Job market

**NickiLaughs, ADN, BSN, RN** · Dec 8, 2015

Really rough for new grads. The hardest job markets are: San Diego, SF Bay Area, Los Angeles, Sacramento. It's not really easy anywhere in California. Even experienced nurses can find it challenging.

RunBabyRN · Dec 19, 2015

California is one of the toughest states for finding work, partly because the salaries are much higher here than in other states (with a commensurate cost of living, however). I have heard recently that places like Modesto, Eureka, Crescent City, Redding, Bakersfield, etc are hiring. I applied in Eureka a year ago, and got two calls from a recruiter up there this month. I have no acute care experience yet. If you're not fixated on a major city, those smaller towns can be your ticket to gaining experience you'll need.

db2xs · Dec 19, 2015

Since you say you've been accepted into several programs, I am going to assume that you are a new grad.

I echo what Nicki and RunBaby say. California in general is a hard market to penetrate, but it is not impossible. The highest paying nursing wages will be in the Nor Cal area (San Francisco), but it is also probably the hardest to penetrate. Again, not impossible, but very, very difficult. Myself and several other people I know had to leave Nor Cal to get jobs in So Cal or Central Valley. But I also know people who managed to get jobs up there.

Central Valley is probably the easiest to get a job. The Los Angeles area would be the second "easiest," as it is large and has a lot of different healthcare facilities.

California nurses have a strong union, so this is another good reason to get a job here. But not all hospitals are created equal, which is okay, because once you get some experience, you can move onto another job.