Registered nurse · Chicago, IL
Registered nurse in Chicago: $2,571/mo left
BLS OEWS May 2025 puts the median registered nurse wage in Chicago at $100,490 a year. About 100,240 registered nurse jobs are in the metro. The job is about the same share of local employment as nationwide (location quotient 1.02). The 10th percentile is $77,410 and the 90th is $119,260. Pay ranks 78th-highest of 374 metros with a published median for this job. Pay is 4.7× a year of one-bedroom rent ($1,782/mo). Illinois charges a 4.95% flat income tax. At this pay, one adult in a one-bedroom keeps $2,571 a month after tax and rent. The best nearby metro for this job is La Crosse, about 213 miles away, at $3,372 left over a month.
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
After tax and rent
$2,571
1 adult, 1 bd
Pay
$100,490
$77,410 to $119,260
Rent (1 bd)
$1,782
$2,122 (2 bd)
Employment
100,240
Location quotient 1.02
Pay rank
78th of 374
Metros with a published median
Pay vs rent
4.7×
Annual pay ÷ a year of 1 bd rent
Where the money goes
1 adult, 1 bd, registered nurse pay of $100,490.
- Taxes$2,150
- Rent$1,782
- Other$1,871
- Left$2,571
Pay and tax, per year
- Gross household pay
- $100,490
- Federal income tax
- −$13,278
- Social Security and Medicare
- −$7,687
- State income tax (IL)
- −$4,837
- Take-home pay
- $74,688
- Effective tax rate
- 25.7%
Living costs, per month
- Rent, 1br
- $1,782
- Groceries
- $408
- Getting around
- $392
- Healthcare
- $459
- Utilities and internet
- $255
- Everything else
- $357
- Total spending
- $3,653
After tax and rent
$2,571 left/mo
Rank every metro for a registered nurse
Same job. Local pay. After tax and rent. Best nearby: La Crosse, $3,372/mo.
Registered nurse leftover by city →Best cities for nurses to move to →Registered nurse nearby
Compare Chicago with another city
Other jobs in Chicago
- Software developer
- Elementary school teacher
- High school teacher
- Accountant / auditor
- Truck driver (heavy)
- Electrician
- Civil engineer
- Lawyer
- Police officer
- Financial analyst
- Pharmacist
- Product / project manager
- Physical therapist
- Nurse practitioner
- Physician
- Construction manager
- Data scientist
- Firefighter
- Mechanical engineer
Questions
What does a registered nurse make in Chicago?
$100,490 a year. That figure is the BLS OEWS May 2025 median for the metro. About 100,240 registered nurse jobs are in the metro.
What is left after tax and rent for a registered nurse in Chicago?
$2,571 a month for one adult in a one-bedroom. Illinois charges a 4.95% flat income tax Rent is $1,782, and pay covers 4.7× a year of it.
Where nearby would a registered nurse keep more?
La Crosse, about 213 miles away, leaves $3,372 a month, more than Chicago.