SOC 29-1141

Registered Nurse (RN) Salary in Auburn-Opelika, AL (2026)

Data updated · Sources: BLS OEWS May 2025, HUD FY 2027 Fair Market Rents, EPI 2026 Family Budget, 2026 tax tables · Methodology

Tax Tables: 2026 Fed + AL
COL Index: 103.03 (+3.0% vs US)
Net Compensation Yield 73.1% Realized
$57,016 / net annual direct deposit
Gross Adjusted $78,040 $37.52/hr
Effective Tax Drag 20.94% Combined Jurisdictions
Marginal Top Bracket 22% Federal Statutory
Total Withheld -$16,341 $628.51/check
Category 1 of 6

Wage Benchmarking & After-Tax Paycheck Engine

Dynamic statutory tax calculations based on IRS Publication 15-T and state statutory schedules.

$
2,080 annual statutory base hours $37.52 / hour
0 hrs/wk (+$0/yr)
0 hrs (Standard) 10 hrs OT 20 hrs OT 25 hrs Max
6% (-$4,682/yr)
0% Tax Shield: ~$1,030/yr 15% (IRS limit: $24,500)
Itemized Statutory Withholdings Ledger
Federal Income Tax (IRS)
Progressive 10%–37%
-$7,309
Social Security (FICA OASDI)
Statutory 6.20% (Cap $184,500)
-$4,838
Medicare Hospital Insurance
Statutory 1.45%
-$1,132
Alabama Individual Income Tax
State Marginal Bracket
-$3,062
Net Take-Home Annual Realized
$57,016 ($2,192.94 / check)
Category 2 of 6

Auburn-Opelika, AL Registered Nurse (RN) Wage Distribution

Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) Percentiles & Career Ladders

Your Salary: $78,040
MIDDLE 50% (IQR RANGE) 10th $60.5k 25th $78.0k Median: $78,040 50th (Median) $78.0k 75th $97.2k 90th $102k You: $78,040
10th (Entry) $60,530 $29.10/hr
25th (Junior) $78,040 $37.52/hr
50th (Median) $78,040 $37.52/hr
75th (Senior) $97,200 $46.73/hr
90th (Lead/Master) $101,980 $49.03/hr
Career Progression & Licensing Milestones for Registered Nurse (RN) in Auburn-Opelika, AL
1
Staff Nurse (Med-Surg RN)ADN or BSN, passing NCLEX-RN exam, state licensing
$55,600$26.73/hr · 0-2 Years
2
Specialty RN (ICU / ER / OR)BLS/ACLS certifications, critical care nursing experience
$71,200$34.23/hr · 2-5 Years
3
Charge Nurse / Nurse SupervisorClinical leadership, unit patient flow management, staffing oversight
$84,000$40.38/hr · 5-8 Years
4
Nurse Practitioner (MSN/DNP)Master''s/Doctorate in Nursing, advanced prescriptive authority
$102,800$49.42/hr · 7+ Years
Category 3 of 6

HUD Fair Market Rent & EPI Living Wage Affordability Index

Evaluating housing affordability vs. net take-home pay in Auburn-Opelika, AL under the HUD 30% housing cost guideline.

Rent-to-Take-Home Ratio (HUD 30% Standard)
25% of Net Income
✓ Passes 30% Housing Affordability Standard
HUD Fair Market Rent (1-Bedroom) $1,167/month Requires minimum annual gross of $46,680
HUD Fair Market Rent (2-Bedroom) $1,277/month Requires minimum annual gross of $51,080
Hourly Living Wage Benchmark (EPI model)
1 Adult Earner: $22.79/hr
Per adult, 2 working adults + 1 child: $20.74/hr
Category 4 of 6

Hourly Wage to Annual & Overtime Matrix

Translating base hourly pay and 1.5× overtime into net take-home pay based on 2,080 annual work hours in Auburn-Opelika, AL.

Swipe horizontally to inspect full pay schedule
Schedule Total Hours/Wk Gross Annual Est. Taxes Net Take-Home Bi-Weekly Check
Standard (40 hrs)40 hrs$78,040-$16,341$57,016$2,192.94
+5h Overtime/Wk45 hrs$92,673-$21,023$66,089$2,541.89
+10h Overtime/Wk50 hrs$107,305-$25,705$75,162$2,890.84
+15h Overtime/Wk55 hrs$121,938-$30,387$84,235$3,239.79
+20h Overtime/Wk60 hrs$136,570-$35,193$93,182$3,583.94
Category 5 of 6

Interstate MSA Relocation & State Tax Migration Comparator

Calculate required compensation, cost-of-living differences, and annual state/local tax savings between two metropolitan areas.

Equivalent Salary in Austin, TX $83,505 Cost of Living Ratio: 69.6%
Annual State & Local Tax Delta +$8,331/yr Tax savings in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX
Annual Rent Difference (1BR) -$17,676/yr Based on HUD Fair Market Rents
Net Discretionary Cash Flow Impact

Combining state tax savings and annual rent variance when relocating from San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA to Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX.

+$26,007/year
Category 6 of 6 · Executive Economic Briefing
2026 Fiscal Intelligence

Registered Nurse (RN) in Auburn-Opelika, AL: Compensation & Purchasing Power Briefing (2026)

Estimates compiled from BLS OEWS wages, IRS 2026 withholding rules, HUD Fair Market Rents, and Alabama tax codes.

Market Baseline
$78,040/yr
$37.52/hr · SOC 29-1141
Statutory Tax Drag
20.94% Effective
-$16,341 in Total Taxes
HUD 1BR Shelter Ratio
25% Net Pay
✓ Passes 30% HUD Rule
Monthly Discretionary
+$3,584/mo
Post-$1,167/mo 1BR Rent

Key Economic & Compensation Takeaways

Statutory Withholding Architecture

Frequently Asked Questions

Verified Government Data Sources & Statutory Attribution

Wages sourced from US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS OEWS). Rents calibrated to HUD Fair Market Rents. Tax schedules calibrated to IRS IRC Title 26, IRS Pub 15-T, and state statutory revenue codes.

BLS OEWS May 2025 HUD FY2027 FMR IRS 15-T
Metro Pay Comparison SOC 29-1141
2026 Statutory Thresholds
  • Federal Standard Deduction (Single) $16,100
  • FICA OASDI Wage Base Cap $184,500
  • Pre-Tax 401(k) Elective Deferral $24,500
  • HSA Individual Annual Limit $4,400

Registered Nurse (RN) in Auburn-Opelika, AL: Market Snapshot

Registered Nurse (RN) roles in Auburn-Opelika, AL report a median annual wage of $78,040, 20.0% below the national median of $97,550. The 10th to 90th percentile band runs from $60,530 to $101,980, and HUD’s $1,167 monthly one-bedroom fair market rent equals 17.9% of that median gross pay. The single-adult living wage benchmark for the area is $22.79 per hour.

Highest-paying metropolitan areas for Registered Nurse (RN)

Metropolitan areaMedian annual wageVs this market
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$216,740+177.7%
Vallejo, CA$203,290+160.5%
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$186,610+139.1%
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA$174,550+123.7%
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA$171,460+119.7%
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA$170,960+119.1%
Yuba City, CA$149,320+91.3%
Kahului-Wailuku, HI$144,350+85.0%
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA$139,520+78.8%
Urban Honolulu, HI$139,260+78.4%

Top-paying occupations benchmarked in Auburn-Opelika, AL

OccupationMedian annual wageMedian hourly
Architectural and Engineering Managers$144,800$69.62/hr
Computer and Information Systems Managers$129,590$62.30/hr
Financial Manager$129,580$62.30/hr
Cybersecurity Analyst$120,950$58.15/hr
Software Engineer$120,310$57.84/hr
Sales Managers$116,000$55.77/hr
Industrial Production Managers$110,980$53.36/hr
Human Resources Managers$108,590$52.21/hr
Nurse Practitioner$108,500$52.16/hr
Administrative Services Managers$108,110$51.98/hr

Wage data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS May 2025, 380 metropolitan areas publishing this occupation; HUD FY2027 Fair Market Rents; EPI Family Budget Calculator. Taxes use 2026 federal and state rules. Data last updated .

Regional Labor Market & Career Mobility Network

Explore adjacent occupations and neighboring metropolitan wage benchmarks for peer compensation analysis.

Registered Nurse (RN) Salary in Auburn-Opelika, AL (2026) Overview

Registered Nurse (RN) median pay in Auburn-Opelika, AL is $78,040 a year ($37.52/hr). See take-home pay after 2026 taxes, BLS wage percentiles, HUD rents. Official 2026 economic data for Registered Nurse (RN) in Auburn-Opelika, AL compiled from Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS surveys, HUD Fair Market Rents, and statutory tax codes.

Quick answers
What is the median salary for a Registered Nurse (RN) in Auburn-Opelika, AL?

The median annual wage is $78,040 ($37.52 per hour). The middle 80% of earners make between $60,530 and $101,980. Source: BLS OEWS (May 2025).

What is the take-home pay for a Registered Nurse (RN) in Auburn-Opelika, AL after taxes?

On the median wage of $78,040, a single filer with no pre-tax deductions takes home about $60,486 a year ($5,041 a month) after $17,554 in federal, FICA, state and local taxes, an effective rate of 22.49%, using 2026 tax rules.