Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses pay in California
$82,340avg. a year
$39.59 an hour · 82,850 employed
Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses in California earn an average of $82,340 a year. That is $15,290 (23%) more than the U.S. average of $67,050. The best-paying metro area is San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA at $94,420.
$79,750Median pay
$39.59Average hourly
+28%Avg. pay since 2020
#2Of 50 states + D.C.
Top-paying California metro areas
Average pay for licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses by metro area. Swipe to see all 25.
13,290 jobs
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
$94,420
$45.40 an hour
28,800 jobs
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA
$93,470
$44.94 an hour
3870 jobs
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA
$90,480
$43.50 an hour
4280 jobs
Napa, CA
$89,950
$43.25 an hour
5870 jobs
Vallejo, CA
$87,980
$42.30 an hour
64,760 jobs
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA
$85,030
$40.88 an hour
7340 jobs
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA
$83,910
$40.34 an hour
8440 jobs
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA
$82,160
$39.50 an hour
9710 jobs
Salinas, CA
$81,790
$39.32 an hour
106,610 jobs
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA
$81,130
$39.01 an hour
1133,590 jobs
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
$80,810
$38.85 an hour
121,230 jobs
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA
$80,620
$38.76 an hour
13650 jobs
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA
$79,700
$38.32 an hour
141,120 jobs
Modesto, CA
$79,670
$38.30 an hour
151,430 jobs
Stockton-Lodi, CA
$78,800
$37.88 an hour
16380 jobs
Chico, CA
$78,110
$37.55 an hour
17330 jobs
Yuba City, CA
$77,700
$37.36 an hour
188,200 jobs
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA
$76,950
$37.00 an hour
192,360 jobs
Fresno, CA
$75,770
$36.43 an hour
201,480 jobs
Bakersfield-Delano, CA
$75,520
$36.31 an hour
21310 jobs
Hanford-Corcoran, CA
$74,880
$36.00 an hour
22510 jobs
Redding, CA
$74,240
$35.69 an hour
23300 jobs
El Centro, CA
$74,210
$35.68 an hour
24300 jobs
Merced, CA
$73,720
$35.44 an hour
25830 jobs
Visalia, CA
$72,330
$34.78 an hour
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses pay in California, charted
Pay over time
California, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where California licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses work
Employment by metro area, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · California highlighted · tap a state
AKMEWIVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILMINYMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTRICAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL
Under $62k$62k–$65k$65k–$73k$73k+California
California vs. neighbors
Average pay, May 2025
| Area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| United States | $67,050 | $32.24 |
| California | $82,340 | $39.59 |
| Oregon | $81,420 | $39.15 |
| Arizona | $76,120 | $36.60 |
| Nevada | $74,470 | $35.81 |
Related jobs in California
Average pay, California, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Questions and answers
How much do licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses make in California?
The average is $82,340 a year, and the median is $79,750. That is $15,290 (23%) more than the U.S. average of $67,050.
What is the hourly wage in California?
$39.59 an hour on average; the median is $38.34.
Where in California do they earn the most?
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($94,420), followed by San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA ($93,470). The lowest average among 25 metro areas with data is Visalia, CA ($72,330).
How does California rank?
California ranks #2 of 51 states (including D.C.) with published data for this job, by average pay.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 29-2061. State rank compares average pay across states with published data. Metro figures cover metropolitan statistical areas; a metro area can cross state lines. See also the national licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses page. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.