Nurse Practitioner Salary in California (BLS May 2025)
Nurse practitioners in California earned a median of $168,520 a year ($81.02 an hour) in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. That is 27% above the national NP median of $132,300, and it ranks 1st of the 50 states and D.C.
Median salary
$168,520
Median hourly
$81.02
Average (mean)
$176,760
NPs employed
25,120
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates for Nurse Practitioners (SOC 29-1171), retrieved 2026-10-22. Employed (wage-and-salary) NPs in all settings; excludes self-employed NPs.
NP pay range in California
Half of California's nurse practitioners earned between $145,980 and $209,350. The spread from the 10th to the 90th percentile is $120,490, which reflects specialty (family, psychiatric, acute care), setting and region within the state.
| Percentile | California annual | Hourly equivalent | U.S. annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $120,340 | $57.86 | $101,340 |
| 25th percentile | $145,980 | $70.18 | $117,990 |
| Median (50th) | $168,520 | $81.02 | $132,300 |
| 75th percentile | $209,350 | $100.65 | $156,700 |
| 90th percentile | $240,830 | $115.78 | $174,420 |
Hourly equivalent = annual ÷ 2,080 hours, the convention BLS uses to annualize hourly wages. BLS publishes the median hourly wage directly ($81.02); small differences are rounding.
Nurse practitioner vs registered nurse pay in California
Nurse practitioner, median
$168,520
$81.02/hr · 25,120 employed
Registered nurse, median
$140,270
$67.44/hr · 338,940 employed
In California the NP median is $28,250 (20%) higher than the RN median. Both figures are BLS estimates for May 2025. The step up requires a graduate degree (MSN or DNP), national board certification in a population focus and state APRN licensure, so the gap is the return on two to four more years of education.
What a median NP paycheck looks like in California
Gross pay at the California median, and the federal taxes on it for a single filer taking the 2026 standard deduction. Retirement, insurance and other payroll deductions vary by employer and are not included.
| Yearly | Monthly | Every 2 weeks | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay (median) | $168,520 | $14,043 | $6,482 |
| Federal income tax | $29,179 | $2,432 | $1,122 |
| Social Security + Medicare | $12,892 | $1,074 | $496 |
| California income tax | Not included (we only publish sourced state tax figures) | ||
Taxes: IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32 brackets and standard deduction, SSA 2026 wage base. See methodology.
California vs neighboring states
Median nurse practitioner pay in the states that border California:
| State | Median salary | Median hourly | vs California |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $168,520 | $81.02 | — |
| Oregon | $155,680 | $74.85 | −$12,840 |
| Nevada | $140,670 | $67.63 | −$27,850 |
| Arizona | $134,420 | $64.63 | −$34,100 |
The Nurse Licensure Compact covers RN and LPN licenses only. A nurse practitioner needs an APRN license in each state where they practice.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do nurse practitioners make in California?
Nurse practitioners in California earned a median of $168,520 a year ($81.02 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The average (mean) was $176,760. That median is 27% above the national NP median of $132,300 and ranks 1st of the 50 states and D.C.
What do the highest-paid nurse practitioners in California make?
The top 10% of nurse practitioners in California earned at least $240,830 a year, and the top quarter at least $209,350. The bottom 10% earned less than $120,340. These are BLS percentile estimates for employed NPs across all settings, not offers for a specific job.
How much more do nurse practitioners make than RNs in California?
The NP median in California ($168,520) is $28,250 a year, or 20%, above the registered nurse median of $140,270, both from BLS for May 2025. Becoming an NP requires a graduate degree (MSN or DNP), national board certification and state APRN licensure.
What is a nurse practitioner's paycheck in California?
At the California median of $168,520, gross pay is about $14,043 a month or $6,482 every two weeks. For a single filer with the standard deduction, 2026 federal income tax plus Social Security and Medicare come to about $42,071 a year. California state income tax is not included in that figure, so actual take-home is lower.
How many nurse practitioners work in California?
BLS estimated 25,120 nurse practitioners employed in California in May 2025, the 2nd largest NP workforce of the 50 states and D.C.
About this data
These figures are the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) estimates for May 2025, the latest published. OEWS surveys employers, so it measures employed nurse practitioners in all settings and excludes self-employed NPs and locum or travel contract pay. Means are pulled up by high earners, which is why we lead with the median.
See nurse practitioner salary in every state for the full ranking.