UC Davis Health

Academic Medical Center · Sacramento, CA

See 6 open roles

6
open roles, live count: $85k–$217k/yr
posted pay across 5 roles

Before you choose a unit

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How often is overtime required? Who covers a short shift? Can I meet my preceptor or shadow the team?

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Life here

What a shift at UC Davis Health looks like

On the floor

What the day-to-day looks like

Setting: Academic Medical Center
Shifts hiring now: Nights 1

What stands out

Moving here
Sacramento sits roughly midway between San Francisco and Lake Tahoe, so a day trip to the city or the mountains is a normal weekend choice.
Experienced nurses
Nurses who live here often describe Sacramento as a strong value option in California, where pay tends to offset the higher local costs.
Moving here
Cost of living sits about 7% above the national price level, so rent and groceries will feel a bit steeper than average U.S. cities.

More about working here

New graduates
Nearby universities and a diverse local population mean you will see a wide mix of patients and have education options close by.
Travel nurses
California is not a compact-license state, so you will need a California license before you start.
Moving here
Summers here run very hot, which shapes how you plan outdoor time after shift.
Experienced nurses
Other Sacramento-area employers in the same market include Arden Park Post Acute, VITAS Healthcare, and several home-health and clinic groups.

The city

Living in Sacramento, CA

Anchored by UC Davis Health, Sacramento pairs Midtown’s farm-to-fork dining with cycling the American River Parkway. Living costs run about 7% above the national average, undercutting coastal California with accessible housing in Tahoe Park and College Glen. Expect Highway 50 rush-hour traffic and triple-digit summer heat, rewarded by 250-plus sunny days and easy Sierra getaways.

Browse roles in Sacramento

Map showing the location of Sacramento, CA — Sacramento, CA on the map · © Mapbox © OpenStreetMap· Open the live map

Metro price level · Sacramento area: 7% above the national average; BEA index 106.7 (100 = national)
Median gross rent: $1,779/mo; rent and tenant-paid utilities
Median household income: $87,321/yr; all local households, not nurse pay

U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · 2024 metro Regional Price Parities · Census ACS 2024

Who they are

You would be joining UC Davis Health in Sacramento, California. Concrete pay bands, unit ratios, and residency details are not in the validated set yet, so you will want to confirm those directly on the posting and with the hiring team.

Academic Medical Center · Sacramento
Hiring nights

More about UC Davis Health

What you can count on from the surrounding picture is the city itself: cost of living runs about 7% above the national level, summers get very hot, and California’s graduated income tax reaches some of the highest brackets in the country. Nurses who live here often call Sacramento a strong value option in the state, with pay that helps offset those costs, a diverse patient mix, nearby universities, and easy drives to San Francisco or Lake Tahoe. California is not a compact-license state, so you will need a CA license before day one.

Working here

Culture and working life

What to consider

The good

Sacramento often described by nurses as a strong value option in California
midway between San Francisco and Lake Tahoe for weekend trips
diverse population and nearby universities
few natural disasters besides earthquakes
pay commonly said to help offset higher local costs

The hard parts

cost of living about 7% above the national price level
very hot summers
California graduated income tax reaches some of the highest U.S. brackets
not a compact-license state — CA license required

What to weigh

California’s graduated state income tax reaches some of the highest brackets in the country, so your take-home will shrink more than in many other states.

The reality check

Before you decide

Quick facts

Relationship: Direct employer
Roles last seen active: Sep 19, 2026
Workplace photos: 1

Ask Mira about UC Davis Health

Weighing a first job here?

The license clock and the job hunt run at once, and new-grad windows do the deciding. Residency commitments carry fine print worth reading before you sign.

See your windows →Residency fine print