Nursing Graduate Salaries in California
Federal earnings data for every California college offering Nursing, ranked by 10-year median graduate salary. Sourced from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard — real tax-reported income, not surveys.
Nursing in California. Registered Nursing has 1.4% unemployment and a median salary of $93,600. The U.S. nurse shortage is structural, not cyclical — these jobs aren't going anywhere.
Typical career paths: Registered Nurse, Nurse Practitioner, Critical Care Nurse, Pediatric Nurse, Public Health Nurse. Median starting salary range: $70,000–$93,600. School choice can swing graduate earnings by 30–60% — which is why we rank by federal data, not prestige.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Earnings are 10-year median income for graduates of each institution (all majors, since program-level earnings are released only for select fields). Refreshed every 24 hours.
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Frequently asked questions
What do Nursing graduates earn in California?
The median 10-year earnings for Nursing graduates from California colleges is $68,324, with a range from $39,944 at lower-earning schools to $100,212 at top-earning schools. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
Which California school has the highest Nursing graduate salary?
University of California-Berkeley ranks first among California schools offering Nursing, with a 10-year median graduate salary of $100,212.
How is "graduate salary" measured?
These figures come from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard. They reflect actual federal tax-reported income of all graduates 10 years after enrollment — including those who pursued graduate school and those who took industry jobs. They are not survey-based.
Are these salaries adjusted for cost of living?
No. These are raw federal earnings figures. California salaries should be considered in context of local cost of living. For example, $90,000 in California has different purchasing power than $90,000 in North Carolina.