Palomar Health
Health system in Escondido, CA
- Sign-on bonus up to $30,000 on 2+ roles
- Hiring nights and days
From 157 postings and nurse reviews · Employer research Sep 17, 2026Sources
The short version
Palomar Health posts RN pay in public ranges — roughly $45/hour at the low end for charge and forensic roles, and $54 to $79/hour for critical care — with large hiring incentives attached to hard-to-fill lines.
Employer research, Sep 17, 2026
Critical care and CSU clinical RN roles are listed starting around $54/hour and running to roughly $79/hour.
For experienced nursesSources
As of 2026-09-17Source: glassdoor.comRN hiring bonuses have been advertised up to $45,000 depending on specialty and whether you take full-time or part-time hours.
If you are moving hereSources
As of 2026Source: asrn.orgCharge RN in skilled nursing and Forensic RN I postings both start near $45/hour, so entry points outside acute care are not a pay cut.
For new gradsSources
As of 2026-09-15 · 2026-09Source: glassdoor.com
Who it fits
Best fit
- Med surg nurses: 21 of the 48 roles on this page
Not a fit
- New grads: 30 of the 48 roles on this page ask for nursing experienceNew grad jobs near Escondido
Nursing here
- Nursing leadership
Mel Russell, MSN, RN · Chief Nurse Executive and COO
Palomar Health
Sources
Benefits
Cash incentives are the headline benefit here: $30,000 on the weekend-only step-down posting and up to $45,000 for RN hires depending on specialty and hours. A weekend differential of $18/hour applies to the Friday-through-Sunday Weekend Only Worker Program.
Published pay and benefits
- Hourly pay
Clinical Educator pay range
As of 2026-09
Sources
- Hourly pay
Charge RN Skilled Nursing pay range minimum
As of 2026-09-15
Sources
- Hourly pay
Forensic RN I pay range minimum
As of 2026-09
Sources
- Hourly pay
CSU Clinical RN / Clinical RN II Critical Care pay range ($54 - $79/hr)
As of 2026-09-17
Sources
- Shift pay
$18.00
Weekend differential for Weekend Only Worker Program (Fri, Sat, Sun)
As of 2026-03-20
- Shift pay
$3.00
Night Shift differential at Palomar ER
Sources
- Sign-on bonus
$30,000.00
Hiring incentive for Clinical RN II - FT Weekend Only Worker-IMC - Medical Step-Down
As of 2026-03-20
- Sign-on bonus
RN hiring bonus up to $45,000 depending on specialty and part-time/full-time status
As of 2026
Sources
- Sign-on bonus
$10,000.00
Sign-on bonus for ER RN
Sources
Workplace photos
What nurses say
Themes from public reviews
Summaries of published reviews, with the original sources.
- Management and Leadership Dissatisfaction
- Staff express severe frustration with upper executive management, citing poor decision-making, disconnect from staff, and leadership compensation controversies.
Sources
- Coworker Camaraderie
- Nurses report strong, supportive relationships and great teamwork among bedside colleagues across various units.
Sources
- Staffing and Overtime
- Substantial overtime opportunities exist, but frequent understaffing and high patient ratios contribute to heavy workload and nurse burnout.
Sources
More review themes
- Appearance and Tattoo Policies
- Employees note rigid grooming policies that alienate staff members who have visible tattoos.
Sources
As of 2026-06-24Source: glassdoor.com
The hard parts
Reviews are blunt about executive leadership — nurses cite poor decision-making and a disconnect from staff — and the same reviews flag understaffing and high ratios behind all that overtime.
Sources
What to ask
- How is base pay set for the role, and which differentials apply?
- Which shifts are open, and what are the weekend, holiday and call rules?
- How long is orientation, and will I have one preceptor?
- What is the usual patient load, and how often do nurses float?
- Which hospital or site, and which unit, would I work on?
Living in Escondido, CA
Tucked in a North County valley, Escondido blends agricultural roots with suburban ease. Stone Brewing's flagship taproom, a revived downtown arts district, and weekly farmers markets give the city a grounded, unhurried feel—while Palomar Medical Center anchors steady demand for nurses. Coast and desert are each an hour away.
Browse roles in Escondido- State price level · California
- 11% above the national average
- State index 110.7 (100 = national)
- Median gross rent
- $2,046/mo
- rent and tenant-paid utilities
- Median household income
- $91,967/yr
- all local households, not nurse pay
U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · 2024 Regional Price Parities · Census ACS 2024
Common questions
Does Palomar Health hire new grads?
30 of the 48 roles on this page ask for nursing experience, and none says it welcomes new grads.
Is there a sign-on bonus?
Yes, on 2 of the 48 roles on this page, up to $30,000.
Which shifts are open?
Of the 48 roles with a stated shift on this page, 25 are night shifts, 20 are day shifts, 2 are evening shifts and 1 is a rotating shift.
Which units are hiring?
Med surg (21), ICU (3), oncology (1) and OR (1).
How do I apply?
Choose a role and press Apply. Your application comes to our team, we send it to Palomar Health, and we tell you what happens next.
Roles from Palomar Health
- RN
- 8-hour days
Clinical Educator- Perioperative Services
Posted today
- RN
- 8-hour days
House/Administrative Supv $30K Hiring Incentive
Posted today
- Sign-on bonus
- RN
- 12-hour nights
- RN
- 10-hour days
- RN
- 12-hour nights
- RN
- 12-hour nights
- RN
- 12-hour days
- RN
- Night shift
- RN
- 12-hour nights
- RN
- 12-hour nights
- RN
- 12-hour days
- RN
- 12-hour days
- RN
- 12-hour days
CNA SNF- $10K Hiring Incentive
Posted last week
- Sign-on bonus
- CNA
- 8-hour evenings
- CNA
- 10-hour nights
- CNA
- 12-hour days
- CNA
- 12-hour nights
- CNA
- 12-hour days
- CNA
- 12-hour days
CNA-Cardiovascular Acute
Posted last week
- CNA
- 12-hour nights
CNA- Cardiovascular Acute
Posted last week
- CNA
- 12-hour nights
CNA Med Surg with Tele
Posted last week
- CNA
- 12-hour nights
CNA- Med Surg Tele with OBS
Posted last week
- CNA
- 12-hour days
CNA- Med Surg Tele with OBS
Posted last week
- CNA
- 12-hour nights
- CNA
- 12-hour days
- CNA
- 12-hour days
- CNA
- 12-hour nights
- CNA
- 12-hour days
CNA- Medical Oncology
Posted last week
- CNA
- 12-hour nights
Clinical RN II Labor/Delivery
Posted last week
- RN
- 12-hour nights
- Per diem
Clinical RN II Labor/Delivery
Posted last week
- RN
- 12-hour nights
- RN
- 12-hour days
- RN
- 12-hour days
- RN
- 12-hour nights
- RN
- 12-hour days
Clinical RN II Postpartum FT WOW
Posted last week
- RN
- 12-hour nights
Clinical RN II Emergecy
Posted last week
- RN
- 12-hour nights
Clinical RN II Emergency
Posted last week
- RN
- 12-hour nights
Clinical RN II- Emergency
Posted last week
- RN
- 12-hour nights
- RN
- 12-hour nights
- RN
- 12-hour days
- RN
- 12-hour nights
Forensic RN I
Posted last week
- RN
- 12-hour rotating
- Per diem
- RN
- 12-hour days
Clinical RN II Labor/Delivery
Posted last week
- RN
- 12-hour nights
- RN
- 12-hour nights
Showing 48 of 157.
See all 157 roles at Palomar HealthSources
- asrn.org/journal-advanced-practice-nursing/3465-the-financial-incentives-nurses-crave.html
The short version, Nursing here · as of 2026
- facebook.com/groups/5819736061378650/posts/26003787025880256
Nursing here
- glassdoor.com/Reviews/Palomar-Health-Registered-Nurse-Reviews-EI_IE20820.0,14_KO15,31.htm
The short version, Nursing here, What nurses say, The hard parts · as of 2026-09-17
- glassdoor.com/Reviews/Palomar-Health-Reviews-E20820.htm
What nurses say, The hard parts · as of 2026-09-17
Help improve this pageShare what it’s like, fix a detail, or add a useful photo.
Hiring here? List this unit.
Claim or manage this pageFrom nurses, to nurses
Call for help the minute your patient looks off to you, not once you are sure. Needing help is not a mark against you. It puts more eyes on the patient, sooner.
Thirty-four years in the ICU and there is still plenty I do not know. The nurse who keeps asking questions is the one giving good care.