The median annual wage for Registered Nurses in California is $140,330, while in Texas it is $90,010, according to the most recent Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data. That is a $50,320 gap between the two largest nursing workforces in the country. The national median sits at $93,600. Both states employ more than 500,000 registered nurses combined, making this comparison one of the most relevant salary benchmarks in healthcare.
The median annual wage is the midpoint of all reported salaries for a given role in a given location. Half of workers earn more, and half earn less. BLS calculates this figure from employer-reported surveys covering more than 1.1 million establishments nationwide.
For Registered Nurses, the median is a better benchmark than the average because a small number of highly compensated specialty roles (nurse anesthetists, for example) can pull the average higher than what most nurses actually earn.
California and Texas are the two most-employed states for registered nurses. California has 326,720 and Texas has 261,050, per BLS. When nearly 18% of all U.S. registered nurses work in just these two states, the pay differential has outsized implications for recruiting, retention, and workforce planning.
For a full breakdown of registered nurse pay across all 50 states, download the free state salary report.
California is one of 15 states with pay transparency laws, requiring employers to disclose salary ranges in job postings. Texas has no such requirement. Employers operating in both states need to reconcile these different regulatory landscapes alongside a $50,000+ compensation gap for the same role.
For individual nurses, the gap raises practical questions about relocation, cost of living tradeoffs, and long-term earning potential. For employers, it complicates multi-state hiring strategies and internal equity analysis.
California has the highest cost of living among major states, and its nurse compensation reflects that. California also has mandated nurse-to-patient ratios (Title 22), which constrain supply and increase bargaining power for nurses. These structural factors push wages higher.
Texas operates with a lower cost of living and no state-mandated staffing ratios. The state has aggressively expanded healthcare capacity, particularly in metro areas like Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio, but the labor supply has generally kept pace with demand, moderating wage pressure.
Looking beyond the median tells a more complete story. At the 25th percentile, California nurses earn $119,710 compared to $77,450 in Texas. At the 75th percentile, California reaches $172,200 while Texas tops out at $102,200. The gap widens at higher experience levels, which is relevant for retention planning.
A nurse at the 75th percentile in Texas earns roughly what a nurse at the 25th percentile in California earns. That kind of disparity shows up in travel nurse demand, cross-state recruiting competition, and turnover patterns.
Raw salary numbers do not account for purchasing power. California's cost of living index is significantly higher than the national average, while Texas falls below it. After adjusting for housing, taxes (Texas has no state income tax), and general cost of living, the real wage gap narrows, though it does not close entirely.
Employers should present this context when discussing compensation with candidates relocating between states. A $90,000 salary in Houston may provide more disposable income than $140,000 in San Francisco, depending on the specific metro area.
For employers with nursing staff in both states, the BLS data provides a defensible baseline for setting state-specific pay ranges. Rather than applying a single national rate, organizations can anchor their ranges to the state median and adjust based on their compensation philosophy.
A common approach: set the target at the state 50th percentile and evaluate each employee's comp ratio (current salary divided by the target). A comp ratio below 0.95 signals a potential retention risk. A comp ratio above 1.10 may indicate compression or overpayment relative to market.
What It Pays™ is built on government-verified BLS OEWS data as the foundation, covering over 800 occupations across all 50 states. The platform layers in compensation analytics, comp ratio calculations, and retention risk indicators so employers can move from raw data to informed action. As the platform grows, anonymized employer-reported salary data will be layered on top of the BLS foundation to provide real-time compensation signals alongside the government-verified benchmarks.
Explore the platform at whatitpays.com.
What is the average salary for a registered nurse in California?
The average (mean) annual wage for registered nurses in California is approximately $138,000, while the median is $140,330 per BLS OEWS data. The median is generally a more accurate representation of typical earnings because it is not skewed by outlier salaries at the top or bottom of the range.
How much do nurses make in Texas compared to the national average?
Registered nurses in Texas earn a median of $90,010, which is about 3.8% below the national median of $93,600. Texas is the second-largest employer of registered nurses in the country with 261,050 nurses.
Why do California nurses make so much more than Texas nurses?
Several factors contribute: California has a significantly higher cost of living, state-mandated nurse-to-patient staffing ratios that constrain labor supply, and strong union presence in healthcare. Texas has lower cost of living, no mandated ratios, and a larger available labor pool relative to demand.
Does cost of living offset the pay difference between California and Texas?
Partially. California's cost of living is roughly 40-50% higher than the national average in major metros, while Texas falls below the national average. After adjusting for housing, taxes, and living expenses, the effective purchasing power gap narrows but does not fully close. Nurses in lower-cost Texas metros may retain more disposable income despite the lower nominal salary.
What is a comp ratio and how does it apply to nursing salaries?
A comp ratio is calculated by dividing an employee's current salary by the market median (or your organization's target percentile). For example, a Texas nurse earning $85,000 against a state median of $90,010 has a comp ratio of 0.94, which signals the employee is paid below market and may be a retention risk.
Is Texas or California better for nursing careers?
It depends on your priorities. California offers significantly higher nominal pay and mandated staffing ratios but comes with higher cost of living and state income tax. Texas offers lower cost of living, no state income tax, and strong job growth in healthcare. Both states have robust demand for registered nurses.
Where can I find BLS salary data for nurses in other states?
The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes state-by-state wage data through its Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program at bls.gov/oes. What It Pays™ organizes this data by role, state, and percentile to make benchmarking faster for both individuals and employers.
Dr. Bruce Brown is the founder of CompRatio LLC and the creator of What It Pays™. He holds a PhD in Human Resources and the SHRM-SCP certification, and works as a practicing HR professional.
Ready to benchmark nursing salaries? Explore the platform at whatitpays.com.
This article is intended for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Compensation practices vary by organization, jurisdiction, and circumstance. Nothing in this article should be relied upon as a substitute for consultation with a qualified HR professional or employment attorney regarding your specific situation. What It Pays™ and CompRatio LLC are not law firms and do not provide legal