SOC 29-1141

Registered Nurse (RN) Salary in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX

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 + TX
COL Index: 107.37 (+7.4% vs US)
Net Compensation Yield 74.5% Realized
$74,388 / net annual direct deposit
Gross Adjusted $99,830 $48.00/hr
Effective Tax Drag 19.48% Combined Jurisdictions
Marginal Top Bracket 22% Federal Statutory
Total Withheld -$19,452 $748.15/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 $48.00 / hour
0 hrs/wk (+$0/yr)
0 hrs (Standard) 10 hrs OT 20 hrs OT 25 hrs Max
6% (-$5,990/yr)
0% Tax Shield: ~$1,318/yr 15% (IRS limit: $24,500)
Itemized Statutory Withholdings Ledger
Federal Income Tax (IRS)
Progressive 10%–37%
-$11,815
Social Security (FICA OASDI)
Statutory 6.20% (Cap $184,500)
-$6,189
Medicare Hospital Insurance
Statutory 1.45%
-$1,448
Texas Individual Income Tax
State Marginal Bracket
-$0
Net Take-Home Annual Realized
$74,388 ($2,861.09 / check)
Category 2 of 6

Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX Registered Nurse (RN) Wage Distribution

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

Your Salary: $99,830
MIDDLE 50% (IQR RANGE) 10th $74.9k 25th $81.9k Median: $99,830 50th (Median) $99.8k 75th $116k 90th $130k You: $99,830
10th (Entry) $74,860 $35.99/hr
25th (Junior) $81,890 $39.37/hr
50th (Median) $99,830 $48.00/hr
75th (Senior) $116,000 $55.77/hr
90th (Lead/Master) $130,440 $62.71/hr
Career Progression & Licensing Milestones for Registered Nurse (RN) in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX
1
Staff Nurse (Med-Surg RN)ADN or BSN, passing NCLEX-RN exam, state licensing
$71,124$34.19/hr · 0-2 Years
2
Specialty RN (ICU / ER / OR)BLS/ACLS certifications, critical care nursing experience
$91,080$43.79/hr · 2-5 Years
3
Charge Nurse / Nurse SupervisorClinical leadership, unit patient flow management, staffing oversight
$107,454$51.66/hr · 5-8 Years
4
Nurse Practitioner (MSN/DNP)Master''s/Doctorate in Nursing, advanced prescriptive authority
$131,503$63.22/hr · 7+ Years
Scaled to the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX 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 Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX under the HUD 30% housing cost guideline.

Rent-to-Take-Home Ratio (HUD 30% Standard)
20% of Net Income
✓ Passes 30% Housing Affordability Standard
HUD Fair Market Rent (1-Bedroom) $1,261/month Requires minimum annual gross of $50,440
HUD Fair Market Rent (2-Bedroom) $1,497/month Requires minimum annual gross of $59,880
Hourly Living Wage Benchmark (EPI model)
1 Adult Earner: $23.75/hr
Per adult, 2 working adults + 1 child: $20.58/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 Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX.

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$99,830-$19,452$74,388$2,861.09
+5h Overtime/Wk45 hrs$118,548-$24,755$86,681$3,333.87
+10h Overtime/Wk50 hrs$137,266-$30,202$98,828$3,801.08
+15h Overtime/Wk55 hrs$155,984-$35,857$110,768$4,260.32
+20h Overtime/Wk60 hrs$174,703-$41,512$122,709$4,719.57
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 Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX: Compensation & Purchasing Power Briefing (2026)

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

Market Baseline
$99,830/yr
$48.00/hr · SOC 29-1141
Statutory Tax Drag
19.48% Effective
-$19,452 in Total Taxes
HUD 1BR Shelter Ratio
20% Net Pay
✓ Passes 30% HUD Rule
Monthly Discretionary
+$4,938/mo
Post-$1,261/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 Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX: Market Snapshot

Registered Nurse (RN) roles in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX report a median annual wage of $99,830, 2.3% above the national median of $97,550. The 10th to 90th percentile band runs from $74,860 to $130,440, and HUD’s $1,261 monthly one-bedroom fair market rent equals 15.2% of that median gross pay. The single-adult living wage benchmark for the area is $23.75 per hour.

Highest-paying metropolitan areas for Registered Nurse (RN)

Metropolitan areaMedian annual wageVs this market
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$216,740+117.1%
Vallejo, CA$203,290+103.6%
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$186,610+86.9%
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA$174,550+74.8%
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA$171,460+71.8%
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA$170,960+71.3%
Yuba City, CA$149,320+49.6%
Kahului-Wailuku, HI$144,350+44.6%
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA$139,520+39.8%
Urban Honolulu, HI$139,260+39.5%

Top-paying occupations benchmarked in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX

OccupationMedian annual wageMedian hourly
Chief Executives$275,270$132.34/hr
Computer and Information Systems Managers$172,160$82.77/hr
Architectural and Engineering Managers$172,020$82.70/hr
Financial Manager$166,910$80.25/hr
Marketing Managers$153,030$73.57/hr
Compensation and Benefits Managers$148,870$71.57/hr
Human Resources Managers$142,110$68.32/hr
Data Engineer$139,100$66.88/hr
Purchasing Managers$139,050$66.85/hr
Physician Assistant$137,240$65.98/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 Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX Overview

Registered Nurse (RN) median pay in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX is $99,830 a year ($48.00/hr). See take-home pay after 2026 taxes, BLS wage percentiles. Official 2026 economic data for Registered Nurse (RN) in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX 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 Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX?

The median annual wage is $99,830 ($48.00 per hour). The middle 80% of earners make between $74,860 and $130,440. Source: BLS OEWS (May 2025).

What is the take-home pay for a Registered Nurse (RN) in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX after taxes?

On the median wage of $99,830, a single filer with no pre-tax deductions takes home about $79,060 a year ($6,588 a month) after $20,770 in federal, FICA, state and local taxes, an effective rate of 20.8%, using 2026 tax rules.