SOC 29-1141

Registered Nurse (RN) Salary in New Orleans-Metairie, LA (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 + LA
COL Index: 105.75 (+5.8% vs US)
Net Compensation Yield 74.1% Realized
$60,659 / net annual direct deposit
Gross Adjusted $81,850 $39.35/hr
Effective Tax Drag 19.89% Combined Jurisdictions
Marginal Top Bracket 22% Federal Statutory
Total Withheld -$16,280 $626.16/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 $39.35 / hour
0 hrs/wk (+$0/yr)
0 hrs (Standard) 10 hrs OT 20 hrs OT 25 hrs Max
6% (-$4,911/yr)
0% Tax Shield: ~$1,080/yr 15% (IRS limit: $24,500)
Itemized Statutory Withholdings Ledger
Federal Income Tax (IRS)
Progressive 10%–37%
-$8,097
Social Security (FICA OASDI)
Statutory 6.20% (Cap $184,500)
-$5,075
Medicare Hospital Insurance
Statutory 1.45%
-$1,187
Louisiana Individual Income Tax
State Marginal Bracket
-$1,922
Net Take-Home Annual Realized
$60,659 ($2,333.04 / check)
Category 2 of 6

New Orleans-Metairie, LA Registered Nurse (RN) Wage Distribution

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

Your Salary: $81,850
MIDDLE 50% (IQR RANGE) 10th $65.7k 25th $75.0k Median: $81,850 50th (Median) $81.8k 75th $95.1k 90th $103k You: $81,850
10th (Entry) $65,660 $31.57/hr
25th (Junior) $75,030 $36.07/hr
50th (Median) $81,850 $39.35/hr
75th (Senior) $95,140 $45.74/hr
90th (Lead/Master) $103,180 $49.61/hr
Career Progression & Licensing Milestones for Registered Nurse (RN) in New Orleans-Metairie, LA
1
Staff Nurse (Med-Surg RN)ADN or BSN, passing NCLEX-RN exam, state licensing
$58,314$28.04/hr · 0-2 Years
2
Specialty RN (ICU / ER / OR)BLS/ACLS certifications, critical care nursing experience
$74,676$35.90/hr · 2-5 Years
3
Charge Nurse / Nurse SupervisorClinical leadership, unit patient flow management, staffing oversight
$88,101$42.36/hr · 5-8 Years
4
Nurse Practitioner (MSN/DNP)Master''s/Doctorate in Nursing, advanced prescriptive authority
$107,819$51.84/hr · 7+ Years
Scaled to the New Orleans-Metairie, LA 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 New Orleans-Metairie, LA 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) $1,229/month Requires minimum annual gross of $49,160
HUD Fair Market Rent (2-Bedroom) $1,480/month Requires minimum annual gross of $59,200
Hourly Living Wage Benchmark (EPI model)
1 Adult Earner: $23.39/hr
Per adult, 2 working adults + 1 child: $21.16/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 New Orleans-Metairie, LA.

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$81,850-$16,280$60,659$2,333.04
+5h Overtime/Wk45 hrs$97,197-$21,061$70,304$2,704.02
+10h Overtime/Wk50 hrs$112,544-$25,841$79,950$3,075.00
+15h Overtime/Wk55 hrs$127,891-$30,622$89,596$3,445.98
+20h Overtime/Wk60 hrs$143,238-$35,659$98,984$3,807.08
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 New Orleans-Metairie, LA: Compensation & Purchasing Power Briefing (2026)

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

Market Baseline
$81,850/yr
$39.35/hr · SOC 29-1141
Statutory Tax Drag
19.89% Effective
-$16,280 in Total Taxes
HUD 1BR Shelter Ratio
24% Net Pay
✓ Passes 30% HUD Rule
Monthly Discretionary
+$3,826/mo
Post-$1,229/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 New Orleans-Metairie, LA: Market Snapshot

Registered Nurse (RN) roles in New Orleans-Metairie, LA report a median annual wage of $81,850, 16.1% below the national median of $97,550. The 10th to 90th percentile band runs from $65,660 to $103,180, and HUD’s $1,229 monthly one-bedroom fair market rent equals 18.0% of that median gross pay. The single-adult living wage benchmark for the area is $23.39 per hour.

Highest-paying metropolitan areas for Registered Nurse (RN)

Metropolitan areaMedian annual wageVs this market
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$216,740+164.8%
Vallejo, CA$203,290+148.4%
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$186,610+128.0%
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA$174,550+113.3%
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA$171,460+109.5%
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA$170,960+108.9%
Yuba City, CA$149,320+82.4%
Kahului-Wailuku, HI$144,350+76.4%
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA$139,520+70.5%
Urban Honolulu, HI$139,260+70.1%

Top-paying occupations benchmarked in New Orleans-Metairie, LA

OccupationMedian annual wageMedian hourly
Architectural and Engineering Managers$165,620$79.62/hr
Industrial Production Managers$147,980$71.14/hr
Financial Manager$134,110$64.48/hr
Computer and Information Systems Managers$131,570$63.25/hr
Natural Sciences Managers$129,960$62.48/hr
Purchasing Managers$128,670$61.86/hr
Marketing Managers$126,740$60.93/hr
Nurse Practitioner$124,800$60.00/hr
Physician Assistant$124,580$59.89/hr
Fundraising Managers$124,160$59.69/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 New Orleans-Metairie, LA (2026) Overview

Registered Nurse (RN) median pay in New Orleans-Metairie, LA is $81,850 a year ($39.35/hr). See take-home pay after 2026 taxes, BLS wage percentiles, HUD rents. Official 2026 economic data for Registered Nurse (RN) in New Orleans-Metairie, LA 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 New Orleans-Metairie, LA?

The median annual wage is $81,850 ($39.35 per hour). The middle 80% of earners make between $65,660 and $103,180. Source: BLS OEWS (May 2025).

What is the take-home pay for a Registered Nurse (RN) in New Orleans-Metairie, LA after taxes?

On the median wage of $81,850, a single filer with no pre-tax deductions takes home about $64,342 a year ($5,362 a month) after $17,508 in federal, FICA, state and local taxes, an effective rate of 21.39%, using 2026 tax rules.