Registered nurse · Iowa City, IA

Registered nurse in Iowa City: $2,930/mo left

BLS OEWS May 2025 puts the median registered nurse wage in Iowa City at $85,940 a year. About 4,090 registered nurse jobs are in the metro. The job is a larger share of local employment than nationwide (location quotient 2.00). The 10th percentile is $70,290 and the 90th is $106,150. Pay ranks 169th-highest of 374 metros with a published median for this job. Pay is 7.9× a year of one-bedroom rent ($911/mo). Iowa charges a 3.80% flat income tax. At this pay, one adult in a one-bedroom keeps $2,930 a month after tax and rent. The best nearby metro for this job is Mankato, about 222 miles away, at $3,598 left over a month.

Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.

Left over each month

$2,930

1 adult, 1 bd

Pay

$85,940

$70,290 to $106,150

Rent (1 bd)

$911

$1,085 (2 bd)

Employment

4,090

Location quotient 2.00

Pay rank

169th 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 $85,940.

Taxes$1,651
Rent$911
Other living costs$1,670
Left over$2,930

Pay and tax, per year

Gross household pay: $85,940
Federal income tax: −$10,521
Social Security and Medicare: −$6,574
State income tax (IA): −$2,711
Take-home pay: $66,134
Effective tax rate: 23.0%

Living costs, per month

Rent, 1br: $911
Groceries: $347
Getting around: $411
Healthcare: $391
Utilities and internet: $217
Everything else: $304
Total spending: $2,581

Left over each month

$7,162 gross, minus $1,651 in tax and $2,581 in living costs.

$2,930

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 Iowa City?

$85,940 a year. That figure is the BLS OEWS May 2025 median for the metro. About 4,090 registered nurse jobs are in the metro.

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

$2,930 a month for one adult in a one-bedroom. Iowa charges a 3.80% flat income tax Rent is $911, and pay covers 7.9× a year of it.

Where nearby would a registered nurse keep more?

Mankato, about 222 miles away, leaves $3,598 a month, more than Iowa City.