Employer
Rady Children's Hospital-San Diego
Registered Nurse (RN) - Surgical Unit, San Diego, CA
San Diego, California
$64.39/hr
About $134k–$177k/yr
About a minute. Have a résumé? It can fill the questions faster.
Posted Aug 19, 2026 · Last seen active Aug 26, 2026
What this means for you
Rady Children's Hospital-San Diego is a specialty hospital, so the case mix runs deep rather than wide. The posted pay pencils out to roughly $134k–$177k a year. Per-diem means you set the rhythm — pick up when it works, step back when it doesn't.
What the listing says
- EHR & union
- Union position
About this role
Show full description
Skills for this role
Certifications
Requirements
- California RN License
- experience
About the employer
You would be joining Rady Children's Hospital–San Diego, the only hospital in the area dedicated exclusively to pediatric care and a Level 1 trauma center on a 27-acre campus at 3020 Childrens Way. Recruiting materials put the bed count around…
What reviewers appreciate
- Stated $59.73/hour base for Spring 2026 new-grad RN cohort with annual increases
- Only San Diego-area hospital exclusively for pediatric care; Level 1 trauma center
- Magnet recognition for nursing excellence
What reviewers flag
- Union strike authorization in 2025 amid contract talks
- Community reports of core nursing staff feeling underpaid
- Glassdoor recommend rate only about 57–60%
Living in San Diego, CA
San Diego pairs year-round beach weather with a laid-back outdoor lifestyle that makes it easy to trade scrubs for surfboards after a shift. Balboa Park offers trails and museums, while neighborhoods like Hillcrest give nurses walkable dining and nightlife options.
- Metro price level · San Diego area
- 12% above the national average
- BEA index 111.9 (100 = national)
- Median gross rent
- $2,313/mo
- rent and tenant-paid utilities
- Median household income
- $108,077/yr
- all local households, not nurse pay
U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · 2024 metro Regional Price Parities · Census ACS 2024
Worth asking
We can’t answer these from the listing we have. Good ones to ask a recruiter or in the interview.
- Can you walk me through the base pay range and differentials?
- What should I expect for shifts, weekly hours, weekend, holiday, call, and rotation?
- What orientation, preceptor time, and ongoing unit support are included?
- How are patient load, floating, and staffing support handled day to day?