How Much Does an LPN Make in San Diego, CA in 2026?
Typical pay for LPNs in San Diego, from federal wage data (May 2025), with the ten-year trend and how the city compares across California.
BLS OES May 2025 · San Diego · Chula Vista · Carlsbad metro area
A typical LPN in San Diego, California earns $38.33 per hour, or $79,720 per year, according to the latest government wage data for the area (May 2025). Calculated from the annual figure, that is roughly $6,643 a month. Entry-level positions typically offer around $64,950, and the top 10% of earners make over $96,390.
That pay is right at the California figure of $79,750 and 24% above the national figure of $64,400. San Diego ranks 10th of 25 metro areas in California for LPN pay. About 6,610 LPNs work in the San Diego · Chula Vista · Carlsbad area. San Diego is part of the San Diego · Chula Vista · Carlsbad metro area, and BLS reports pay for the metro as a whole, so Carlsbad and Chula Vista share these figures.
LPN pay in San Diego at a glance
- Typical pay is $38.33 an hour, or $79,720 a year.
- That is right at the California figure, ranking 10th of 25 metro areas in the state.
- Entry-level positions typically offer around $64,950; the top 10% make over $96,390.
- Typical pay rose +48% from 2015 to 2025, against +53% for California as a whole.
BLS OES May 2025
How much does an LPN make in San Diego?
Pay in San Diego runs from entry-level positions at around $31.23 an hour to more than $46.34 for the top 10% of earners. The table sets each career stage against the California and national figures.
LPN pay by career stage in San Diego
| Career stage | San Diego | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | $64,950$31.23 an hour | $64,390$30.96 an hour | $49,740$23.91 an hour |
| First years | $75,440$36.27 an hour | $74,840$35.98 an hour | $59,000$28.37 an hour |
| Typical LPN | $79,720$38.33 an hour | $79,750$38.34 an hour | $64,400$30.96 an hour |
| Experienced | $89,040$42.81 an hour | $93,720$45.06 an hour | $76,030$36.55 an hour |
| Top 10% | $96,390$46.34 an hour | $100,450$48.29 an hour | $83,440$40.12 an hour |
BLS OES May 2025 · city figures cover the San Diego · Chula Vista · Carlsbad area as BLS defines it
LPN pay growth in San Diego
Typical (median) annual wage for LPNs in the San Diego · Chula Vista · Carlsbad area · BLS OES May estimates, 2015 to 2025 · hover a bar for the year-over-year change
In 2015, typical LPN pay in San Diego was $53,920 a year. By 2025 it had reached $79,720, a change of +48%, compared with +53% for California over the same years.
How San Diego compares with other California cities
Santa Clara pays LPNs the most in California at $95,320 a year, $15,600 more than San Diego. The lowest-paying area in the state is Visalia at $73,540.
| # | City | Typical pay | Hourly | Vs San Diego | LPNs employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Santa Clara | $95,320 | $45.83 | +20% | 3,290 |
| 2 | Fremont metro incl. San Francisco · Oakland | $94,310 | $45.34 | +18% | 8,800 |
| 3 | Santa Rosa metro incl. Petaluma | $92,580 | $44.51 | +16% | 870 |
| 4 | Vallejo | $85,430 | $41.07 | +7% | 870 |
| 5 | Napa | $83,690 | $40.24 | +5% | 280 |
| 6 | Roseville metro incl. Folsom · Sacramento | $81,570 | $39.22 | +2% | 4,760 |
| 7 | Santa Cruz metro incl. Watsonville | $81,000 | $38.94 | +2% | 340 |
| 8 | Salinas | $80,910 | $38.90 | +1% | 710 |
| 9 | Paso Robles metro incl. San Luis Obispo | $79,940 | $38.43 | 0% | 440 |
| 10 | San Diego metro incl. Carlsbad · Chula Vista | $79,720 | $38.33 | this city | 6,610 |
| 11 | Anaheim metro incl. Los Angeles · Long Beach | $79,310 | $38.13 | -1% | 33,590 |
| 12 | Ventura metro incl. Oxnard · Thousand Oaks | $79,020 | $37.99 | -1% | 1,230 |
| 13 | Santa Maria metro incl. Santa Barbara | $79,010 | $37.99 | -1% | 650 |
| 14 | Chico | $78,750 | $37.86 | -1% | 380 |
| 15 | Yuba City | $78,260 | $37.63 | -2% | 330 |
| 16 | Modesto | $78,200 | $37.59 | -2% | 1,120 |
| 17 | Lodi metro incl. Stockton | $77,830 | $37.42 | -2% | 1,430 |
| 18 | Corcoran metro incl. Hanford | $77,650 | $37.33 | -3% | 310 |
| 19 | Riverside metro incl. Ontario · San Bernardino | $76,970 | $37.01 | -3% | 8,200 |
| 20 | Delano metro incl. Bakersfield | $76,130 | $36.60 | -5% | 1,480 |
| 21 | Merced | $75,890 | $36.49 | -5% | 300 |
| 22 | Fresno | $75,580 | $36.34 | -5% | 2,360 |
| 23 | El Centro | $74,710 | $35.92 | -6% | 300 |
| 24 | Redding | $74,140 | $35.64 | -7% | 510 |
| 25 | Visalia | $73,540 | $35.36 | -8% | 830 |
Every metro area in California with LPN wage data · BLS OES May 2025 · California typical pay $79,750
Is San Diego a good place to work as an LPN?
LPNs in San Diego earn a strong wage by national standards: typical pay is $79,720 a year, 24% above the national figure. For every 1,000 jobs in the San Diego · Chula Vista · Carlsbad area, about 4.3 are LPN positions; nationally, the figure is closer to 4.2. LPN jobs make up about the same share of the job market as they do across the country.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does an LPN make in San Diego, CA?
- A typical LPN in San Diego earns $79,720 a year, or $38.33 an hour, according to BLS wage data for May 2025. Entry-level pay runs about $64,950 and the top 10% earn over $96,390.
- How much does an LPN make an hour in San Diego?
- Typical hourly pay for LPNs in San Diego is $38.33. Entry-level hourly pay runs about $31.23, and the top 10% earn over $46.34 an hour.
- What is the starting pay for an LPN in San Diego?
- Entry-level LPN positions in San Diego typically offer around $31.23 an hour, or $64,950 a year.
- Is LPN pay in San Diego higher than in the rest of California?
- San Diego pay is right at the California figure of $79,750 a year, ranking 10th of 25 metro areas in the state. Santa Clara pays the most in California at $95,320.