Pay for registered nurses across the country continues to hit new highs year after year. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics(BLS) is the main US agency that measures increases and decreases in pay, productivity, working conditions, and other market changes. According to the BLS, the average annual salary for registered nurses in 2022 was $75,330.
That average salary can vary greatly depending on where you live and work. In California, for example, the median RN salary is now $120,560. That's according to California's Employment Development Department(EDD). Of course even that number can vary wildly depending on years of experience, specialties, and location within the state.
South Dakota has the lowest average RN pay, at $59,540 annually.
RN Pay in Bakersfield and Kern County
Pay Differences Between RNs and LVNs
There are significant differences in pay when it comes to registered nurses and licensed vocational nurses. The average salary for registered nurses was $75,330 in 2022. For licensed vocational nurses, the average pay was $48,820, a difference of more than $25,000 a year.
In California, the difference is even more stark: The average pay for RNs in California is now $120,560 per year. For licensed vocational nurses, the average salary is $63,676 per year. That's a difference of over $55,000 a year!
Educational Differences Between RNs and LVNs
Licensed Vocational Nurses
The average LVN program can take anywhere from 10 to 18 months to complete. There are currently has 6 accredited LVN programs in Bakersfield.
Some of these programs require prerequisites (Bakersfield College, Bakersfield Adult School, And Kern River Valley Community College). The other 3 are private colleges, and don't require educational prerequisites.
Registered Nurses
RN programs take at least 18 months longer than for LVNs. BSN (Bachelor of Science in Nursing) programs can take up to 4 years if a student is going full-time. For students who begin their prerequisites on a part-time basis, it can take 5 or more years to complete.
There are also more prerequisite courses which must be completed if applying at Bakersfield Community College or Cal State Bakersfield. For Unitek and North-West College, required non-nursing coursework (Math, English, Science) is completed while attending the RN program.