Registered nurse · Waterloo, IA

Registered nurse in Waterloo: $2,454/mo left

BLS OEWS May 2025 puts the median registered nurse wage in Waterloo at $76,920 a year. About 1,890 registered nurse jobs are in the metro. The job is about the same share of local employment as nationwide (location quotient 1.03). The 10th percentile is $63,100 and the 90th is $97,310. Pay ranks 354th-highest of 374 metros with a published median for this job. Pay is 8.1× a year of one-bedroom rent ($788/mo). Iowa charges a 3.80% flat income tax. At this pay, one adult in a one-bedroom keeps $2,454 a month after tax and rent. The best nearby metro for this job is St. Cloud, about 234 miles away, at $3,635 left over a month.

Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.

Left over each month

$2,454

1 adult, 1 bd

Pay

$76,920

$63,100 to $97,310

Rent (1 bd)

$788

$938 (2 bd)

Employment

1,890

Location quotient 1.03

Pay rank

354th of 374

Metros with a published median

Pay vs rent

8.1×

Annual pay ÷ a year of 1 bd rent

Where the money goes

1 adult, 1 bd, registered nurse pay of $76,920.

Taxes$1,399
Rent$788
Other living costs$1,769
Left over$2,454

Pay and tax, per year

Gross household pay: $76,920
Federal income tax: −$8,536
Social Security and Medicare: −$5,884
State income tax (IA): −$2,368
Take-home pay: $60,131
Effective tax rate: 21.8%

Living costs, per month

Rent, 1br: $788
Groceries: $347
Getting around: $510
Healthcare: $391
Utilities and internet: $217
Everything else: $304
Total spending: $2,557

Left over each month

$6,410 gross, minus $1,399 in tax and $2,557 in living costs.

$2,454

Rank every metro for a registered nurse

Same job. Local pay. After tax and rent. Best nearby: St. Cloud, $3,635/mo.

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

Registered nurse nearby

Questions

What does a registered nurse make in Waterloo?

$76,920 a year. That figure is the BLS OEWS May 2025 median for the metro. About 1,890 registered nurse jobs are in the metro.

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

$2,454 a month for one adult in a one-bedroom. Iowa charges a 3.80% flat income tax Rent is $788, and pay covers 8.1× a year of it.

Where nearby would a registered nurse keep more?

St. Cloud, about 234 miles away, leaves $3,635 a month, more than Waterloo.