Best cities for a clinical nurse specialist
The best cities for clinical nurse specialists are Oakland, CA, Fresno, CA, and Anaheim, CA, based on factors like average salary and job availability per capita. Jobs and pay for clinical nurse specialists vary across the country, but we've determined the ten best cities for clinical nurse specialists in the U.S.
Whether you're starting your career as a clinical nurse specialist or considering a move, this list of the best cities for clinical nurse specialists to live in will help you decide. These aren't just the best-paying cities for clinical nurse specialists. We also consider how easy it is to find work as a clinical nurse specialist. While the absolute best city for clinical nurse specialists is Oakland, CA, there are plenty of other great places to consider.
Keep reading to learn more about the best cities for clinical nurse specialists in 2024.
If you're looking for a clinical nurse specialist job, here are five companies hiring now:
10 best cities for clinical nurse specialists in 2025
1. Oakland, CA
Total clinical nurse specialist jobs: 19 Average annual salary: $121,174 Lowest 10 percent warn: $81,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $180,000 Location quotient: 4.00 2. Fresno, CA
Total clinical nurse specialist jobs: 11 Average annual salary: $118,456 Lowest 10 percent warn: $79,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $176,000 Location quotient: 3.96 3. Anaheim, CA
Total clinical nurse specialist jobs: 4 Average annual salary: $109,890 Lowest 10 percent warn: $74,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $161,000 Location quotient: 1.59 4. Riverside, CA
Total clinical nurse specialist jobs: 6 Average annual salary: $109,730 Lowest 10 percent warn: $74,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $161,000 Location quotient: 2.02 5. Long Beach, CA
Total clinical nurse specialist jobs: 3 Average annual salary: $109,948 Lowest 10 percent warn: $74,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $161,000 Location quotient: 0.99 6. Henderson, NV
Total clinical nurse specialist jobs: 4 Average annual salary: $86,275 Lowest 10 percent warn: $57,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $128,000 Location quotient: 2.90 7. Chula Vista, CA
Total clinical nurse specialist jobs: 3 Average annual salary: $105,343 Lowest 10 percent warn: $72,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $153,000 Location quotient: 4.19 8. Glendale, AZ
Total clinical nurse specialist jobs: 3 Average annual salary: $86,347 Lowest 10 percent warn: $58,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $126,000 Location quotient: 2.19 9. Los Angeles, CA
Total clinical nurse specialist jobs: 29 Average annual salary: $111,043 Lowest 10 percent warn: $75,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $163,000 Location quotient: 0.68 10. Philadelphia, PA
Total clinical nurse specialist jobs: 13 Average annual salary: $87,279 Lowest 10 percent warn: $59,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $127,000 Location quotient: 0.54
Choose from 10+ customizable clinical nurse specialist resume templates
Choose from a variety of easy-to-use clinical nurse specialist resume templates and get expert advice from Zippia’s AI resume writer along the way. Using pre-approved templates, you can rest assured that the structure and format of your clinical nurse specialist resume is top notch. Choose a template with the colors, fonts & text sizes that are appropriate for your industry.
Best cities for clinical nurse specialists
- Oakland, CA
- Fresno, CA
- Anaheim, CA
- Riverside, CA
- Long Beach, CA
- Henderson, NV
- Chula Vista, CA
- Glendale, AZ
- Los Angeles, CA
- Philadelphia, PA
- (19 clinical nurse specialist jobs)
- (11 clinical nurse specialist jobs)
- (4 clinical nurse specialist jobs)
- (6 clinical nurse specialist jobs)
- (3 clinical nurse specialist jobs)
- (4 clinical nurse specialist jobs)
- (3 clinical nurse specialist jobs)
- (3 clinical nurse specialist jobs)
- (29 clinical nurse specialist jobs)
- (13 clinical nurse specialist jobs)
Detailed list of the best cities for a clinical nurse specialist
| Rank | City | Average salary | Lowest 10% Earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oakland, CA | $121,174 | $81,000 | 420,005 | 19 |
| 2 | Fresno, CA | $118,456 | $79,000 | 522,053 | 11 |
| 3 | Anaheim, CA | $109,890 | $74,000 | 351,043 | 4 |
| 4 | Riverside, CA | $109,730 | $74,000 | 324,722 | 6 |
| 5 | Long Beach, CA | $109,948 | $74,000 | 470,130 | 3 |
| 6 | Henderson, NV | $86,275 | $57,000 | 292,969 | 4 |
| 7 | Chula Vista, CA | $105,343 | $72,000 | 267,172 | 3 |
| 8 | Glendale, AZ | $86,347 | $58,000 | 245,895 | 3 |
| 9 | Los Angeles, CA | $111,043 | $75,000 | 3,976,322 | 29 |
| 10 | Philadelphia, PA | $87,279 | $59,000 | 1,567,872 | 13 |
| 11 | Sacramento, CA | $120,908 | $80,000 | 495,234 | 4 |
| 12 | Irvine, CA | $109,216 | $74,000 | 266,122 | 9 |
| 13 | Mesa, AZ | $85,750 | $58,000 | 484,587 | 3 |
| 14 | Portland, OR | $110,394 | $74,000 | 639,863 | 5 |
| 15 | Minneapolis, MN | $104,571 | $69,000 | 413,651 | 6 |
| 16 | Bakersfield, CA | $115,826 | $78,000 | 376,380 | 1 |
| 17 | Phoenix, AZ | $86,336 | $58,000 | 1,615,017 | 20 |
| 18 | San Jose, CA | $120,535 | $80,000 | 1,025,350 | 11 |
| 19 | Fremont, CA | $120,794 | $81,000 | 233,136 | 3 |
| 20 | San Diego, CA | $105,814 | $72,000 | 1,406,630 | 17 |
| 21 | Tucson, AZ | $83,668 | $57,000 | 530,706 | 4 |
| 22 | Las Vegas, NV | $86,649 | $58,000 | 632,912 | 4 |
| 23 | San Francisco, CA | $121,347 | $81,000 | 870,887 | 8 |
| 24 | Aurora, CO | $88,558 | $60,000 | 361,710 | 6 |
| 25 | Chandler, AZ | $85,687 | $58,000 | 247,477 | 2 |
| 26 | Raleigh, NC | $82,562 | $55,000 | 458,880 | 6 |
| 27 | Anchorage, AK | $79,039 | $52,000 | 298,192 | 8 |
| 28 | Fort Wayne, IN | $71,466 | $48,000 | 264,488 | 2 |
| 29 | Saint Paul, MN | $104,620 | $69,000 | 302,398 | 1 |
| 30 | Boston, MA | $99,233 | $68,000 | 673,184 | 9 |
| 31 | Colorado Springs, CO | $89,007 | $60,000 | 465,101 | 5 |
| 32 | Seattle, WA | $98,827 | $65,000 | 704,352 | 9 |
| 33 | Tulsa, OK | $70,849 | $47,000 | 403,090 | 4 |
| 34 | Scottsdale, AZ | $86,375 | $58,000 | 246,645 | 1 |
| 35 | Stockton, CA | $120,564 | $80,000 | 307,072 | - |
| 36 | Milwaukee, WI | $93,593 | $62,000 | 595,047 | - |
| 37 | Madison, WI | $92,822 | $62,000 | 252,551 | - |
| 38 | Reno, NV | $90,469 | $60,000 | 245,255 | - |
| 39 | Pittsburgh, PA | $84,575 | $57,000 | 303,625 | 1 |
| 40 | Durham, NC | $82,657 | $56,000 | 263,016 | 2 |
| 41 | El Paso, TX | $77,627 | $52,000 | 683,080 | 1 |
| 42 | Greensboro, NC | $81,717 | $55,000 | 287,027 | 1 |
| 43 | Santa Ana, CA | $109,532 | $74,000 | 334,217 | - |
| 44 | Virginia Beach, VA | $87,232 | $59,000 | 452,602 | 1 |
| 45 | North Las Vegas, NV | $86,583 | $58,000 | 238,702 | - |
| 46 | Norfolk, VA | $87,084 | $59,000 | 245,115 | 1 |
| 47 | Houston, TX | $72,305 | $47,000 | 2,303,482 | 25 |
| 48 | Lexington, KY | $59,257 | $40,000 | 318,449 | 8 |
| 49 | Gilbert, AZ | $85,624 | $58,000 | 237,133 | - |
| 50 | Albuquerque, NM | $84,560 | $56,000 | 559,277 | - |
Highest paying cities for clinical nurse specialists
| Rank | City | Avg. clinical nurse specialist salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $121,347 |
| 2 | Salem, OR | $111,319 |
| 3 | Minneapolis, MN | $104,571 |
| 4 | Boston, MA | $99,233 |
| 5 | Seattle, WA | $98,827 |
| 6 | Madison, WI | $92,822 |
| 7 | Philadelphia, PA | $87,279 |
| 8 | Las Vegas, NV | $86,649 |
| 9 | Phoenix, AZ | $86,336 |
| 10 | Washington, DC | $85,086 |
| 11 | New York, NY | $84,644 |
| 12 | Durham, NC | $82,657 |
| 13 | Detroit, MI | $76,965 |
| 14 | Dallas, TX | $73,255 |
| 15 | Baltimore, MD | $72,859 |
| 16 | Chicago, IL | $71,325 |
| 17 | Atlanta, GA | $71,103 |
| 18 | Salt Lake City, UT | $66,862 |
| 19 | Knoxville, TN | $65,760 |
| 20 | Clearwater, FL | $57,801 |
Clinical nurse specialist best cities FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common healthcare practitioner and technical questions.
Search for clinical nurse specialist jobs
Updated January 8, 2025