Most people don't know it, but San Jose, CA, is the 10th largest city in the country. Sometimes called the Capital of Silicon Valley (although Palo Alto and Mountain View would like a word), San Jose is the largest metro area in the Santa Clara Valley, now known more for tech than apricots and almonds. Part of the nine Bay Area counties, San Jose is located in Santa Clara County and boasts the great weather, innovative mindset, food scene, natural beauty, and crazy housing prices that the rest of the Valley does.
If you're thinking of looking for nursing jobs in San Jose, here is more about what this area has to offer nursing professionals both on and off the job.
First Facts About Nursing Jobs: San Jose
- Is California a compact state? No. All RNs must be licensed by the California Board of Registered Nursing.
- What's the average RN salary in San Jose? The mean salary for RN jobs in San Jose is $160,020, easily out pacing the national average salary for registered nurses of $89,010.
- Where can I find information about becoming a licensed RN in California? The CA.gov website has extensive information on licensure by exam requirements.
What to Know About and Where to Look for Nursing Jobs in San Jose
As of early 2023, the population of San Jose increased to 1,821,000, making it a major metropolitan force in the area. Since all those residents need healthcare, there are many power-house hospital systems in the area catering to the expanding population. Not only RNs, but CNAs and LVNs/LPNs can look for many types of work and work schedules including full-time, part-time, contract, temporary, and per diem nursing jobs in San Jose.
Also affecting the demand for nurses are the city's demographics. San Jose has a median age of 37.5. Once known as "Man Jose," as men drawn by the tech industry vastly outnumbered women, the city still has a slightly higher male than female population at 50.8% to 49.1%. San Jose is the seventh oldest city in California by median age, so the need for nurses and healthcare professionals of all types will most likely continue to increase.
Part of the most diverse state in the country, San Jose also boasts a varied population with particularly large Asian and Hispanic communities. Your cultural competency skills will be exercised in this city, as will any language skills you bring to the table. Nearly 60% of people in San Jose speak only English at home, which means more than 40% speak other languages as well, including Spanish, Chinese, Tagalog, Vietnamese, Hindi, Korean, and many more.
Working in San Jose: Nursing Jobs and More
San Jose options for work are as diverse as the city. The major industries in San Jose include tech, professional, scientific and tech services, manufacturing, healthcare, and social assistance. Biotech companies abound in Silicon Valley, offering some non-traditional options for nursing jobs in San Jose and the surrounding area.
Some of the top employers in San Jose are the expected tech giants like Google, Cisco, PayPal, and Adobe, but there are also massive healthcare companies and systems in the area including Kaiser Permanente, Sutter Health, and Stanford Health Care (based just north in Palo Alto).
Despite its major healthcare companies, San Jose comes in #5 on the list of large metros with the fewest healthcare workers per capita. That means nurses are needed. Certainly, with major hospitals in the city, there will be many acute care jobs to choose from. The largest hospitals in San Jose include:
- Santa Clara Valley Medical Center
- Good Samaritan Hospital
- Regional Medical Center of San Jose
Living in San Jose
Getting to your nursing job in San Jose might be a challenge, as you'll spend about a half an hour each way in the car heading to work with more than 75% of your neighbors. Mass transit is also available, with Caltrain zooming up and down the region from San Jose all the way to San Francisco. There is also a fairly extensive bus system and light rail (part of the Valley Transit Authority) as well as the wide freeways and expressways Californians count on.
The good news is that you can drive to work with the windows open or the top down most of the year. With the warm season almost twice as long as the cool one, summer-like temperatures average above 78 degrees, giving San Jose that mild and appealing feel California is known for.
San Jose is a city of neighborhoods (including one of the few Japantowns in the U.S.), with the patchwork forming a surprising whole. The food scene is as diverse as the population. With bountiful options from the familiar Mexican and Asian, to less common Portuguese, Guatemalan, and Ethiopian cuisines, San Jose restaurants have a lot to offer those who love to dine out. If burning off that great food in the outdoors is important to your lifestyle, the usual California combo of great hikes, beaches, and access to outstanding skiing are all within reach.
If you feel like pumping your off-time up a notch, the amazing city of San Francisco and all its attractions are an easy drive up the 101 or the scenic 280 highways. San Francisco is well-known for dining, but also features shopping, museums, open spaces, and, yes, a pretty nice bridge. Other famous getaways just hours from San Jose include the wine region of Napa Valley, and charming Carmel-by-the-Sea.
But, like the rest of the San Francisco Bay Area, another day in paradise comes with high housing prices and a general cost of living 49% higher than the national average. Luckily, you'll find that the average salary in San Jose (for all jobs) is higher than the national average of $97,962.
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