Healthcare & Medical Jobs in Los Angeles, CA
Health care is the engine of the Los Angeles job market, from Cedars-Sinai in Beverly Grove to the hospital row on Sunset Boulevard and the USC Health Sciences Campus in Boyle Heights. The guides below cover every healthcare and medical role in Los Angeles, who is hiring, and what it pays.
Why Healthcare & Medical Work Is Different in Los Angeles
Scale comes first. Private education and health services is the largest job sector in Los Angeles County at more than a million jobs, and health care and social assistance added 26,700 jobs in the year to April 2026, most of the sector's growth. Healthcare support work makes up 8.6 percent of metro employment, against 5.1 percent nationally. The work clusters in a few places a resident knows by name: East Hollywood, where Children's Hospital Los Angeles and Kaiser Permanente's Los Angeles Medical Center share Sunset Boulevard; Boyle Heights, home to Keck Hospital of USC, the county's Los Angeles General Medical Center and Adventist Health White Memorial; Beverly Grove and Cedars-Sinai; Westwood and Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center; and the Valley, from Kaiser Panorama City to Olive View-UCLA in Sylmar.
The rules of the market are local too. California's health care worker minimum wage sets a $25 floor for covered workers at large health systems and at hospitals in LA County from July 2026, far above the city's $18.42 general minimum. Every posting carries a pay range under state law, which makes offers easy to compare. Many hospital nurses are unionized, with UNAC at Kaiser, the California Nurses Association at UCLA and SEIU 121RN at Northridge Hospital. And because more than half of city residents speak a language other than English at home, bilingual Spanish shows up again and again as a preferred or required skill.
Top Healthcare & Medical Employers in Los Angeles
These health systems had clinical openings posted on their own career sites this month:
- Cedars-Sinai - the Beverly Grove academic medical center, with close to 100 nursing openings in Los Angeles and a new grad RN residency.
- Kaiser Permanente - hires RNs and LVNs at its Los Angeles Medical Center on Sunset Boulevard, West LA and its medical offices.
- UCLA Health - Ronald Reagan UCLA in Westwood, UCLA Santa Monica and a clinic network that hires RNs and senior LVNs.
- Keck Medicine of USC - the Boyle Heights academic system, posting RN, LVN and patient care assistant roles.
- Children's Hospital Los Angeles - the East Hollywood pediatric hospital, hiring RNs and emergency department LVNs.
- Dignity Health California Hospital Medical Center - the downtown hospital, hiring labor and delivery RNs and certified nursing assistants.
- PIH Health Good Samaritan Hospital - the Westlake hospital on Wilshire Boulevard, hiring NICU RNs and certified nurse assistants.
Healthcare & Medical Career Paths in Los Angeles
- Nursing - Certified Nursing Assistant, Licensed Vocational Nurse, Registered Nurse and Patient Care Technician. This is the biggest hiring ladder in the city, and LA colleges run LVN-to-RN bridge programs for working nurses.
- Allied health and diagnostics - Medical Laboratory Technician, Phlebotomist, Radiologic Technologist, Surgical Technologist, Respiratory Therapist and Physical Therapy Assistant. Most need a California license or certificate, and several are taught at LA community colleges and LAUSD adult schools.
- Clinic and office support - Medical Assistant, Medical Receptionist, Medical Biller and Coder, Pharmacy Technician and Dental Assistant. These are some of the fastest entries into the field.
- Emergency and behavioral health - EMT and Paramedic and Behavioral Health Technician, plus the Healthcare overview guide for anyone still choosing a direction.
How to Start a Healthcare & Medical Career in Los Angeles
- Certified Nurse Assistant - at least 160 hours of training in a California Department of Public Health approved program, then the state competency exam. East Los Angeles Occupational Center, an LAUSD adult school, and Los Angeles Southwest College both run programs.
- Licensed Vocational Nurse - licensed by the California Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians after an approved program and the NCLEX-PN. Los Angeles Mission College in Sylmar and LAUSD's North Valley Occupational Center in Mission Hills train LVNs.
- Registered Nurse - licensed by the California Board of Registered Nursing after an ADN or BSN and the NCLEX-RN. Programs include Los Angeles City College, East Los Angeles College, Cal State LA and the UCLA Joe C. Wen School of Nursing.
- Medical Assistant - no state license, but employers prefer certification from an organization approved by the Medical Board of California. East Los Angeles College runs clinical and administrative medical assistant programs.
- EMT - certified by the Los Angeles County EMS Agency after an approved course and the national registry exam. Los Angeles Valley College offers an EMT course.
The CNA certificate, the LVN and RN licenses and EMT certification are legally required to do those jobs; medical assistant certification is an employer preference, not a legal requirement.
Healthcare & Medical Salaries in Los Angeles
- Entry - about $25 to $30 an hour for nursing assistants and patient care assistants at hospitals, and from about $23 at senior care facilities.
- Mid - roughly $30 to $50 an hour for licensed vocational nurses in clinics and specialty units.
- Senior - about $55 to $99 an hour for registered nurses, with new grad residencies starting near $48 to $51.
These are estimates drawn from ranges posted this month by Kaiser, Keck, UCLA Health, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Dignity Health and PIH Health. Academic and Kaiser scales run highest, and union contracts set step raises at many hospitals. Night shifts and specialty units such as ICU, OR and cath lab push pay toward the top of each band.
Frequently Asked Questions
What healthcare job can I get fastest in Los Angeles?
A nurse assistant certificate is the quickest licensed route, with at least 160 hours of approved training and a state exam. Medical assistant programs are also short, and the role needs no state license.
What is the minimum wage for healthcare workers in Los Angeles?
Under California's health care worker minimum wage, covered workers at large health systems and at hospitals in LA County earn at least $25 an hour from July 1, 2026. Clinics and other covered facilities have lower floors that rise over the next few years.
Which Los Angeles hospitals hire new graduate nurses?
Cedars-Sinai, UCLA Health, Kaiser Permanente, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, the VA Greater Los Angeles and MLK Community Hospital all run year-long RN residencies. Most recruit in cohorts with short application windows.
Is California's LVN the same as an LPN?
Yes. California uses the title licensed vocational nurse, licensed by the Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians, for the role most states call a licensed practical nurse. Both take the NCLEX-PN.
Does speaking Spanish help in LA healthcare jobs?
It helps a great deal. Many LA postings list bilingual Spanish as preferred, and some clinic and Kaiser roles are posted as bilingual positions.
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