Average Research Nurse Salary in San Diego

Research nurses in San Diego earn an average of $118,818 per year (or $57.13 per hour).

Nationwide
United States
$87,048
San Diego, CA
36% higher than the national average
$118,818
Your personal salary estimate
Free from Incredible Health

San Diego research nurses earn 36% higher than the national average salary for research nurses, at $87,048 (or $41.85 per hour).

Nurses needed nationwide

Get interview requests, 1-on-1 career support, and more with Incredible Health.

Research nurse salary range in San Diego, CA

10%
$79,156
MEDIAN
$116,466
90%
$168,908
Annual Salary Hourly Wage
90th Percentile $168,908 $81
75th Percentile $135,830 $65
Median $116,466 $55
25th Percentile $103,035 $49

80% of San Diego research nurses earn between $79,156 and $168,908.

Cost-of-living adjusted research nurse salary in San Diego

Cost-Of-Living Adjusted
San Diego, CA
$104,778
Overall Average
San Diego, CA
$118,818

Adjusted for cost-of-living, San Diego research nurses earn about $104,778 per year. Cost-of-living in San Diego is 13% 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 research nurses

Santa Clara, CA $163,007 per year
Hayward, CA $159,237 per year
Sacramento, CA $142,278 per year
Fresno, CA $125,833 per year
Lodi, CA $125,592 per year
Los Angeles, CA $121,927 per year
Ventura, CA $120,268 per year
Ontario, CA $117,296 per year
Bakersfield, CA $112,455 per year

California nursing salaries vary from region to region across the state. The area where research nurses are paid the highest is Santa Clara, where the average research nurses salary is $163,007 and 20,640 registered nurses are currently employed. The Hayward area comes in second, with a $159,237 average research nurse salary and 41,160 registered nurses employed.

How much do other nurses get paid in San Diego, CA?

Transport Nurse $137,429 per year
Transplant Nurse $131,702 per year
Fertility Nurse $130,214 per year
Reproductive Nurse $130,214 per year
Endoscopy Nurse $126,931 per year
Womens Health Nurse $124,067 per year
ENT Nurse $124,067 per year
Cath Lab Nurse $124,067 per year
Primary Care Nurse $119,296 per year
Nurse Educator $119,296 per year

At a $118,818 average annual salary, research nurses in San Diego tend to earn less than transport nurses ($137,429), transplant nurses ($131,702), fertility nurses ($130,214), reproductive nurses ($130,214), endoscopy nurses ($126,931), womens health nurses ($124,067), ENT nurses ($124,067), cath lab nurses ($124,067), primary care nurses ($119,296), and nurse educators ($119,296).

More about research nurses

Research nurses can work in a wide variety of places and are tasked with helping create new medical treatments, medications, and vaccinations.

Free nursing salary estimate

Get a personalized salary estimate for your location and nursing credentials.

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