Salary comparison
Registered Nurses: Riverside vs Salem
Riverside, CA pays about 1.7% more for registered nurses on paper — $133,940 vs $131,750. But once you factor in what it costs to live there, Riverside comes out ahead by $2,190 a year in real buying power.
Riverside, CA
$133,940
$107,730
$165,500
$64.40
100
$133,940/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
Salem, OR
$131,750
$109,870
$132,930
$63.34
100
$131,750/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
What the numbers mean in practice
The headline gap is $2,190 a year (1.7%) in favor of Riverside. That is the raw salary difference before any living costs.
Riverside runs a cost index of 100 against the national baseline of 100; Salem sits at 100. After adjusting the median for those costs, Riverside is the better deal by $2,190 a year — that is what each paycheck actually buys locally.
If you are weighing a move from Salem to Riverside for this role, the raise needs to beat 1.7% to come out ahead after living costs. Anything below that and you are earning more on paper but keeping less.
Common questions
Where do registered nurses earn more, Riverside or Salem?
Riverside pays $133,940 on median — about 1.7% more than Salem ($131,750). Based on BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Which city is the better deal after living costs?
Riverside. Once you divide each median by the local cost index, Riverside gives you roughly$133,940 of real buying power versus $131,750 in the other city.