Average Psychiatric Nurse Salary in California

Psychiatric nurses in California earn an average of $117,139 per year (or $56.32 per hour).

Nationwide
United States
$80,731
California
45% higher than the national average
$117,139
Your personal salary estimate
Free from Incredible Health

California psychiatric nurses earn 45% higher than the national average salary for psychiatric nurses, at $80,731 (or $38.81 per hour).

Psychiatric nurse salary range in California

10%
$73,750
MEDIAN
$118,404
90%
$156,456
Annual Salary Hourly Wage
90th Percentile $156,456 $75
75th Percentile $147,302 $70
Median $118,404 $56
25th Percentile $93,484 $44

80% of California psychiatric nurses earn between $73,750 and $156,456.

Cost-of-living adjusted psychiatric nurse salary in California

Cost-Of-Living Adjusted
California
$106,104
Overall Average
California
$117,139

Adjusted for cost-of-living, California psychiatric nurses earn about $106,104 per year. Cost-of-living in California is 10% higher than the national average, meaning they face higher prices for food, housing, and transportation compared to other states.

Highest paying cities in California for psychiatric nurses

Santa Clara, CA $146,641 per year
Hayward, CA $143,249 per year
Sacramento, CA $127,993 per year
Fresno, CA $113,199 per year
Lodi, CA $112,982 per year
Los Angeles, CA $109,685 per year
Ventura, CA $108,192 per year
Carlsbad, CA $106,889 per year
Ontario, CA $105,519 per year
Bakersfield, CA $101,164 per year

California nursing salaries vary from region to region across the state. The area where psychiatric nurses are paid the highest is Santa Clara, where the average psychiatric nurses salary is $146,641 and 20,640 registered nurses are currently employed. The Hayward area comes in second, with a $143,249 average psychiatric nurse salary and 41,160 registered nurses employed.

Psychiatric nurses salaries in other states

Oregon $100,526 per year
Massachusetts $94,482 per year
Washington $93,883 per year
New York $87,720 per year
Nevada $86,509 per year
New Jersey $95,805 per year
Connecticut $82,280 per year
Minnesota $86,303 per year
Maryland $81,043 per year
Arizona $77,714 per year

How much do other nurses get paid in California?

Transport Nurse $150,607 per year
Transplant Nurse $144,331 per year
Fertility Nurse $142,700 per year
Reproductive Nurse $142,700 per year
Endoscopy Nurse $139,102 per year
Womens Health Nurse $135,964 per year
ENT Nurse $135,964 per year
Cath Lab Nurse $135,964 per year
Primary Care Nurse $130,735 per year
Nurse Educator $130,735 per year

At a $117,139 average annual salary, psychiatric nurses in California tend to earn less than transport nurses ($150,607), transplant nurses ($144,331), fertility nurses ($142,700), reproductive nurses ($142,700), endoscopy nurses ($139,102), womens health nurses ($135,964), ENT nurses ($135,964), cath lab nurses ($135,964), primary care nurses ($130,735), and nurse educators ($130,735).

More about psychiatric nurses

Psychiatric nurses, also known as behavioral health nurses, specialize in helping patients with mentall illnesses and disorders.

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Data sources: rn salary data, cost of living data, proprietary data from Incredible Health