Registered nurse · Ames, IA

Registered nurse in Ames: $2,548/mo left

BLS OEWS May 2025 puts the median registered nurse wage in Ames at $77,160 a year. About 1,070 registered nurse jobs are in the metro. The job is about the same share of local employment as nationwide (location quotient 0.88). The 10th percentile is $64,360 and the 90th is $99,440. Pay ranks 348th-highest of 374 metros with a published median for this job. Pay is 8.5× a year of one-bedroom rent ($760/mo). Iowa charges a 3.80% flat income tax. At this pay, one adult in a one-bedroom keeps $2,548 a month after tax and rent. The best nearby metro for this job is St. Cloud, about 249 miles away, at $3,635 left over a month.

Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.

Left over each month

$2,548

1 adult, 1 bd

Pay

$77,160

$64,360 to $99,440

Rent (1 bd)

$760

$905 (2 bd)

Employment

1,070

Location quotient 0.88

Pay rank

348th of 374

Metros with a published median

Pay vs rent

8.5×

Annual pay ÷ a year of 1 bd rent

Where the money goes

1 adult, 1 bd, registered nurse pay of $77,160.

Taxes$1,406
Rent$760
Other living costs$1,716
Left over$2,548

Pay and tax, per year

Gross household pay: $77,160
Federal income tax: −$8,589
Social Security and Medicare: −$5,903
State income tax (IA): −$2,377
Take-home pay: $60,291
Effective tax rate: 21.9%

Living costs, per month

Rent, 1br: $760
Groceries: $347
Getting around: $457
Healthcare: $391
Utilities and internet: $217
Everything else: $304
Total spending: $2,476

Left over each month

$6,430 gross, minus $1,406 in tax and $2,476 in living costs.

$2,548

Rank every metro for a registered nurse

Same job. Local pay. After tax and rent. Best nearby: St. Cloud, $3,635/mo.

Registered nurse leftover by city →Best cities for nurses to move to →

Registered nurse nearby

Questions

What does a registered nurse make in Ames?

$77,160 a year. That figure is the BLS OEWS May 2025 median for the metro. About 1,070 registered nurse jobs are in the metro.

What is left after tax and rent for a registered nurse in Ames?

$2,548 a month for one adult in a one-bedroom. Iowa charges a 3.80% flat income tax Rent is $760, and pay covers 8.5× a year of it.

Where nearby would a registered nurse keep more?

St. Cloud, about 249 miles away, leaves $3,635 a month, more than Ames.