Last updated: 2025 BLS data · Page refreshed:
How much does a Registered Nurses actually take home in Iowa?
3.9% flat rate — 23.2% effective total tax rateData: BLS OEWS 2025 + IRS/State Tax Brackets 2024 • Updated 2026-05-19
Detailed line-by-line tax calculation for a Registered Nurses earning $78,630 in Iowa (single filer, standard deduction).
| Tax Component | Annual Amount | Effective Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Gross Salary (Median) | $78,630 | — |
| Federal Income Tax | -$9,139 | 11.6% |
| Iowa State Income Tax | -$3,066 | 3.9% |
| Social Security (OASDI) | -$4,875 | 6.2% |
| Medicare | -$1,140 | 1.4% |
| Total Taxes | -$18,221 | 23.2% |
| Take-Home Pay | $60,408 | 76.8% |
Take-home pay varies significantly across experience levels. Here is the after-tax breakdown for each salary percentile of Registered Nurses in Iowa.
| Percentile | Gross Salary | Total Taxes | Take-Home Pay | Tax Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th Percentile (P10) | $63,840 | -$13,259 | $50,580 | 20.8% |
| 25th Percentile (P25) | $68,290 | -$14,752 | $53,537 | 21.6% |
| Median (P50) | $78,630 | -$18,221 | $60,408 | 23.2% |
| 75th Percentile (P75) | $85,940 | -$20,673 | $65,266 | 24.1% |
| 90th Percentile (P90) | $100,500 | -$25,558 | $74,941 | 25.4% |
After federal income tax ($9,139), state tax ($3,066), and FICA ($6,015), a Registered Nurses in Iowa takes home $60,408 per year — or $5,034 per month. The effective tax rate of 23.2% is relatively low compared to the national range.
With an effective total rate of 23.2%, a Registered Nurses in Iowa keeps $60,409 of $78,630 gross — roughly typical for U.S. middle-income earners once federal, FICA and state taxes are combined.
Iowa applies a flat state income tax — every dollar of wage income is taxed at the same rate. For this Registered Nurses salary that contributes $3,067 to the 3.9% effective state-tax burden.
Federal tax on this Registered Nurses salary is $9,140 (50%), but combined state ($3,067, 17%) + FICA ($6,015, 33%) make up the other 50% of the bill.
Moving this same Registered Nurses salary to a zero-state-tax state would yield around $63,475 net — a gain of $3,067 (5.1%) per year versus Iowa.
Iowa sits near the bottom (#47 of 51) for Registered Nurses after-tax earnings. Relocation, negotiation, or credential stacking typically show the clearest ROI in bottom-quartile states.
Translated into paycheck cadences, $60,409 net/year works out to $5,034/month or $2,323/bi-weekly for this Registered Nurses in Iowa — the numbers that actually hit a checking account after every deduction.
Where does a Registered Nurses keep the most of their paycheck? Top 10 states ranked by after-tax take-home pay.
Iowa ranks #47 out of 51 states for Registered Nurses after-tax take-home pay.
A Registered Nurses in Iowa earning a median salary of $78,630 will take home approximately $60,408 per year after federal income tax ($9,139), state income tax ($3,066), and FICA ($6,015). That is $5,034 per month or $2,323 per bi-weekly paycheck.
The effective total tax rate for a Registered Nurses in Iowa is 23.2%, broken down as: federal income tax 11.6%, Iowa state tax 3.9%, and FICA (Social Security + Medicare) 7.7%. This assumes a single filer with the standard deduction for 2024.
Iowa has a 3.9% flat rate. On a Registered Nurses's median salary of $78,630, the state income tax amounts to $3,066 per year, which is an effective state rate of 3.9%.
After all taxes, a Registered Nurses in Iowa takes home approximately $5,034 per month, or about $29.04 per hour (based on a standard 2,080-hour work year). These figures assume a single filer, standard deduction, and no additional pre-tax deductions.
We start with the 2025 BLS median salary of $78,630 for Registered Nurses in Iowa, then subtract: federal income tax using 2024 IRS brackets ($14,600 standard deduction), Iowa state income tax (3.9% flat rate), Social Security (6.2% up to $168,600), and Medicare (1.45%). The result — $60,408/yr — does not include local taxes, pre-tax deductions (401k, HSA), or tax credits.
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This estimate assumes a single filer using the 2024 standard deduction ($14,600), with W-2 employment income only. It does not account for: itemized deductions, tax credits (e.g. earned income credit, child tax credit), local/city taxes, pre-tax contributions (401k, HSA, FSA), self-employment tax, or additional income sources. Actual take-home pay may differ. Consult a tax professional for personalized advice.
Our Methodology · Data Sources · Salary: BLS OEWS · Tax: IRS + State DOR