Registered Nurses salary in Santa Rosa, CA
Median pay for registered nurses in Santa Rosa, CA: $147,010/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $101,600 – $210,580 · about 3,620 employed locally
Above the typical metro median ($80,810) by +$66,200 (+82%).
What it's really worth in Santa Rosa
With Santa Rosa's cost of living at 110 (US=100), that $147,010 has the buying power of about $133,339 in an average-cost US metro.
Local context: median household income $99,266 · median home $796,761 · median rent $2,637/mo.
How Santa Rosa ranks for this job
On raw pay, Santa Rosa, CA is 5th of the 187 metros we hold registered nurses wages for. Once Santa Rosa's cost of living is applied, it ranks 5th.
Pay and living costs are roughly in step here, so Santa Rosa sits in much the same place whether you look at raw salary or spending power.
What that salary buys in Santa Rosa
A median home in Santa Rosa, CA costs $796,761 — about 5.4× this salary, against a typical US metro figure of 4.7×. Buying is harder here than in the average metro on this income.
Median rent of $2,637/mo works out at 22% of gross pay — inside the conventional 30% affordability ceiling.
Where registered nurses earn more
Pay on its own is only half the picture, so each row shows what rent costs there relative to Santa Rosa.
| Metro | Median pay | vs Santa Rosa | Rent vs Santa Rosa |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vallejo, CA | $187,080 | +27% | 0.9× |
| San Francisco, CA | $181,240 | +23% | 1.2× |
| San Jose, CA | $179,210 | +22% | 1.4× |
| Sacramento, CA | $157,810 | +7% | 0.9× |
Same job elsewhere in CA
| Metro | Median pay | vs Santa Rosa | Rent vs Santa Rosa |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vallejo, CA | $187,080 | +27% | 0.9× |
| San Francisco, CA | $181,240 | +23% | 1.2× |
| San Jose, CA | $179,210 | +22% | 1.4× |
| Sacramento, CA | $157,810 | +7% | 0.9× |
Staying in CA keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Who hires registered nurses around Santa Rosa
Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.
- Santa Rosa Community Health Centers · Healthcare
- County of Sonoma · Government
Other jobs in Santa Rosa
Source: US BLS OEWS (May 2023) median annual wage; cost of living from BEA; home price and rent from Zillow; household income from US Census ACS. Rankings are across the 187 metros we hold wage data for in this occupation. Estimates for guidance only. See methodology.