SOC 29-1141

Registered Nurse (RN) Salary in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA

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 + IA
COL Index: 103.9 (+3.9% vs US)
Net Compensation Yield 74.2% Realized
$58,309 / net annual direct deposit
Gross Adjusted $78,630 $37.80/hr
Effective Tax Drag 19.84% Combined Jurisdictions
Marginal Top Bracket 22% Federal Statutory
Total Withheld -$15,603 $600.11/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 $37.80 / hour
0 hrs/wk (+$0/yr)
0 hrs (Standard) 10 hrs OT 20 hrs OT 25 hrs Max
6% (-$4,718/yr)
0% Tax Shield: ~$1,038/yr 15% (IRS limit: $24,500)
Itemized Statutory Withholdings Ledger
Federal Income Tax (IRS)
Progressive 10%–37%
-$7,431
Social Security (FICA OASDI)
Statutory 6.20% (Cap $184,500)
-$4,875
Medicare Hospital Insurance
Statutory 1.45%
-$1,140
Iowa Individual Income Tax
State Marginal Bracket
-$2,157
Net Take-Home Annual Realized
$58,309 ($2,242.67 / check)
Category 2 of 6

Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA Registered Nurse (RN) Wage Distribution

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

Your Salary: $78,630
MIDDLE 50% (IQR RANGE) 10th $64.7k 25th $70.1k Median: $78,630 50th (Median) $78.6k 75th $86.7k 90th $101k You: $78,630
10th (Entry) $64,680 $31.10/hr
25th (Junior) $70,070 $33.69/hr
50th (Median) $78,630 $37.80/hr
75th (Senior) $86,690 $41.68/hr
90th (Lead/Master) $100,500 $48.32/hr
Career Progression & Licensing Milestones for Registered Nurse (RN) in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA
1
Staff Nurse (Med-Surg RN)ADN or BSN, passing NCLEX-RN exam, state licensing
$56,020$26.93/hr · 0-2 Years
2
Specialty RN (ICU / ER / OR)BLS/ACLS certifications, critical care nursing experience
$71,738$34.49/hr · 2-5 Years
3
Charge Nurse / Nurse SupervisorClinical leadership, unit patient flow management, staffing oversight
$84,635$40.69/hr · 5-8 Years
4
Nurse Practitioner (MSN/DNP)Master''s/Doctorate in Nursing, advanced prescriptive authority
$103,577$49.80/hr · 7+ Years
Scaled to the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA medianView National Registered Nurse (RN) Salary Data
Category 3 of 6

HUD Fair Market Rent & EPI Living Wage Affordability Index

Evaluating housing affordability vs. net take-home pay in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA under the HUD 30% housing cost guideline.

Rent-to-Take-Home Ratio (HUD 30% Standard)
24% of Net Income
✓ Passes 30% Housing Affordability Standard
HUD Fair Market Rent (1-Bedroom) $1,145/month Requires minimum annual gross of $45,800
HUD Fair Market Rent (2-Bedroom) $1,360/month Requires minimum annual gross of $54,400
Hourly Living Wage Benchmark (EPI model)
1 Adult Earner: $22.98/hr
Per adult, 2 working adults + 1 child: $20.03/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 Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA.

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$78,630-$15,603$58,309$2,242.67
+5h Overtime/Wk45 hrs$93,373-$20,306$67,465$2,594.79
+10h Overtime/Wk50 hrs$108,116-$25,009$76,620$2,946.92
+15h Overtime/Wk55 hrs$122,859-$29,713$85,775$3,299.04
+20h Overtime/Wk60 hrs$137,603-$34,567$94,779$3,645.36
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 Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA: Compensation & Purchasing Power Briefing (2026)

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

Market Baseline
$78,630/yr
$37.80/hr · SOC 29-1141
Statutory Tax Drag
19.84% Effective
-$15,603 in Total Taxes
HUD 1BR Shelter Ratio
24% Net Pay
✓ Passes 30% HUD Rule
Monthly Discretionary
+$3,714/mo
Post-$1,145/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 Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA: Market Snapshot

Registered Nurse (RN) roles in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA report a median annual wage of $78,630, 19.4% below the national median of $97,550. The 10th to 90th percentile band runs from $64,680 to $100,500, and HUD’s $1,145 monthly one-bedroom fair market rent equals 17.5% of that median gross pay. The single-adult living wage benchmark for the area is $22.98 per hour.

Highest-paying metropolitan areas for Registered Nurse (RN)

Metropolitan areaMedian annual wageVs this market
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$216,740+175.6%
Vallejo, CA$203,290+158.5%
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$186,610+137.3%
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA$174,550+122.0%
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA$171,460+118.1%
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA$170,960+117.4%
Yuba City, CA$149,320+89.9%
Kahului-Wailuku, HI$144,350+83.6%
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA$139,520+77.4%
Urban Honolulu, HI$139,260+77.1%

Top-paying occupations benchmarked in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA

OccupationMedian annual wageMedian hourly
Chief Executives$290,870$139.84/hr
Computer and Information Systems Managers$164,840$79.25/hr
Financial Manager$154,140$74.11/hr
Compensation and Benefits Managers$150,850$72.52/hr
Architectural and Engineering Managers$148,330$71.31/hr
Human Resources Managers$138,140$66.41/hr
Sales Managers$136,570$65.66/hr
Marketing Managers$135,140$64.97/hr
Physician Assistant$133,830$64.34/hr
Nurse Practitioner$132,230$63.57/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 Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA Overview

Registered Nurse (RN) median pay in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA is $78,630 a year ($37.80/hr). See take-home pay after 2026 taxes, BLS wage percentiles, HUD.

Quick answers
What is the median salary for a Registered Nurse (RN) in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA?

The median annual wage is $78,630 ($37.80 per hour). The middle 80% of earners make between $64,680 and $100,500. Source: BLS OEWS (May 2025).

What is the take-home pay for a Registered Nurse (RN) in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA after taxes?

On the median wage of $78,630, a single filer with no pre-tax deductions takes home about $61,810 a year ($5,151 a month) after $16,820 in federal, FICA, state and local taxes, an effective rate of 21.39%, using 2026 tax rules.