Salary comparison
Registered Nurses: Vallejo vs San Francisco
Vallejo, CA pays about 8.9% more for registered nurses on paper — $203,290 vs $186,610. But once you factor in what it costs to live there, Vallejo comes out ahead by $16,680 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.
San Francisco, CA
$186,610
$137,120
$215,630
$89.71
100
$186,610/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
What the numbers mean in practice
The headline gap is $16,680 a year (8.9%) 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; San Francisco sits at 100. After adjusting the median for those costs, Vallejo is the better deal by $16,680 a year — that is what each paycheck actually buys locally.
If you are weighing a move from San Francisco to Vallejo for this role, the raise needs to beat 8.9% 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, Vallejo or San Francisco?
Vallejo pays $203,290 on median — about 8.9% more than San Francisco ($186,610). 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 $186,610 in the other city.