Salary comparison
Registered Nurses: Vallejo vs Sacramento
Vallejo, CA pays about 18.6% more for registered nurses on paper — $203,290 vs $171,460. But once you factor in what it costs to live there, Vallejo comes out ahead by $31,830 a year in real buying power.
Vallejo, CA
$203,290
$139,940
$216,640
$97.74
100
$203,290/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
Sacramento, CA
$171,460
$131,830
$198,580
$82.43
100
$171,460/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
What the numbers mean in practice
The headline gap is $31,830 a year (18.6%) in favor of Vallejo. That is the raw salary difference before any living costs.
Vallejo runs a cost index of 100 against the national baseline of 100; Sacramento sits at 100. After adjusting the median for those costs, Vallejo is the better deal by $31,830 a year — that is what each paycheck actually buys locally.
If you are weighing a move from Sacramento to Vallejo for this role, the raise needs to beat 18.6% 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, Vallejo or Sacramento?
Vallejo pays $203,290 on median — about 18.6% more than Sacramento ($171,460). Based on BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Which city is the better deal after living costs?
Vallejo. Once you divide each median by the local cost index, Vallejo gives you roughly$203,290 of real buying power versus $171,460 in the other city.