CA · Oakland · Updated October 15, 2026

Licensed Practical Nurse jobs in Oakland, CA

The median licensed practical nurse pay in the Oakland area is $43.66 per hour ($90,810 a year), with the typical range running from $37.91 to $48.38. 2 open roles with published pay are listed for Oakland and its metro area. The CMS hospital directory lists 5 hospitals in Oakland. The free report below lists employers near Oakland and what they pay.

Open Licensed Practical Nurse roles near Oakland

Roles in other cities of the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont area.

PermanentPosted today

Vocational Nurse-Primary Care

Veterans Health Administration · San Francisco, CA

$58k–$106k/ year
  • Full-time
  • Req 888957600
Top 25% payNew this week
View role
PermanentPosted 8 days ago

Licensed Vocational Nurse

Veterans Health Administration · San Francisco, CA

$58k–$106k/ year
  • Full-time
  • Req 888064700
Top 25% pay
View role

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Named employers near Oakland, what they pay and the roles open now. Free for candidates, email only.

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Licensed Practical Nurse pay in Oakland, CA

The metro median is 18% above the California statewide median of $37.10 per hour. Nationally the median is $29.97 per hour. BLS counts about 8,290 licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses employed in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont metro area, 3.4 per 1,000 jobs. Employment is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole (location quotient 0.84).

LevelPer hourPer yearCompared with U.S.
Lowest 10%$36.19$75,28021% above U.S. median
Lower quartile$37.91$78,85026% above U.S. median
Median$43.66$90,81046% above U.S. median
Upper quartile$48.38$100,63061% above U.S. median
Top 10%$51.65$107,43072% above U.S. median

How Oakland ranks

  • 2nd of 386 U.S. metro areas by median hourly pay
  • 3rd of 341 after adjusting for local prices
  • 2nd of 24 California metro areas

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024, Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses (SOC 29-2061), all industries. This is what employers report paying, not an offer for a specific role.

What your pay buys in Oakland

  • Overall prices in San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont run 16% above the U.S. average (index 115.6, U.S. = 100).
  • Housing is the biggest driver: 95% above the U.S. average (index 194.7).
  • Adjusted for local prices, a $43.66 median hour buys what $37.76 buys at the national price level, 26% above the national median.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024. Prices are for the metro area, not for a single neighborhood.

Estimate your Oakland paycheck

Estimated weekly gross$1,572
  • Per year: $78,588
  • Per month: $6,549

Gross pay before taxes and benefits, from BLS pay levels for the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont metro area. For take-home pay use the take-home pay calculator.

Travel assignment per diem in Oakland

ItemFederal rate
Lodging per night$145
Meals and incidentals per day$92
Per week (7 nights, 7 days)$1,659
13-week assignment$21,567

Travel licensed practical nurse assignments commonly pay housing and meals stipends. The GSA per diem is the federal benchmark for what those stipends can be tax-free. Whether a stipend is tax-free for you depends on keeping a valid tax home, so confirm with your recruiter and a tax professional. Compare with your offer in the travel pay calculator.

Source: U.S. General Services Administration per diem rates, fiscal year 2026 (average across months).

Hospitals in Oakland

CMS lists 5 hospitals in Oakland, 1 of the 3 rated ones with 4 or 5 stars. Hospitals are a major employer of licensed practical nurses.

HospitalTypeOwnershipCMS ratingEmergency
Alta Bates Summit Medical Center
Oakland, CA
Acute careNonprofit5 of 5Yes
Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Oakland/Richmond
Oakland, CA
Acute careNonprofit2 of 5Yes
Highland Hospital
Oakland, CA
Acute careGovernment and federal1 of 5Yes
Ucsf Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland
Oakland, CA
Children'sNonprofitNot ratedYes
Telecare Heritage Psychiatric Health Facility
Oakland, CA
PsychiatricFor-profitNot ratedNo

Source: CMS Hospital General Information, public data. A directory of hospitals, not a list of our clients.

Primary care shortage areas in Alameda County

HRSA lists 13 active primary care shortage designations that include Alameda County (13 facility). The highest-scoring one rates 20 on a 0 to 25 scale, where a higher score means a greater shortage.

Shortage areas are where demand for nurses, nurse practitioners, physician assistants and other clinicians is greatest. Federal loan repayment programs such as the NHSC and Nurse Corps cover some clinicians who work at eligible shortage-area sites. Eligibility is set by each program and by the site, so ask your recruiter before you plan around it.

Source: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas data warehouse, designated areas only. A designation can cover part of a county.

Licensed Practical Nurse pay in nearby cities

CityDistanceMedian payPopulation
Alameda, CA3 mi$43.66/hr78,795
San Leandro, CA6 mi$43.66/hr86,571

Licensed Practical Nurse jobs in California · Licensed Practical Nurse jobs nationwide

License and tax basics in California

California is not in the Nurse Licensure Compact as of October 15, 2026, so a nurse licensed elsewhere applies to the California board for a license by endorsement before working here.

California taxes wage income. Use your own rates in the take-home pay calculator.

California state guide · Nurse Licensure Compact guide

Other healthcare roles in Oakland

Oakland city guide: hospitals, employers and licensing

Common questions

How much do licensed practical nurses make in Oakland, CA?

Licensed Practical Nurses in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont metro area have a median pay of $43.66 per hour, about $90,810 a year. The middle half earn between $37.91 and $48.38 per hour (BLS, May 2024).

Is Oakland a good place for licensed practical nurses once cost of living is counted?

San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont ranks 3rd of 341 metro areas for licensed practical nurse pay after adjusting for local prices, and 2nd of 386 before adjusting. Overall prices run 16% above the U.S. average.

Who is hiring licensed practical nurses in Oakland?

We list 2 open roles with published pay from 1 employer in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont area. Your free report adds named employers and pay near Oakland.

Do I need a California license to work in Oakland as a licensed practical nurse?

California is not in the Nurse Licensure Compact as of October 15, 2026, so a nurse licensed elsewhere applies to the California board for a license by endorsement before working here. Confirm with the board before you accept a role.

Is Oakland in a shortage area?

HRSA lists 13 active primary care shortage designations that include Alameda County. Shortage areas often have more openings, and some loan repayment programs cover clinicians who work at eligible sites.

What is the per diem for a travel assignment in Oakland?

The federal per diem benchmark in Oakland is $145 a night for lodging and $92 a day for meals and incidentals, about $1,659 a week (GSA, fiscal year 2026). Your actual stipend depends on the assignment and your tax home.

Does Valorem Health place licensed practical nurses in Oakland?

Yes. We place healthcare staff in Oakland and across California. Tell us your profession and we email the roles open near Oakland.

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What do employers near Oakland pay licensed practical nurses? Get the report.

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  1. 1
    Pay for your role at other hospitals

    The hourly pay at named employers near you, so you see who pays most.

  2. 2
    What they are offering now

    The pay range and median across current postings, and how many were posted this month.

  3. 3
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Pay report · LPN / LVN near Oakland, CA
Valorem Health Shift ReportFrom your recruiting team · [email protected]

Your LPN / LVN pay reportOakland, CA · pay published by hospitals, collected October 15, 2026

1Pay for your role at other hospitals

  • CommonSpirit HealthWOODLAND, CA · 5 postings$41.23/ hr$31–$51
  • Enloe Medical CenterChico, CA · 2 postings$40.37/ hr$34–$48
  • Veterans Health AdministrationSan Francisco, CA · 8 postings$39.44/ hr$27–$57
  • AccentCarePetaluma, CA · 2 postings$36.94/ hr$23–$47

Median posted pay per hour, with the range each employer published.

2What they are offering now

Low$28Median$35.27High$44

73 LPN / LVN postings with published pay in California, 67 of them posted in the last 30 days. Month-by-month history by employer comes with your full report.

3Open now: 73 LPN / LVN roles

  1. Vocational Nurse (Wound Care)Permanent
    $91k–$118k/ year
    Veterans Health Administration · Palo Alto, CA · posted today
  2. LVNPermanent
    $45.27–$51.06/ hour
    CommonSpirit Health · Woodland, CA · posted today

+ 71 more in your report. Each one has pay, shift and start date.

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