Registered nurse · Appleton, WI

Registered nurse in Appleton: $2,653/mo left

BLS OEWS May 2025 puts the median registered nurse wage in Appleton at $86,680 a year. About 2,310 registered nurse jobs are in the metro. The job is a smaller share of local employment than nationwide (location quotient 0.85). The 10th percentile is $74,340 and the 90th is $109,030. Pay ranks 159th-highest of 374 metros with a published median for this job. Pay is 7.9× a year of one-bedroom rent ($916/mo). Wisconsin taxes wage income on a bracket schedule. At this pay, one adult in a one-bedroom keeps $2,653 a month after tax and rent. The best nearby metro for this job is La Crosse, about 142 miles away, at $3,335 left over a month.

Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.

Left over each month

$2,653

1 adult, 1 bd

Pay

$86,680

$74,340 to $109,030

Rent (1 bd)

$916

$1,090 (2 bd)

Employment

2,310

Location quotient 0.85

Pay rank

159th of 374

Metros with a published median

Pay vs rent

7.9×

Annual pay ÷ a year of 1 bd rent

Where the money goes

1 adult, 1 bd, registered nurse pay of $86,680.

Taxes$1,734
Rent$916
Other living costs$1,920
Left over$2,653

Pay and tax, per year

Gross household pay: $86,680
Federal income tax: −$10,684
Social Security and Medicare: −$6,631
State income tax (WI): −$3,496
Take-home pay: $65,869
Effective tax rate: 24.0%

Living costs, per month

Rent, 1br: $916
Groceries: $378
Getting around: $551
Healthcare: $425
Utilities and internet: $236
Everything else: $330
Total spending: $2,836

Left over each month

$7,223 gross, minus $1,734 in tax and $2,836 in living costs.

$2,653

Rank every metro for a registered nurse

Same job. Local pay. After tax and rent. Best nearby: La Crosse, $3,335/mo.

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

Registered nurse nearby

Questions

What does a registered nurse make in Appleton?

$86,680 a year. That figure is the BLS OEWS May 2025 median for the metro. About 2,310 registered nurse jobs are in the metro.

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

$2,653 a month for one adult in a one-bedroom. Wisconsin taxes wage income on a bracket schedule Rent is $916, and pay covers 7.9× a year of it.

Where nearby would a registered nurse keep more?

La Crosse, about 142 miles away, leaves $3,335 a month, more than Appleton.