Registered nurse · Memphis, TN

Registered nurse in Memphis: $2,564/mo left

BLS OEWS May 2025 puts the median registered nurse wage in Memphis at $81,500 a year. About 13,760 registered nurse jobs are in the metro. The job is about the same share of local employment as nationwide (location quotient 1.04). The 10th percentile is $65,280 and the 90th is $112,310. Pay ranks 256th-highest of 374 metros with a published median for this job. Pay is 6.5× a year of one-bedroom rent ($1,045/mo). Tennessee has no state income tax. At this pay, one adult in a one-bedroom keeps $2,564 a month after tax and rent. The best nearby metro for this job is Cape Girardeau, about 160 miles away, at $2,762 left over a month.

Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.

Left over each month

$2,564

1 adult, 1 bd

Pay

$81,500

$65,280 to $112,310

Rent (1 bd)

$1,045

$1,244 (2 bd)

Employment

13,760

Location quotient 1.04

Pay rank

256th of 374

Metros with a published median

Pay vs rent

6.5×

Annual pay ÷ a year of 1 bd rent

Where the money goes

1 adult, 1 bd, registered nurse pay of $81,500.

Taxes$1,315
Rent$1,045
Other living costs$1,868
Left over$2,564

Pay and tax, per year

Gross household pay: $81,500
Federal income tax: −$9,544
Social Security and Medicare: −$6,235
State income tax (TN): None
Take-home pay: $65,721
Effective tax rate: 19.4%

Living costs, per month

Rent, 1br: $1,045
Groceries: $364
Getting around: $548
Healthcare: $410
Utilities and internet: $228
Everything else: $319
Total spending: $2,913

Left over each month

$6,792 gross, minus $1,315 in tax and $2,913 in living costs.

$2,564

Rank every metro for a registered nurse

Same job. Local pay. After tax and rent. Best nearby: Cape Girardeau, $2,762/mo.

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

Registered nurse nearby

Questions

What does a registered nurse make in Memphis?

$81,500 a year. That figure is the BLS OEWS May 2025 median for the metro. About 13,760 registered nurse jobs are in the metro.

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

$2,564 a month for one adult in a one-bedroom. Tennessee has no state income tax Rent is $1,045, and pay covers 6.5× a year of it.

Where nearby would a registered nurse keep more?

Cape Girardeau, about 160 miles away, leaves $2,762 a month, more than Memphis.