Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses Salary in California
Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses in California earn a median $79,750 a year, +24% against the national median of $64,400; they and rank 6th of 51 states by median. Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses earn 37% more than the median across all occupations in California ($58,240). Among neighbouring states, Oregon pays more (up to $80,470 in Oregon) and Arizona and Nevada pay less (down to $76,160 in Nevada). California employs 82,850 licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses, 4.55 per 1,000 jobs, the 1st largest count of any state. A location quotient of 1.09 is close to the national share.
California vs the United States, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| California | Hourly | $30.96 | $35.98 | $38.34 | $45.06 | $48.29 | $39.59 | 82,850 | 4.55 | 1.09 |
| Annual | $64,390 | $74,840 | $79,750 | $93,720 | $100,450 | $82,340 | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $23.91 | $28.37 | $30.96 | $36.55 | $40.12 | $32.24 | 648,410 | – | – |
| Annual | $49,740 | $59,000 | $64,400 | $76,030 | $83,440 | $67,050 | ||||
- Rank by median
- 6th of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 1st of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 1.09
- Jobs per 1,000
- 4.55
Ranks count the 50 states and DC with a published value. The location quotient is the occupation's share of California's employment divided by its national share; 1.00 means the same share as the nation. Take-home pay at these wages: FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Metropolitan areas in California
25 metropolitan areas and 3 nonmetropolitan areas touching California publish a row for licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses, sorted by median. Areas crossing a state line are listed under every state they touch; a linked metro has its own profile.
| Area | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $45.83 | $95,320 | $77,320 | $113,220 | 3,290 | 2.90 | 0.70 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $45.34 | $94,310 | $75,900 | $109,120 | 8,800 | 3.71 | 0.89 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $44.51 | $92,580 | $74,280 | $110,300 | 870 | 4.22 | 1.01 |
| Vallejo, CA | $41.07 | $85,430 | $68,730 | $106,490 | 870 | 6.02 | 1.44 |
| Napa, CA | $40.24 | $83,690 | $69,520 | $117,680 | 280 | 3.55 | 0.85 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $39.22 | $81,570 | $65,670 | $104,880 | 4,760 | 4.41 | 1.06 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $38.94 | $81,000 | $64,510 | $101,820 | 340 | 3.43 | 0.82 |
| Salinas, CA | $38.90 | $80,910 | $64,340 | $96,370 | 710 | 3.82 | 0.92 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | $38.43 | $79,940 | $65,690 | $107,280 | 440 | 3.64 | 0.87 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $38.33 | $79,720 | $64,950 | $96,390 | 6,610 | 4.30 | 1.03 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $38.13 | $79,310 | $64,200 | $96,630 | 33,590 | 5.36 | 1.28 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $37.99 | $79,020 | $64,530 | $95,270 | 1,230 | 3.81 | 0.91 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $37.99 | $79,010 | $65,410 | $95,650 | 650 | 3.24 | 0.78 |
| Chico, CA | $37.86 | $78,750 | $63,470 | $92,660 | 380 | 4.85 | 1.16 |
| Yuba City, CA | $37.63 | $78,260 | $64,750 | $90,770 | 330 | 6.41 | 1.54 |
| Modesto, CA | $37.59 | $78,200 | $61,940 | $102,830 | 1,120 | 5.73 | 1.37 |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | $37.42 | $77,830 | $63,390 | $96,150 | 1,430 | 4.95 | 1.19 |
| Hanford-Corcoran, CA | $37.33 | $77,650 | $63,760 | $77,960 | 310 | 6.35 | 1.52 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $37.01 | $76,970 | $62,480 | $93,180 | 8,200 | 4.78 | 1.15 |
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | $36.60 | $76,130 | $62,070 | $91,460 | 1,480 | 4.38 | 1.05 |
| Merced, CA | $36.49 | $75,890 | $61,840 | $83,200 | 300 | 3.80 | 0.91 |
| Fresno, CA | $36.34 | $75,580 | $62,160 | $94,420 | 2,360 | 4.96 | 1.19 |
| El Centro, CA | $35.92 | $74,710 | $62,140 | $91,180 | 300 | 4.62 | 1.11 |
| Redding, CA | $35.64 | $74,140 | $60,460 | $91,900 | 510 | 7.17 | 1.72 |
| Visalia, CA | $35.36 | $73,540 | $61,070 | $89,270 | 830 | 4.83 | 1.16 |
| North Coast Region of California nonmetropolitan area | $38.47 | $80,020 | $64,170 | $95,680 | 450 | 4.07 | 0.98 |
| North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area | $37.66 | $78,330 | $64,630 | $94,530 | 430 | 4.11 | 0.99 |
| Eastern Sierra-Mother Lode Region of California nonmetropolitan area | $37.42 | $77,830 | $65,790 | $90,640 | 260 | 4.08 | 0.98 |
Neighbouring states
See the national page for Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses (every state ranked) and the California wage profile (every occupation in the state).
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS California estimates.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.