Registered nurse · Des Moines, IA

Registered nurse in Des Moines: $2,277/mo left

BLS OEWS May 2025 puts the median registered nurse wage in Des Moines at $78,630 a year. About 8,130 registered nurse jobs are in the metro. The job is about the same share of local employment as nationwide (location quotient 0.93). The 10th percentile is $64,680 and the 90th is $100,500. Pay ranks 330th-highest of 374 metros with a published median for this job. Pay is 6.6× a year of one-bedroom rent ($991/mo). Iowa charges a 3.80% flat income tax. At this pay, one adult in a one-bedroom keeps $2,277 a month after tax and rent. The best nearby metro for this job is Mankato, about 179 miles away, at $3,598 left over a month.

Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.

Left over each month

$2,277

1 adult, 1 bd

Pay

$78,630

$64,680 to $100,500

Rent (1 bd)

$991

$1,180 (2 bd)

Employment

8,130

Location quotient 0.93

Pay rank

330th of 374

Metros with a published median

Pay vs rent

6.6×

Annual pay ÷ a year of 1 bd rent

Where the money goes

1 adult, 1 bd, registered nurse pay of $78,630.

Taxes$1,447
Rent$991
Other living costs$1,838
Left over$2,277

Pay and tax, per year

Gross household pay: $78,630
Federal income tax: −$8,913
Social Security and Medicare: −$6,015
State income tax (IA): −$2,433
Take-home pay: $61,269
Effective tax rate: 22.1%

Living costs, per month

Rent, 1br: $991
Groceries: $360
Getting around: $533
Healthcare: $405
Utilities and internet: $225
Everything else: $315
Total spending: $2,829

Left over each month

$6,553 gross, minus $1,447 in tax and $2,829 in living costs.

$2,277

Rank every metro for a registered nurse

Same job. Local pay. After tax and rent. Best nearby: Mankato, $3,598/mo.

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

Registered nurse nearby

Questions

What does a registered nurse make in Des Moines?

$78,630 a year. That figure is the BLS OEWS May 2025 median for the metro. About 8,130 registered nurse jobs are in the metro.

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

$2,277 a month for one adult in a one-bedroom. Iowa charges a 3.80% flat income tax Rent is $991, and pay covers 6.6× a year of it.

Where nearby would a registered nurse keep more?

Mankato, about 179 miles away, leaves $3,598 a month, more than Des Moines.