BLS figures put the median pay for registered nurses in Sacramento, CA, at $171,460 a year. It runs 104% above the national median of $84,200 for this occupation — pay here is notably stronger than the U.S. average. The middle 50% land between $131,830 and $198,580 — a 66,750 range that reflects differences in seniority, employer type, and specialization. The catch: Sacramento is roughly in line with the national cost of living (cost index 100 against a 100 baseline), so that headline number buys less than it would elsewhere. On an hourly basis that is about $82.43, useful for comparing contract or part-time offers.

For context, the national median for registered nurses across all U.S. metros in our data is $84,200.