Registered nurse · San Luis Obispo, CA

Registered nurse in San Luis Obispo: $3,919/mo left

BLS OEWS May 2025 puts the median registered nurse wage in San Luis Obispo at $138,820 a year. About 2,180 registered nurse jobs are in the metro. The job is a smaller share of local employment than nationwide (location quotient 0.82). The 10th percentile is $100,560 and the 90th is $199,540. Pay ranks 11th-highest of 374 metros with a published median for this job. Pay is 5.7× a year of one-bedroom rent ($2,013/mo). California taxes wage income on a bracket schedule. At this pay, one adult in a one-bedroom keeps $3,919 a month after tax and rent. The best nearby metro for this job is Vallejo, about 215 miles away, at $7,291 left over a month.

Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.

Left over each month

$3,919

1 adult, 1 bd

Pay

$138,820

$100,560 to $199,540

Rent (1 bd)

$2,013

$2,396 (2 bd)

Employment

2,180

Location quotient 0.82

Pay rank

11th of 374

Metros with a published median

Pay vs rent

5.7×

Annual pay ÷ a year of 1 bd rent

Where the money goes

1 adult, 1 bd, registered nurse pay of $138,820.

Taxes$3,510
Rent$2,013
Other living costs$2,126
Left over$3,919

Pay and tax, per year

Gross household pay: $138,820
Federal income tax: −$22,564
Social Security and Medicare: −$10,620
State income tax (CA): −$8,937
Take-home pay: $96,699
Effective tax rate: 30.3%

Living costs, per month

Rent, 1br: $2,013
Groceries: $433
Getting around: $556
Healthcare: $487
Utilities and internet: $271
Everything else: $379
Total spending: $4,139

Left over each month

$11,568 gross, minus $3,510 in tax and $4,139 in living costs.

$3,919

Rank every metro for a registered nurse

Same job. Local pay. After tax and rent. Best nearby: Vallejo, $7,291/mo.

Registered nurse leftover by city →Best cities for nurses to move to →

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Questions

What does a registered nurse make in San Luis Obispo?

$138,820 a year. That figure is the BLS OEWS May 2025 median for the metro. About 2,180 registered nurse jobs are in the metro.

What is left after tax and rent for a registered nurse in San Luis Obispo?

$3,919 a month for one adult in a one-bedroom. California taxes wage income on a bracket schedule Rent is $2,013, and pay covers 5.7× a year of it.

Where nearby would a registered nurse keep more?

Vallejo, about 215 miles away, leaves $7,291 a month, more than San Luis Obispo.