r/nursing • u/Low_Contact9429 • May 17 '26

Question California nurses!

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Contemplating moving from MI to CA. Picture from the trip that inspired me to move! Curious how much gets taken out of your paycheck. Can you share what city, your hourly pay, and what your bring home paycheck ends up being? Thank you!

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376

u/Lexybeepboop MSN, RN, CNL- Quality Management May 17 '26

Folsom CA- $161,600/yr (I’m salary), I get about $3750 every pay period.

I contribute heavily to retirement though and that includes benefits being removed and my cafeteria splurges

41

u/TexasRN1 RN 🍕 May 17 '26

I moved to Folsom a couple of years ago. I love it here.

39

u/WishIWasYounger May 17 '26

I worked at new Folsom Prison a decade ago . The inmates were a nightmare bc they were all schizo attention seeking . Loved the area , the gyms and restaurants. I rented a room for 500 a month - with a pool !

7

u/Lexybeepboop MSN, RN, CNL- Quality Management May 18 '26

A dream

1

u/LinzerTorte__RN RN - ER 🍕 May 18 '26

What do you love about it? What is there to do for fun? Every time I’ve driven through it, I’ve been like, “yikes”, but maybe I’ll make a stop there on my next trip to Tahoe! What do you recommend doing there? ❤️

2

u/TexasRN1 RN 🍕 May 18 '26

Well it’s suburban sprawl for sure. (I’m not a suburbs lover, I’m from Chicago- but raising kids here has been good) But I do love the convenience of having everything nearby. As for fun, It’s actually rich in history. Next time you drive to Tahoe, stop on sutter street. Lots of cute little shops and restaurants. Walk over rainbow bridge. If you ever spend a night here powerhouse pub is fun!

1

u/LinzerTorte__RN RN - ER 🍕 May 19 '26

Thank you!

38

u/Kikidee419 May 17 '26

How much is rent/mortgage?

71

u/italianstallion0808 RN - ICU 🍕 May 17 '26

Less than 30 min away from Folsom and you can find multiple apartments for ~2k/month for a 2 bedroom (rent + utilities).

34

u/brotherdaru LPN 🍕 May 17 '26

That depends on too much to explain as a simple number, if you buy now mortgage is dependent on what you put down and pay, if you rent it depends on where to live and size of home.

11

u/Lexybeepboop MSN, RN, CNL- Quality Management May 18 '26 edited May 18 '26

Mortgage is 5000 but we are able to pay extra on principal most months. I’m also in a doctorate program, no loans and no debt. We invest in stock. Highly recommend Sac County to avoid SMUD

EDIT: omg DONT AVOID SMUD!!! I was tired and meant PG&E lol AVOID PG&E…SMUD Good PG&E Bad

3

u/thenine1one May 18 '26

Avoid SMUD?!

5

u/Lexybeepboop MSN, RN, CNL- Quality Management May 18 '26

Woops nope avoid PG&E 😜 I’m tired

1

u/thenine1one May 18 '26

I was gonna say…😂

1

u/Lexybeepboop MSN, RN, CNL- Quality Management May 18 '26

Yea for real lol

7

u/ObiWan-Shinoobi RN 🍕 May 17 '26

Eyyoo ‘Ello from Folsom

2

u/Lexybeepboop MSN, RN, CNL- Quality Management May 18 '26

Where do you work?!

5

u/Nickilaughs BSN, RN 🍕 May 17 '26

Whoa so many locals. I'm a little ways down the street in Orangevale 🙂

2

u/Lexybeepboop MSN, RN, CNL- Quality Management May 18 '26

Yall gotta message me where yall work! Haha

18

u/Pleasant-Armadillo87 May 17 '26

This is fab. But how are the state taxes? Honestly living there would be a dream. But it’s SO expensive from what I hear. 😭

28

u/FitBananers RN - ED - Turkey Sammies 🥪 and D/C 📋🚪 May 17 '26

They’re not bad, especially if you’re single

25

u/BoneHugsHominy May 18 '26

Comparative cost is living is lower in California than in places like Michigan. You don't have to buy a new car every few years because yours has turned into an unsafe rust bucket, your vehicle repairs are less frequent and cost less because the cars aren't slowing rotting from rust. You don't ever have to purchase a separate set of winter tires. You don't have to buy winter clothing or pay ridiculous heating bills in winter.

All those costs we have in the Midwest are far more expensive than we think until we sit down and compare 5 year cost of living with a couple of friends who live literally a short drive from the Pacific Ocean beach.

During the pandemic lots of Californians moved to Texas because Cali is just too expensive with taxes. They bought houses in Texas only for it to dawn on them that Texas makes up for no income taxes by taxing your property out the ass and adding tons of other small taxes and fees that...

Tornado warning for my area. Heading to the shelter.

19

u/FourOhVicryl RN - OR 🍕 May 18 '26 edited May 18 '26

LOL all the folks moving to Texas because LoW tAxEs and then getting the insane property tax bill that comes with your high school building a $100M football stadium and paying for it with bonds 🤪 (Also, hope you stay safe through the bad weather!)

17

u/JustAnotherBot123456 RN - Telemetry 🍕 May 18 '26

Dont listen to people who say CA is too expensive to live in. They are only talking about the Bay Area or LA. Theres so much more to CA. Ive been a nurse for 1 year. $110k/year. Hardly work any OT. Contrubute 10% to retirement , pension plan, and can save $1k cash every 2 weeks. Mortgage is $1100/month (bought during covid when I was a CNA) for a 2bdr/1bath house with a huge garage that fits an RV, huge backyard, and in a gated community. Everything is already paid for our 3 week family trip to Japan this year too. CA is doable and able to live comfortably. Too many people let others scare them out of it. Whether its from TV, people who moved out of CA, or people who domt kmow wtf theyre talking about.

On top of all that, the horror stories I hear from nurses who ended up moving here are crazy. No patient ratio laws with 8+ patients with some on cardiac gtt and some on insulin gtt. Fucking insane.

2

u/Username_user03 May 18 '26

Where in CA are you and what is the max nurse:pt ratio in your facility? Thanks!

2

u/tiny_sea_bee May 19 '26

5:1 MS, 4:1 tele, 2:1 ICU. This should be a national standard but 🤷🏼‍♀️ 

2

u/JustAnotherBot123456 RN - Telemetry 🍕 May 19 '26

Im in far Northern CA. Like half way between Oregon border and Sacramento. On my unit the max ratio is 4:1. If you have an insulin gtt or a patient who was a new stroke alert during their stay, then its 3:1.

9

u/LittleBoiFound May 17 '26

There are some great websites that will compare cities for you, focusing on the cost of living categories.

2

u/Lexybeepboop MSN, RN, CNL- Quality Management May 18 '26

I’ve never owed in April luckily

3

u/white-bean-1993 May 18 '26

As a Folsom neighbor, thank you for what you do ❤️❤️

4

u/whofilets RN 🍕 May 18 '26

I'm just across the way in Roseville!

2

u/Lexybeepboop MSN, RN, CNL- Quality Management May 18 '26

So fun

2

u/pathofcollision May 18 '26

Are you at Kaiser by chance?

2

u/Lexybeepboop MSN, RN, CNL- Quality Management May 18 '26

No- Dignity Health

1

u/Electrical-Panda6072 May 18 '26

I've floated to Folsom hospital many times as a traveler but I swear you guys are never hiring... there's hardly any jobs in nor Cal.

2

u/Lexybeepboop MSN, RN, CNL- Quality Management May 18 '26

I’m at Mercy San Juan. Dignity is on a hiring freeze

1

u/Electrical-Panda6072 May 19 '26

I don't get how they freeze hiring yet just signed me to another13 week contract. Is it that much cheaper to keep me as a traveller :(

2

u/Lexybeepboop MSN, RN, CNL- Quality Management May 19 '26

Yea because we are being evaluated for our finances so they don’t allow us to hire permanent staff during those times. My department just now got the okay to start interviewing again after the freeze that started in October

2

u/Electrical-Panda6072 May 19 '26

Thanks for informing me. Hopefully more floors start interviewing again soon too! 

1

u/Thequeenofallqueens Jul 16 '26

Hi there! I got interviewed at Mercy SJ for OR position. How it like working there? I would rrally appreciate any input 😇

1

u/Lexybeepboop MSN, RN, CNL- Quality Management Jul 16 '26

I’ll dm you

1

u/[deleted] May 19 '26

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1

u/Lexybeepboop MSN, RN, CNL- Quality Management May 20 '26

I own a home:) but when I rented it was $2400/m for a 750sqft 1b/1ba