Registered nurse · Milwaukee, WI
Registered nurse in Milwaukee: $2,912/mo left
BLS OEWS May 2025 puts the median registered nurse wage in Milwaukee at $97,360 a year. About 22,400 registered nurse jobs are in the metro. The job is a larger share of local employment than nationwide (location quotient 1.26). The 10th percentile is $78,730 and the 90th is $119,490. Pay ranks 103rd-highest of 374 metros with a published median for this job. Pay is 6.4× a year of one-bedroom rent ($1,261/mo). Wisconsin taxes wage income on a bracket schedule. At this pay, one adult in a one-bedroom keeps $2,912 a month after tax and rent. The best nearby metro for this job is La Crosse, about 172 miles away, at $3,335 left over a month.
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
Left over each month
$2,912
1 adult, 1 bd
Pay
$97,360
$78,730 to $119,490
Rent (1 bd)
$1,261
$1,501 (2 bd)
Employment
22,400
Location quotient 1.26
Pay rank
103rd of 374
Metros with a published median
Pay vs rent
6.4×
Annual pay ÷ a year of 1 bd rent
Where the money goes
1 adult, 1 bd, registered nurse pay of $97,360.
- Taxes$2,045
- Rent$1,261
- Other living costs$1,895
- Left over$2,912
Pay and tax, per year
- Gross household pay
- $97,360
- Federal income tax
- −$13,033
- Social Security and Medicare
- −$7,448
- State income tax (WI)
- −$4,062
- Take-home pay
- $72,816
- Effective tax rate
- 25.2%
Living costs, per month
- Rent, 1br
- $1,261
- Groceries
- $384
- Getting around
- $503
- Healthcare
- $432
- Utilities and internet
- $240
- Everything else
- $336
- Total spending
- $3,156
Left over each month
$8,113 gross, minus $2,045 in tax and $3,156 in living costs.
$2,912
Rank every metro for a registered nurse
Same job. Local pay. After tax and rent. Best nearby: La Crosse, $3,335/mo.
Registered nurse leftover by city →Best cities for nurses to move to →Registered nurse nearby
Other jobs in Milwaukee
- Software developer
- Elementary school teacher
- High school teacher
- Accountant / auditor
- Truck driver (heavy)
- Electrician
- Civil engineer
- Lawyer
- Police officer
- Financial analyst
- Pharmacist
- Product / project manager
- Physical therapist
- Nurse practitioner
- Physician
- Construction manager
- Data scientist
- Firefighter
- Mechanical engineer
Questions
What does a registered nurse make in Milwaukee?
$97,360 a year. That figure is the BLS OEWS May 2025 median for the metro. About 22,400 registered nurse jobs are in the metro.
What is left after tax and rent for a registered nurse in Milwaukee?
$2,912 a month for one adult in a one-bedroom. Wisconsin taxes wage income on a bracket schedule Rent is $1,261, and pay covers 6.4× a year of it.
Where nearby would a registered nurse keep more?
La Crosse, about 172 miles away, leaves $3,335 a month, more than Milwaukee.