Salary comparison
Registered Nurses: Sacramento vs San Diego
Sacramento, CA pays about 22.9% more for registered nurses on paper — $171,460 vs $139,520. But once you factor in what it costs to live there, Sacramento comes out ahead by $31,940 a year in real buying power.
Sacramento, CA
$171,460
$131,830
$198,580
$82.43
100
$171,460/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
San Diego, CA
$139,520
$128,380
$169,920
$67.08
100
$139,520/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
What the numbers mean in practice
The headline gap is $31,940 a year (22.9%) in favor of Sacramento. That is the raw salary difference before any living costs.
Sacramento runs a cost index of 100 against the national baseline of 100; San Diego sits at 100. After adjusting the median for those costs, Sacramento is the better deal by $31,940 a year — that is what each paycheck actually buys locally.
If you are weighing a move from San Diego to Sacramento for this role, the raise needs to beat 22.9% 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, Sacramento or San Diego?
Sacramento pays $171,460 on median — about 22.9% more than San Diego ($139,520). Based on BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Which city is the better deal after living costs?
Sacramento. Once you divide each median by the local cost index, Sacramento gives you roughly$171,460 of real buying power versus $139,520 in the other city.