Registered Nurse Salary: San Francisco, CA vs New York, NY
Side-by-side comparison of salary, taxes, cost of living, and take-home pay for Registered Nurses in San Francisco, CA and New York, NY, based on BLS OEWS 2026 data.
1Which City Pays More After Tax?
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | San Francisco, CA | New York, NY | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Annual Salary | $130,000▲ | $105,000 | +$25,000 |
| 25th Percentile | $100,000▲ | $80,000 | +$20,000 |
| 75th Percentile | $165,000▲ | $135,000 | +$30,000 |
| 90th Percentile | $200,000▲ | $165,000 | +$35,000 |
| Cost of Living Index | 186 | 187 | -1 |
| State Income Tax | 9.3% | 6.85%▲ | +2.450000000000001% |
| COL-Adjusted Median | $69,892▲ | $56,150 | +$13,742 |
| Est. Annual Take-Home | $108,949▲ | $90,374 | +$18,575 |
| COL-Adj. Take-Home | $58,575▲ | $48,328 | +$10,247 |
| Total Employment | 28,000 | 72,000 | -44,000 |
3Summary Analysis
On paper, San Francisco, CA pays $25,000 more (median: $130,000 vs $105,000). However, after adjusting for cost of living (index 186 vs 187), San Francisco, CA provides better purchasing power ($69,892 vs $56,150 equivalent). New York, NY has the lower state tax rate (6.85% vs 9.3%).
4More Registered Nurse City Comparisons
5How to Weigh This Comparison
The $25,000 nominal pay gap between San Francisco, CA and New York, NY is the wrong number to focus on in isolation. Cost-of-living indices of 186 and 187 mean the same paycheck stretches very differently in each market. The COL-adjusted figures above — $69,892 in San Francisco vs $56,150 in New York— are the closest proxy for "how much will your money actually buy." A meaningful gap of $13,742 on that axis usually beats any nominal salary difference.
Housing is the single biggest driver of cost-of-living differences. In New York, NY, expect housing to consume a larger share of gross income than in San Francisco, CA. If you're planning to rent, the COL index is a reasonable proxy for rent differences. If you're buying, expect purchase price differences to be sharper than the composite index suggests — housing tends to be the most inelastic component of cost of living.
Tax treatment matters but is usually smaller than COL impact. The 2.5% state tax rate difference (9.3% in California vs 6.85% in New York) translates to roughly $3,185 per year at these salary levels. States with no income tax (Texas, Florida, Washington, Nevada, Tennessee) often offset with higher property tax or sales tax, so factor in your housing and consumption patterns.
Career factors that don't show up in these numbers: total employment (with 28,000 positions in San Francisco vs 72,000 in New York, the larger market offers more lateral moves and promotion paths), industry concentration (tech-heavy cities like San Francisco, Seattle, Austin pay premiums for engineering roles but may underpay other occupations), and 3–5 year career trajectory (year-over-year employment growth of 3.5% in San Francisco vs 2.8% in New York reveals whether each market is expanding or contracting). For a broader context, see our California overview and the full Registered Nurse city ranking.