Average Registered Nurse Salary in Oakland, CA

The average Registered Nurse in Oakland, CA earns $174,370 per year. See how this compares to the national average and what it means for your budget.

Average Salary
$174370
Median Salary
$181240
vs. National
84.6% above
Real Pay (COL-adjusted)
$150822

“Real pay” adjusts the average for Oakland’s cost of living (Regional Price Parity 115.613, U.S. average = 100) — what this salary is worth in national-average dollars.

What Registered Nurses actually earn in Oakland

The spread from entry-level (10th percentile) to top earners (90th), from BLS wage data.

10th (entry) $119010
25th $149450
Median $181240
75th $207620
90th (top) $221840

40620 Registered Nurses employed in the Oakland metro.

What’s this salary worth in another city?

What you earn (or want to compare)

Oakland at a glance

Cost of living (RPP, U.S.=100)115.613

Oakland sits among the top-paying metros for Registered Nurses. The salary figures here tell a story of a tight labor market where specialized skills command real leverage.

But here’s the catch: Oakland is expensive. Housing costs eat a larger slice of your income than in most other cities. That $174,370 salary sounds impressive until you factor in rent or mortgage payments.

Career growth for Registered Nurses in Oakland

For Registered Nurses, the biggest salary jumps usually come from switching employers or adding a specialized certification. If you’re at the lower end, the path to the upper percentiles is often faster than you’d think.

Put your money to work