Registered nurse · Madison, WI

Registered nurse in Madison: $3,031/mo left

BLS OEWS May 2025 puts the median registered nurse wage in Madison at $101,190 a year. About 10,650 registered nurse jobs are in the metro. The job is a larger share of local employment than nationwide (location quotient 1.20). The 10th percentile is $81,760 and the 90th is $123,240. Pay ranks 71st-highest of 374 metros with a published median for this job. Pay is 6.3× a year of one-bedroom rent ($1,330/mo). Wisconsin taxes wage income on a bracket schedule. At this pay, one adult in a one-bedroom keeps $3,031 a month after tax and rent. The best nearby metro for this job is Mankato, about 239 miles away, at $3,598 left over a month.

Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.

Left over each month

$3,031

1 adult, 1 bd

Pay

$101,190

$81,760 to $123,240

Rent (1 bd)

$1,330

$1,583 (2 bd)

Employment

10,650

Location quotient 1.20

Pay rank

71st of 374

Metros with a published median

Pay vs rent

6.3×

Annual pay ÷ a year of 1 bd rent

Where the money goes

1 adult, 1 bd, registered nurse pay of $101,190.

Taxes$2,157
Rent$1,330
Other living costs$1,915
Left over$3,031

Pay and tax, per year

Gross household pay: $101,190
Federal income tax: −$13,876
Social Security and Medicare: −$7,741
State income tax (WI): −$4,265
Take-home pay: $75,308
Effective tax rate: 25.6%

Living costs, per month

Rent, 1br: $1,330
Groceries: $388
Getting around: $509
Healthcare: $437
Utilities and internet: $243
Everything else: $340
Total spending: $3,245

Left over each month

$8,433 gross, minus $2,157 in tax and $3,245 in living costs.

$3,031

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 Madison?

$101,190 a year. That figure is the BLS OEWS May 2025 median for the metro. About 10,650 registered nurse jobs are in the metro.

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

$3,031 a month for one adult in a one-bedroom. Wisconsin taxes wage income on a bracket schedule Rent is $1,330, and pay covers 6.3× a year of it.

Where nearby would a registered nurse keep more?

Mankato, about 239 miles away, leaves $3,598 a month, more than Madison.