How Much Does an LPN Make in California in 2026?

A typical LPN in California earns about $38.34 per hour ($79,750 per year), per the latest government wage data (May 2025). That works out to roughly $6,646 a month and $1,534 a week, both calculated from the annual figure. Pay varies by city, employer, and experience, but this is where most LPNs in the state land.

That figure sits 24% above the national typical pay of $64,400 a year. It gives California the 6th-highest LPN pay among the 51 states and territories ranked. Roughly 82,850 LPNs work across the state, a workforce large enough that the pay figures reflect a wide range of cities and care settings.

Entry-level positions in California typically offer around $30.96 an hour, or about $64,390 a year, per the May 2025 wage data. That's where LPNs just starting out, or working in lower-paying settings, tend to land. Pay typically moves toward the state's typical figure of $79,750 within a few years of experience.

Experienced LPNs often earn upwards of $45.06 an hour, close to $93,720 a year, and the top 10% of earners make over $100,450 a year. The gap between entry-level and top pay comes to $36,060 a year. Setting, years on the job, and city all factor into where an individual LPN falls within that range.

California's typical LPN pay has climbed steadily over the past decade. In 2015, typical pay stood at $51,990 a year; by 2025 it reached $79,750, a gain of $27,760. That's a 53% rise over ten years.

That pace outstrips the national rise of 49% over the same period. California's LPN pay has grown faster than the country as a whole over the past ten years. For someone starting an LPN career in California now, recent years show pay that has moved up consistently, though past growth is no guarantee of future gains.

Pay runs highest in the Santa Clara metro area, where LPNs typically earn $95,320 a year ($45.83 an hour), about 20% above the statewide figure. San Jose and Sunnyvale, part of the same metro area, share that same figure. Fremont, San Francisco, and Oakland follow closely behind at $94,310 a year.

Pay is lowest in Visalia, where LPNs typically earn $73,540 a year ($35.36 an hour), a spread of $21,780 between the highest- and lowest-paying areas in the state. Anaheim has the largest LPN workforce at 33,590, with typical pay of $79,310 a year ($38.13 an hour). Higher pay in places like Santa Clara and San Francisco tends to track a higher cost of living, while lower-cost areas like Visalia pay less.

California's LPN pay compares closely with its neighbors. Oregon pays slightly more, at $80,470 a year, about 1% above California. Arizona and Nevada both pay less, at $77,070 and $76,160 a year, running 3% and 5% below California respectively. An LPN license earned in one of these states can often be transferred or endorsed into a neighboring state, making moves across state lines more manageable.

California LPNs typically earn $79,750 a year ($38.34 an hour) as of May 2025, a figure that has climbed 53% over the past decade. Pay varies by city and experience, with Santa Clara paying the most and Visalia the least. Readers weighing a move or a new license should check California's board of nursing for licensing requirements and review city-level pages for local pay figures before deciding where to work.