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How to Become a Nurse in California

How to Become a Nurse in California

Are you interested in becoming a nurse in California? California has more nurses than any other state. For its 2024 Survey of Registered Nurses, published in April 2026, the California Board of Registered Nursing counted 526,698 nurses holding an active California registered nurse (RN) license in February 2024, a figure that includes the advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs): certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs), certified nurse midwives (CNMs), clinical nurse specialists and nurse practitioners (NPs). California has a vast amount of opportunities available to become a nurse and, if desired, to expand your knowledge and schooling to become an APRN. Here are some California RN stats from that survey:

  • Nurses start later than they used to: among RNs who graduated in the 2010s and 2020s, only about one-third were under 25 at graduation and more than 63% were 30 or older
  • Average hours worked per week are 36.3, and 45.5% of working RNs usually work 12-hour shifts
  • More than a third of RNs speak a second language fluently; among them, nearly 15% speak Tagalog or another Filipino language and 14.3% speak Spanish
  • 52.8% work in hospital inpatient units or the emergency department
  • 7.8% work in hospital ambulatory units and another 6.1% in clinics, offices and surgery centers
  • 3.2% work for home health agencies

Educational Requirements

The first step to becoming a California RN is to obtain your high school diploma or equivalent. The next step is to decide what type of nursing school to attend. The Board of Registered Nursing lists 169 approved pre-licensure nursing programs in California (97 associate degree, 55 bachelor's degree and 17 entry-level master's programs as of October 2026) with varying tuitions and requirements. If possible, try not to limit yourself by applying to one program. Sometimes the wait lists can be extensive and seats limited.

Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN)

An ADN is offered at many community colleges and takes approximately 2-3 years. Obtaining an ADN is a great start to your nursing career in a cost-efficient way.

Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)

A BSN is a 4-year program that is offered at many California State Universities and some private colleges. While an ADN can open most doors for prospective nurses, obtaining your BSN may provide a higher earning potential or better opportunities for career advancement.

Entry Level Masters Program in Nursing (ELM)

This program is for prospective nurses who have a baccalaureate degree in another field. Depending on the number of prerequisites already completed, it takes approximately 1-2 years to obtain a masters degree through this program.

State Licensing Requirements

The California Board of Registered Nursing (BRN) is a key resource to completing all necessary tasks to be a California RN. To be licensed, complete the following:

  • Before you graduate, register for a BreEZe account and submit the RN Initial Exam Application online. The Board recommends applying online, and application fees are paid by credit card.
  • Once the application has been received, you will receive an email with a link to the BRN Live Scan form to complete required fingerprint processing. Live Scan must be done at a vendor in California; applicants outside the state use the FD-258 hard card instead, with a $49 processing fee.
  • When schooling has completed, your transcripts go to the Board. California Board-approved programs send them electronically when you finish; graduates of out-of-state programs arrange electronic transcripts from their school or a certified transcript vendor.

NCLEX-RN Examination

Regardless of the nursing program you graduated from, all nursing graduates take the same National Council Licensing Examination (NCLEX)-RN. This is a computerized test that is offered year-round at Pearson Professional Centers. It is recommended to take this exam as soon as you can after graduation as this is when you have the most knowledge retention and are likely to have a better success rate. Visit the NCLEX Test Centers website for locations.

If you are interested in taking NCLEX prep classes, there are many options available online. Some are listed below. Before signing up for one, talk with your instructors and classmates to see if they have had success with a previous program or recommend one.

Job Outlook and Opportunities

California is one state that is always looking for more nurses. The Board of Registered Nursing's regional forecast, published in April 2026, estimates that in 2026 every region of California except the Central Coast has a shortage of RNs, from 1.4% in the San Diego and Imperial County region to 8.1% in the Sacramento region. Those shortages are projected to resolve before 2032 as graduations grow and fewer nurses leave the state, although the Central Valley and Sierra and Central Coast regions are expected to stay below national benchmarks for nurses per capita.

Pay is strong. In the Board's 2024 survey, working RNs living in California reported average annual nursing earnings of $133,339, up from $125,170 in 2022, and nearly 70% earned more than $100,000 a year. However, certain areas in California pay more than others. If you want to maximize your salary, the San Francisco Bay Area is the place to be, where RNs reported $163,908 a year from all nursing positions. The Northern Counties ($122,565) and Los Angeles ($123,688) regions reported the lowest earnings among California residents. Many employers also offer shift differentials, which are certain shifts that pay more than others (e.g., evening or night shifts, weekends).

Resources and Support

There are many state and national resources available for nurses as you navigate through schooling and the difficulties of working in this new field.

So why nursing? Nursing is a rewarding career that has countless opportunities to both advance your career or specialize. You will always be in demand and can find the nursing niche that provides the most personal and professional rewards, whether that is working in the hospital in an inpatient unit, as an APRN, or even behind the scenes with an insurance company. Becoming a nurse in all these career opportunities have the same timeline:

  • Graduate with a high school diploma or equivalent
  • Apply and complete a nursing program
  • Fill out the application for the California Board of Registered Nursing and complete their requirements
  • Take the NCLEX-RN
  • Find a job!

Nursing is a work of heart – become a part of the nursing community today.

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