Kern County registered nurse salary, 2025
96 people worked as registered nurses for Kern County in 2025. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $143,230, overtime included.
What is the average registered nurse salary at Kern County?
Official pay range, public health nurses1
$110,591 to $165,471
from the lowest entry salary to the top of the highest title for public health nurses, the largest group
Based on the 65 of 96 registered nurses who worked the full year.
The largest group of Kern County's registered nurses (40 of 96) hold the title Public Health Nurse II, with an official salary of $147,538. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $140,409, below the bottom of the range.
- Median total pay
- $143,944
- the middle registered nurse: half earned more, half less
- Overtime
- $2,202
- average per full-year registered nurse
- Starting salary
- Not reported
- no official range reported
- Average pay rank
- 34th
- of 72 California employers
What does each registered nurse title at Kern County pay?
Each bar is the official range for one title, lowest first. The dot marks the average total pay of full-year staff in that title, where at least 5 people stand behind it.1
Public health nurses
- Public Health Nurse I$113,540
- Public Health Nurse II$140,409
- Public Health Nurse III$165,652
Behavioral health nurses
- Mental Health Nurse I$115,794
- Mental Health Nurse IIFewer than 5
- Behavioral Health Nurse III$164,218
- Per Diem Nurse IINot reported
official range average total pay, full year. "Fewer than 5" means too few full-year people in that title to show.
Nurse practitioner and LVN pay at Kern County
Counted on their own, kept out of the registered nurse figures on this page. Each group's name leads to its statewide overview. Range: the middle reported bottom and top of each group's official ranges. Pay: average total pay of full-year staff, overtime included.1
| Nurses | People | Official range | Average total pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registered nurses | 96 | $110,591 to $165,471 | $143,230 |
| Nurse practitioners | 5 | $203,045 | Fewer than 5 |
| LVNs | 35 | $80,346 | $95,305 |
Does Kern County pay registered nurses more than other employers in Kern County?
Average total pay of full-year registered nurses: Kern County next to every employer in the county together, and the whole state.1
- Kern County$143,230
- All employers in Kern County$137,969
- All employers in California$181,164
Full-year registered nurses at Kern County earned $5,261 more than the Kern County average and $37,934 less than the California average.
Average registered nurse pay in Kern County compared to nearby counties
Average total pay of full-year registered nurses across all employers in each county that borders Kern County, and how much more or less it pays.1
- Ventura County$158,583 average, 1 employer$20,614 more than Kern County
- Los Angeles County$155,869 average, 5 employers$17,900 more than Kern County
- San Bernardino County$138,514 average, 3 employers$545 more than Kern County
- Inyo County$130,007 average, 3 employers$7,962 less than Kern County
- Tulare County$125,259 average, 3 employers$12,710 less than Kern County
- Santa Barbara County$120,448 average, 3 employers$17,521 less than Kern County
- San Luis Obispo County$116,809 average, 1 employer$21,160 less than Kern County
- Kings County$98,491 average, 1 employer$39,478 less than Kern County
Where does Kern County rank among California employers?
Every employer with at least 5 full-year registered nurses, by average total pay.1
All 72 California employers
Kern County ranks 34th of 72, above the middle employer.
Middle employer: $138,446
Each bar counts the employers whose average total pay falls in a $5,000 band. The dashed line marks the middle employer.
Pension and health cover at Kern County
As reported by the county. Contributions are what the employer paid per full-year registered nurse, on top of wages.1
- Pension formula
- 1.62% at 65
- the most common formula among Kern County's registered nurses
- Employer pension contribution
- $57,765
- average per year
- Health, dental and vision
- $15,932
- average paid by the employer per year
Questions about registered nurse pay at Kern County
What is the average registered nurse salary at Kern County?
Registered nurses at Kern County who worked the full year earned an average of $143,230 in 2025, overtime included. The middle registered nurse earned $143,944: half earned more, half less. The official pay range across its registered nurse titles runs from $110,591 to $165,471.
How much overtime do registered nurses at Kern County earn?
Full-year registered nurses were paid an average of $2,202 in overtime in 2025. The middle one was paid $0: a few people with a lot of overtime pull the average up.
How much does a nurse practitioner make at Kern County?
The official range for nurse practitioners at Kern County runs from $203,045 to $203,045 in 2025. Too few worked the full year for an average.
What pension do registered nurses at Kern County get?
The most common pension formula among Kern County's registered nurses is 1.62% at 65, as reported by the county. The employer paid an average of $57,765 a year into the pension plan.
More salaries in Kern County
- Kern County Hospital Authority$137,128 average total pay
- Kern Valley Hospital Districtregistered nurse pay
- North Kern-South Tulare Hospital Districtregistered nurse pay
- West Side Health Care Districtregistered nurse pay
- Highest registered nurse salaries in CaliforniaThe best-paying employers, ranked
- 911 dispatcher salaries at Kern County$100,010 average total pay
- Social worker salaries at Kern County$85,504 average total pay
- Water operator salaries at Kern County$71,408 average total pay
- Firefighter salaries at Kern County$117,743 average total pay
- Correctional officer salaries at Kern County$115,670 average total pay
- Librarian salaries at Kern CountyPay by title
- Paramedic and EMT salaries at Kern County$87,780 average total pay
- Teacher salaries in Kern CountyEvery school district's salary schedule
Sources for the Kern County figures
Every person who held a registered nurse position at Kern County at any point in 2025 counts toward the headcount. Pay figures use only people who worked roughly the full year: those whose regular pay reached at least 90% of the bottom of their official range. Total pay is gross wages before tax, including overtime, lump sums and other pay. Averages lead; the median total pay is the middle person's, with half above and half below, and is less pulled by a few people with very high pay. Every figure covers at least 5 people.
- State Controller's Office, Government Compensation in California, 2025: positions, official pay ranges, wages, pension formula and employer contributions as reported by Kern County.