Salary comparison
Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses: Bend vs San Diego
Bend, OR pays about 4.4% more for licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses on paper — $83,260 vs $79,720. But once you factor in what it costs to live there, Bend comes out ahead by $3,540 a year in real buying power.
Bend, OR
$83,260
$74,810
$91,970
$40.03
100
$83,260/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
San Diego, CA
$79,720
$75,440
$89,040
$38.33
100
$79,720/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
What the numbers mean in practice
The headline gap is $3,540 a year (4.4%) in favor of Bend. That is the raw salary difference before any living costs.
Bend runs a cost index of 100 against the national baseline of 100; San Diego sits at 100. After adjusting the median for those costs, Bend is the better deal by $3,540 a year — that is what each paycheck actually buys locally.
If you are weighing a move from San Diego to Bend for this role, the raise needs to beat 4.4% to come out ahead after living costs. Anything below that and you are earning more on paper but keeping less.
Common questions
Where do licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses earn more, Bend or San Diego?
Bend pays $83,260 on median — about 4.4% more than San Diego ($79,720). Based on BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Which city is the better deal after living costs?
Bend. Once you divide each median by the local cost index, Bend gives you roughly$83,260 of real buying power versus $79,720 in the other city.