Orange County registered nurse salary, 2025
360 people worked as registered nurses for Orange County in 2025. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $146,684, overtime included.
What is the average registered nurse salary at Orange County?
Official pay range, health system nurses1
$87,235 to $162,926
from the lowest entry salary to the top of the highest title for health system nurses, the largest group
Based on the 291 of 360 registered nurses who worked the full year.
Most of Orange County's registered nurses (185 of 360) hold the title Comprehensive Care Nurse II, with an official range of $127,525 to $146,099. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $156,917, $10,818 above the top of the range.
- Median total pay
- $143,781
- the middle registered nurse: half earned more, half less
- Overtime
- $5,587
- average per full-year registered nurse
- Starting salary
- $87,235
- bottom of the Registered Nurse range
- Average pay rank
- 30th
- of 72 California employers
What does each registered nurse title at Orange 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
Health system nurses
- Registered Nurse$103,399
- Senior Registered NurseFewer than 5
- Comprehensive Care Nurse IFewer than 5
- Senior Comprehensive Care Nurse$175,466
- Comprehensive Care Nurse II$156,917
Public health nurses
- Public Health Nurse$131,992
Behavioral health nurses
- Behavioral Health Nurse$126,234
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 Orange 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 | 360 | $87,235 to $162,926 | $146,684 |
| Nurse practitioners | 26 | $186,555 to $191,651 | $194,871 |
| LVNs | 71 | $66,518 to $82,659 | $94,203 |
Full-year nurse practitioners averaged $194,871, $48,187 more than registered nurses.
Does Orange County pay registered nurses more than other employers in Orange County?
Average total pay of full-year registered nurses: Orange County next to every employer in the county together, and the whole state.1
- Orange County$146,684
- All employers in Orange County$182,207
- All employers in California$181,164
Full-year registered nurses at Orange County earned $35,523 less than the Orange County average and $34,480 less than the California average.
Average registered nurse pay in Orange County compared to nearby counties
Average total pay of full-year registered nurses across all employers in each county that borders Orange County, and how much more or less it pays.1
- San Diego County$165,443 average, 4 employers$16,764 less than Orange County
- Los Angeles County$155,869 average, 5 employers$26,338 less than Orange County
- Riverside County$150,366 average, 1 employer$31,841 less than Orange County
- San Bernardino County$138,514 average, 3 employers$43,693 less than Orange County
Where does Orange County rank among California employers?
Every employer with at least 5 full-year registered nurses, by average total pay.1
All 72 California employers
Orange County ranks 30th 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 Orange 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 Orange County's registered nurses
- Employer pension contribution
- $13,490
- average per year
- Health, dental and vision
- $17,131
- average paid by the employer per year
Questions about registered nurse pay at Orange County
What is the average registered nurse salary at Orange County?
Registered nurses at Orange County who worked the full year earned an average of $146,684 in 2025, overtime included. The middle registered nurse earned $143,781: half earned more, half less. The official pay range across its registered nurse titles runs from $87,235 to $162,926.
How much overtime do registered nurses at Orange County earn?
Full-year registered nurses were paid an average of $5,587 in overtime in 2025. The middle one was paid $1,064: a few people with a lot of overtime pull the average up.
What is the starting salary for a registered nurse at Orange County?
$87,235 a year: the bottom of the official range for Orange County's Registered Nurse title in 2025, as reported. Pay rises with steps and overtime; full-year registered nurses averaged $146,684 in total pay.
How much does a nurse practitioner make at Orange County?
Full-year nurse practitioners at Orange County averaged $194,871 in total pay in 2025, overtime included, on an official range of $186,555 to $191,651.
What pension do registered nurses at Orange County get?
The most common pension formula among Orange County's registered nurses is 1.62% at 65, as reported by the county. The employer paid an average of $13,490 a year into the pension plan.
More salaries in Orange County
- University of California, Irvine$185,774 average total pay
- Anaheimregistered nurse pay
- Highest registered nurse salaries in CaliforniaThe best-paying employers, ranked
- 911 dispatcher salaries at Orange County$113,562 average total pay
- Social worker salaries at Orange County$98,479 average total pay
- Water operator salaries at Orange County$109,811 average total pay
- Librarian salaries at Orange County$102,020 average total pay
- Teacher salaries in Orange CountyEvery school district's salary schedule
Sources for the Orange County figures
Every person who held a registered nurse position at Orange 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 Orange County.