What a nurse keeps in the US after tax, 2026
Bureau of Labor Statistics figures put median pay for a registered nurse somewhere between $86,000 and $90,000 in 2026. Few professions vary as sharply by state, with a Californian RN grossing close to double a colleague in Mississippi. The complete after-tax picture follows.
Registered nurse net pay by state, 2026
| State | Mean RN Salary | State Tax | Monthly Take-Home |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | ~$130,500 | 9.3%+ | $7,320/mo |
| Hawaii | ~$113,000 | 8.25% | $6,410/mo |
| Washington | ~$110,000 | 0% (no income tax) | $7,130/mo |
| New York | ~$108,000 | 6.85% | $6,610/mo |
| Texas | ~$84,000 | 0% (no income tax) | $5,790/mo |
| Florida | ~$73,000 | 0% (no income tax) | $5,123/mo |
| Mississippi | ~$60,000 | 5% | $4,200/mo |
Source: BLS OES May 2025 under SOC 29-1141. Monthly net is calculated after federal income tax on the 2026 brackets, FICA at 7.65% and state income tax. Shift differentials, overtime and union benefits are excluded.
Net pay as nursing experience builds
| Experience | National Gross | Monthly Net (Texas) | Monthly Net (California) |
|---|---|---|---|
| New grad RN (0-1 yr) | $55,000-$68,000 | $3,868-$4,697/mo | $3,600-$4,250/mo |
| Staff RN (2-5 yrs) | $72,000-$88,000 | $5,060-$6,026/mo | $4,590-$5,340/mo |
| Experienced RN (6-10 yrs) | $88,000-$105,000 | $6,026-$7,002/mo | $5,340-$6,096/mo |
| Charge Nurse / Supervisor | $95,000-$115,000 | $6,430-$7,544/mo | $5,720-$6,600/mo |
| NP (Nurse Practitioner) | $115,000-$145,000 | $7,544-$9,100/mo | $6,600-$7,870/mo |
How travel nurses reach $9,000 to $12,000 a month
A travel contract typically beats a staff post by 30% to 60%, and several things drive that:
- Shortage premiums in high-demand specialties (ICU, ED, OR)
- Tax-free housing and meal stipends - often $2,000-$3,500/month in non-taxable reimbursements
- The non-taxable portion inflates effective take-home significantly
An experienced travel nurse in a specialty people are desperate for, Californian intensive care being the obvious case, might work on $55 an hour plus $1,500 a week in tax-free stipends. Across a thirteen-week assignment the stipends alone come to $19,500 with no tax attached. Over a full year of travel work an experienced critical care nurse can net $90,000 to $110,000, comfortably beyond what the equivalent staff post pays.
The trade-off is real: no job security, since you are always thirteen weeks from unemployment, health insurance costs more, and over the long term the lifestyle exhausts a lot of people.
Questions readers ask
Median pay for a registered nurse in 2026 runs roughly $86,000 to $90,000 nationally. In a state without income tax, Texas for instance, that leaves about $5,900 to $6,200 a month once federal tax and FICA are paid. California, where the mean sits near $130,500, leaves roughly $7,320 a month after state tax of around 10%. New graduates keep $3,868 to $4,697 depending on where they land.
Measured after tax, California still leads nationally at roughly $7,300 a month, because the gross is high enough to absorb the state tax. Washington follows closely at about $7,130, pairing high gross pay with no state income tax at all. Texas stays competitive near $5,790 with no state tax, and living costs there are low enough that it often works out better in practice than California despite the smaller salary.
American pay is far higher, and California is in a league of its own. A Band 5 NHS nurse in Britain earns £32,073, keeping about £2,154 a month. A staff nurse in Texas earns $72,000 to $88,000 and keeps $5,060 to $6,026. Even allowing for what Americans pay for healthcare and education, most states pay nurses considerably better in purchasing power, and California reaches roughly three times the British monthly figure. What Britain offers instead is the NHS pension and job security.