employed | Median | Middle half |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CAmoderate precision | 10,060 | $161,470 | $133,240 to $178,790 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 3,110 | $219,080 | $176,490 to $241,910 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | 2,340 | $163,860 | $135,410 to $181,120 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 1,710 | $169,920 | $155,270 to $195,670 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 1,580 | $231,560 | $178,880 to $279,950 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | 1,170 | $172,010 | $149,350 to $221,990 |
| Fresno, CA | 570 | $166,570 | $138,900 to $191,270 |
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | 430 | $165,580 | $152,720 to $193,420 |
| Modesto, CAmoderate precision | 380 | $173,380 | $162,980 to $217,360 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | 320 | $148,800 | $131,830 to $164,980 |
| Stockton-Lodi, CAmoderate precision | 280 | $159,150 | $130,560 to $175,910 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CAmoderate precision | 280 | $167,040 | $135,200 to $203,630 |
| Visalia, CA | 250 | $159,430 | $138,020 to $199,780 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | 200 | $165,580 | $152,070 to $190,480 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | 190 | $167,190 | $135,960 to $200,610 |
| Vallejo, CA | 180 | $182,370 | $155,180 to $243,110 |
| Chico, CA | 140 | $167,080 | $156,430 to $179,410 |
| Salinas, CA | 140 | $166,090 | $151,150 to $202,780 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | 140 | $162,950 | $132,740 to $210,580 |
| Redding, CAmoderate precision | 120 | $160,480 | $137,340 to $167,110 |
| Merced, CAmoderate precision | 100 | $158,750 | $138,740 to $161,820 |
| El Centro, CA | 70 | $164,700 | $151,420 to $172,970 |
| Hanford-Corcoran, CA | 70 | $168,540 | $151,950 to $199,390 |
| Yuba City, CA | 70 | $165,020 | $151,270 to $207,170 |
| Napa, CA | 60 | $176,270 | $163,590 to $225,740 |
How NP pay compares with other clinicians in California
| Occupation | California | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Nurse practitioner | $168,520 | $132,300 |
| Physician assistant | $165,650 | $135,880 |
| Nurse anesthetist (CRNA) | $292,410 | $236,590 |
| Registered nurse | $140,270 | $97,550 |
The California NP workforce
BLS counts 25,120 nurse practitioners on California payrolls, or 1.38 for every 1,000 jobs in the state, less concentrated than in the country as a whole. The federal NPI registry, which also counts self-employed and part-time clinicians, lists 33,783 nurse practitioners with a California practice address, and 2,181 new NP NPIs there in the past twelve months.
Using these numbers when you negotiate
A state median is a reference point, not a target. If an offer comes in under $145,980, it sits in the bottom quarter of what California nurse practitioners earn, and you should know why before you sign: a new-grad rate, a light schedule, or a base kept low because a productivity bonus is supposed to make up the difference. If it is above $209,350, ask what is expected in return, such as call, volume targets or a longer non-compete.
Compare the whole package, not the base: how the bonus is calculated, call pay, CME, PTO and who pays malpractice tail coverage. The negotiation guide and the contract checklist walk through each term.
Questions about NP pay in California
How much does a NP make in California?
The median annual wage for nurse practitioners in California was $168,520 in May 2025, and the mean was $176,760, per the BLS. The middle half earned between $145,980 and $209,350.
What is the hourly rate for nurse practitioners in California?
The median hourly wage was $81.02 and the mean was $84.98. BLS computes hourly figures from annual pay assuming a full-time year, so per-shift or per-diem rates can differ.
Where do NPs earn the most in California?
Among California metro areas with published data, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA had the highest median at $231,560, and Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA the lowest at $148,800.
How does California rank for NP pay?
California ranks 1st of 51 states (including DC) by median NP pay, 27% above the national median of $132,300. Pay is only half the picture: compare it with what housing and taxes cost where you would live.
How many nurse practitioners work in California?
BLS estimated 25,120 nurse practitioners employed in California in May 2025. The federal NPI registry lists 33,783 with a California practice address.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (bls.gov/oes), SOC 29-1171, all industries and ownerships. NPI counts: NPPES monthly file, August 2026 (CMS, public domain). BLS wages are straight-time pay: they include production bonuses but leave out overtime, shift differentials, non-production bonuses and benefits, and they exclude the self-employed.
Have an offer on the table?
Book a free intro call with Max. Tell him what you are weighing, and he will tell you whether coaching would help, or whether you just need a few answers.