RN-MSN bridge programs are designed for RN generalists, as well aspiring educators, clinical leaders and administrators, not to mention the specialized programs specific to the various areas of advanced practice. In 2013 APNs made up 10.4 percent of California’s nursing workforce. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) California is the nation’s highest paying state for nurse midwives and the third highest paying for nurse practitioners.
The 2012 national survey of the Advance Healthcare Network of Nurses showed that in the Western region of the US, RNs with an associate’s degree earned an average annual salary of $71,469, while with a bachelor’s degree earned an average of $75,973. In contrast, MSN-educated RNs in the Western US earned no less than $12,000 more at $87,933, on average.
In 2013 there were 5,507 students enrolled in RN-MSN programs throughout California, 3,647 of which were studying to become APNs. Most of those (2,932) were in nurse practitioner programs, 202 were planning to become nurse anesthetists and 37 were preparing to become nurse midwives. The remaining 1,860 MSN program enrollees were preparing for jobs in general practice, education and leadership.
Regional Salaries for California’s Nurse Practitioners
There are 9,200 nurse practitioners in California, 2,070 of them work in the Los Angeles metropolitan area, which has the third highest employment level in the country for this professional designation. The 2013 BLS occupational salary survey reports the following for California’s nurse practitioners.
Experience
Annual Salary
Hourly Wage
75th Percentile
$127430
$61.26
90th Percentile
$149050
$71.66
The California Workforce and Development Agency reports the following hourly wages for nurse practitioners during the first quarter of 2014.
California Area
Entry-Level
Average
Experienced
Statewide
$45.29
$53.79
$61.98
Humboldt
$38.04
$42.44
$46.81
Imperial
$36.80
$50.06
$55.78
Los Angeles
$44.44
$52.97
$62.54
Riverside
$46.18
$53.37
$57.73
Sacramento
$39.97
$50.11
$61.40
San Diego
$46.86
$56.54
$63.68
San Francisco
$49.40
$61.15
$73.04
Shown for comparison, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics provides a full analysis of the results of its 2013 salary survey of California’s nurse practitioners in key areas throughout the state:
Area name
Employment
Hourly mean wage
Annual mean wage
Hourly median wage
Hourly 75th percentile wage
Hourly 90th percentile wage
Annual median wage
Annual 75th percentile wage
Annual 90th percentile wage
Bakersfield-Delano CA
160
51.93
108000
52.29
57.36
65.07
108760
119310
135350
Chico CA
50
50.33
104680
51.72
57.97
65.60
107570
120570
136450
Fresno CA
280
53.42
111120
53.21
59.05
69.06
110670
122810
143640
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale CA Metropolitan Division
2070
52.36
108910
52.43
61.82
70.28
109060
128580
146180
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana CA
2810
51.47
107070
51.38
59.87
69.36
106870
124530
144270
Madera-Chowchilla CA
80
55.14
114690
56.09
62.45
69.59
116680
129890
144750
Modesto CA
140
50.14
104290
50.12
56.79
69.02
104250
118110
143560
Napa CA
50
52.74
109690
51.25
56.34
65.66
106610
117190
136560
Oakland-Fremont-Hayward CA Metropolitan Division
1040
53.81
111920
55.19
65.56
72.83
114800
136360
151490
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura CA
150
55.82
116110
53.32
57.53
66.17
110910
119670
137640
Redding CA
50
41.86
87070
42.55
48.13
54.57
88510
100110
113510
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario CA
1000
52.75
109710
51.74
57.06
74.22
107610
118690
154380
Sacramento--Arden-Arcade--Roseville CA
660
49.53
103020
51.35
60.69
68.01
106800
126240
141460
San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos CA
820
55.89
116240
54.15
62.94
75.45
112630
130920
156930
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont CA
1530
55.96
116400
56.52
67.67
78.22
117570
140760
162700
San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City CA Metropolitan Division
500
60.44
125720
59.88
72.19
84.05
124540
150160
174820
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara CA
410
64.39
133930
65.39
78.52
87.91
136010
163310
182850
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles CA
70
50.81
105680
49.45
54.83
58.91
102850
114050
122530
Santa Ana-Anaheim-Irvine CA Metropolitan Division
740
48.98
101880
48.68
55.89
64.96
101260
116250
135110
Santa Barbara-Santa Maria-Goleta CA
130
47.23
98240
45.97
53.60
59.64
95620
111480
124050
Santa Cruz-Watsonville CA
40
53.91
112130
53.89
58.42
67.44
112090
121510
140270
Santa Rosa-Petaluma CA
90
50.63
105320
51.08
58.80
67.12
106250
122300
139620
Stockton CA
80
61.68
128290
50.64
66.06
90.00*
105320
137400
187199*
Vallejo-Fairfield CA
140
48.93
101770
49.72
55.82
59.14
103420
116100
123010
Visalia-Porterville CA
120
51.35
106800
52.53
57.41
63.30
109260
119420
131660
North Coast Region of California nonmetropolitan area
90
41.95
87250
41.89
46.27
53.95
87140
96230
112230
Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area
Estimate not released
45.25
94110
47.02
53.52
57.05
97810
111310
118670
Regional Salaries for California’s Nurse Anesthetists
The 950 nurse anesthetists who were employed in California during 2013 earned the following salaries.
Experience
Annual Salary
Hourly Wage
75th Percentile
$184530
$88.72
90th Percentile
$187199*
$90.00*
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that nurse anesthetist salaries in various areas of California are as follows:
Area name
Employment
Hourly mean wage
Annual mean wage
Hourly median wage
Hourly 75th percentile wage
Hourly 90th percentile wage
Annual median wage
Annual 75th percentile wage
Annual 90th percentile wage
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale CA Metropolitan Division
280
85.34
177510
83.12
89.85
90.00*
172880
186890
187199*
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana CA
310
83.17
172990
82.59
89.32
90.00*
171800
185790
187199*
Oakland-Fremont-Hayward CA Metropolitan Division
160
81.15
168780
81.15
88.83
90.00*
168790
184770
187199*
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario CA
80
64.41
133970
71.58
81.60
88.24
148880
169730
183530
San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos CA
90
71.99
149730
78.61
85.33
90.00*
163510
177480
187199*
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont CA
310
78.49
163270
81.60
89.59
90.00*
169720
186350
187199*
San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City CA Metropolitan Division
150
75.60
157260
82.12
90.00*
90.00*
170820
187199*
187199*
Regional Salaries for California’s Nurse Midwives
There were 280 actively employed nurse midwives in California in 2013. California’s nurse midwives enjoyed the highest salaries in the nation for their profession, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Experience
Annual Salary
Hourly Wage
75th Percentile
$144180
$69.32
90th Percentile
$162600
$78.19
The following table lists the salaries of nurse midwives in various regions of California. According to the BLS, Oakland/Fremont/Hayward and Los Angeles/Long Beach/Glendale are the highest and second-highest paying metropolitan areas in the nation for this occupation.
Area name
Employment
Hourly mean wage
Annual mean wage
Hourly median wage
Hourly 75th percentile wage
Hourly 90th percentile wage
Annual median wage
Annual 75th percentile wage
Annual 90th percentile wage
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale CA Metropolitan Division
60
58.93
122580
62.42
70.46
78.69
129820
146550
163680
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana CA
90
57.90
120420
61.95
70.59
79.82
128860
146820
166030
Oakland-Fremont-Hayward CA Metropolitan Division
70
62.21
129390
62.51
69.77
77.64
130030
145120
161480
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont CA
90
58.78
122250
59.86
68.28
74.29
124510
142020
154510
*These values represent earnings that are at or above $187,199 per year and $90 per hour. The US Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics does not report salaries in California beyond this threshold.
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