Registered nurse · Lexington, KY

Registered nurse in Lexington: $1,937/mo left

BLS OEWS May 2025 puts the median registered nurse wage in Lexington at $79,040 a year. About 8,070 registered nurse jobs are in the metro. The job is a larger share of local employment than nationwide (location quotient 1.29). The 10th percentile is $66,270 and the 90th is $107,880. Pay ranks 320th-highest of 374 metros with a published median for this job. Pay is 5.8× a year of one-bedroom rent ($1,135/mo). Kentucky charges a 4.00% flat income tax, plus a 1.50% city wage tax. At this pay, one adult in a one-bedroom keeps $1,937 a month after tax and rent. The best nearby metro for this job is Mansfield, about 210 miles away, at $2,572 left over a month.

Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.

Left over each month

$1,937

1 adult, 1 bd

Pay

$79,040

$66,270 to $107,880

Rent (1 bd)

$1,135

$1,351 (2 bd)

Employment

8,070

Location quotient 1.29

Pay rank

320th of 374

Metros with a published median

Pay vs rent

5.8×

Annual pay ÷ a year of 1 bd rent

Where the money goes

1 adult, 1 bd, registered nurse pay of $79,040.

Taxes$1,605
Rent$1,135
Other living costs$1,909
Left over$1,937

Pay and tax, per year

Gross household pay: $79,040
Federal income tax: −$9,003
Social Security and Medicare: −$6,047
State income tax (KY): −$3,031
City / county wage tax: −$1,186
Take-home pay: $59,774
Effective tax rate: 24.4%

Living costs, per month

Rent, 1br: $1,135
Groceries: $378
Getting around: $541
Healthcare: $425
Utilities and internet: $236
Everything else: $330
Total spending: $3,044

Left over each month

$6,587 gross, minus $1,605 in tax and $3,044 in living costs.

$1,937

Rank every metro for a registered nurse

Same job. Local pay. After tax and rent. Best nearby: Mansfield, $2,572/mo.

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

Registered nurse nearby

Questions

What does a registered nurse make in Lexington?

$79,040 a year. That figure is the BLS OEWS May 2025 median for the metro. About 8,070 registered nurse jobs are in the metro.

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

$1,937 a month for one adult in a one-bedroom. Kentucky charges a 4.00% flat income tax, plus a 1.50% city wage tax Rent is $1,135, and pay covers 5.8× a year of it.

Where nearby would a registered nurse keep more?

Mansfield, about 210 miles away, leaves $2,572 a month, more than Lexington.