Healthcare Jobs in Sacramento, CA
Healthcare accounts for about one in seven jobs in the Sacramento region, and UC Davis Health, Sutter, Kaiser Permanente and Dignity Health all run major hospitals in the city. California's health care minimum wage now reaches $25 an hour at the largest systems. Current openings come first, then who is hiring and what it pays.
Current healthcare Openings in Sacramento, CA
Listings marked External are sponsored openings provided by the Jobs2Careers network.
Healthcare Work in Sacramento
Sacramento's hospitals cluster in a few places a resident already knows. UC Davis Medical Center fills a 140-acre campus on X Street off Stockton Boulevard in Oak Park, Sutter Medical Center Sacramento anchors Midtown on Capitol Avenue, Mercy General sits on J Street in East Sacramento, and Kaiser Permanente runs hospitals in Sacramento and South Sacramento plus medical offices at Point West and downtown. East along US-50, the Sacramento VA Medical Center serves veterans from Mather.
The demand is steady and large. The California Community Colleges Centers of Excellence counted roughly 188,700 health jobs in Greater Sacramento in 2024, projected to grow 13 percent by 2029, with more than 25,000 openings a year. Health postings made up 18 percent of all job ads in the region over the past year, and their median advertised pay of $41.71 an hour ran well ahead of the regional average.
Top Sacramento Employers Hiring Healthcare Workers
Four big systems and a handful of public and nonprofit providers do most of the hiring:
- UC Davis Health - the Magnet-recognized academic medical center on X Street, plus ambulatory clinics in Midtown, Folsom, Elk Grove and Rocklin hiring RNs, LVNs and medical assistants.
- Sutter Health - Sutter Medical Center Sacramento in Midtown, home of the Anderson Lucchetti Women's and Children's Center and the region's largest Level IV NICU.
- Kaiser Permanente - Sacramento and South Sacramento hospitals and medical offices hiring nurses, imaging, respiratory and lab staff.
- Dignity Health - Mercy General in East Sacramento and sister hospitals across the region, part of CommonSpirit Health.
- VA Northern California Health Care System - the 81-bed Sacramento VA Medical Center at Mather, with a funded new-grad RN residency.
- WellSpace Health - the Sacramento nonprofit providing primary care, behavioral health, addiction treatment and pediatric dentistry for underserved patients.
Healthcare Salaries in Sacramento
- Entry level: about $19 to $25 an hour for nursing assistants and other support roles, with $25 the floor at the largest systems since July 2026.
- Licensed and technical: roughly $30 to $46 an hour for medical assistants with experience and LVNs.
- Registered nurses: about $63 to $95 an hour for most Sacramento RNs, with specialty and senior nurses above $100.
These are estimates drawn from federal wage data for the Sacramento metro and current hospital postings. Pay moves with the license you hold, the employer type, union contracts, and shift differentials for nights and weekends. California's health care minimum wage law sets different floors by facility type, so a clinic or smaller facility can start lower than a large hospital system.
How to Start in Healthcare in Sacramento
Your entry point depends on the role. Nursing assistants train in short state-approved programs such as the Certified Nurse Assistant certificate at American River College and are certified by the California Department of Public Health. Vocational nurses are licensed by the Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians after a program like Sacramento City College's three-semester Vocational Nursing track. Registered nurses are licensed by the California Board of Registered Nursing after an ADN at Sacramento City College or American River College, or a BSN at Sacramento State.
What the Job Involves
Healthcare work covers direct patient care, clinical support and the office side of medicine. Depending on the role, a shift can mean taking vital signs, giving medications, helping patients move and eat, rooming patients in a clinic, drawing blood, running imaging or lab tests, or scheduling and billing. Most hospital roles run 8 or 12 hour shifts, including nights, weekends and holidays.
Skills Employers Look For
- A current California license or certification for the role
- BLS certification from the American Heart Association
- Electronic health record experience
- Clear communication with patients and families
- Bilingual skills, especially Spanish
- Reliability on rotating and 12 hour shifts
Career Path and Advancement
Sacramento has an unusually clear nursing ladder. Many start as nursing assistants, move into an LVN program, then use the LVN-to-RN tracks at Sacramento City College or American River College to become registered nurses. Sacramento State's collaborative ADN-to-BSN tracks let community college nurses finish a bachelor's degree, which opens new-grad residencies at UC Davis Health, Sutter and the VA, and later charge nurse, specialty and management roles.
Related Careers in Sacramento
For a closer look at one role, start here:
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the minimum wage for healthcare workers in Sacramento?
California's health care worker minimum wage depends on the facility. Since July 1, 2026, hospitals and integrated systems with 10,000 or more full-time employees pay at least $25 an hour, and most other covered facilities pay at least $23. The general state minimum wage is $16.90.
Which hospitals are the biggest healthcare employers in Sacramento?
UC Davis Medical Center, Sutter Medical Center Sacramento, Kaiser Permanente's Sacramento and South Sacramento hospitals, and Dignity Health's Mercy General are the largest hospital employers in the city. The Sacramento VA Medical Center at Mather adds federal jobs.
Can I work in healthcare in Sacramento without a degree?
Yes. Nursing assistant and medical assistant roles need a short certificate rather than a degree, and American River College offers a 10-unit CNA certificate. Many people start there and add an LVN or RN license later.
How long does it take to become a nurse in Sacramento?
Sacramento City College's vocational nursing program runs three semesters, and its associate degree in nursing runs four semesters after prerequisites. A BSN at Sacramento State takes longer but qualifies you for most new-grad hospital residencies.
Do Sacramento hospitals hire new graduate nurses?
Yes. UC Davis Health and Sutter Health both run nurse residency programs for new graduates, Dignity Health takes part in a national nurse residency, and the VA at Mather runs a 12-month post-baccalaureate RN residency.
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