Salary comparison
Registered Nurses: San Francisco vs San Luis Obispo
San Francisco, CA pays about 34.4% more for registered nurses on paper — $186,610 vs $138,820. But once you factor in what it costs to live there, San Francisco comes out ahead by $47,790 a year in real buying power.
San Francisco, CA
$186,610
$137,120
$215,630
$89.71
100
$186,610/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
San Luis Obispo, CA
$138,820
$106,250
$187,670
$66.74
100
$138,820/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
What the numbers mean in practice
The headline gap is $47,790 a year (34.4%) in favor of San Francisco. That is the raw salary difference before any living costs.
San Francisco runs a cost index of 100 against the national baseline of 100; San Luis Obispo sits at 100. After adjusting the median for those costs, San Francisco is the better deal by $47,790 a year — that is what each paycheck actually buys locally.
If you are weighing a move from San Luis Obispo to San Francisco for this role, the raise needs to beat 34.4% to come out ahead after living costs. Anything below that and you are earning more on paper but keeping less.
Common questions
Where do registered nurses earn more, San Francisco or San Luis Obispo?
San Francisco pays $186,610 on median — about 34.4% more than San Luis Obispo ($138,820). Based on BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Which city is the better deal after living costs?
San Francisco. Once you divide each median by the local cost index, San Francisco gives you roughly$186,610 of real buying power versus $138,820 in the other city.