In Santa Rosa, CA, registered nurses earn a median of $174,550 a year, according to the latest BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics release. It runs 107% 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 $132,170 and $209,310 — a 77,140 range that reflects differences in seniority, employer type, and specialization. The catch: Santa Rosa 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 $83.92, 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.