Registered Nurse Salary
Registered Nurses in Appleton, WI make a median of $86,680 a year, or about $41.67 an hour. The range runs from $74K at the entry level to $109K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 92.42), which stretches that salary to about $93,789 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,236/month, or 22.6% of estimated take-home pay.
Where the paycheck goes
What $87K actually covers in Appleton, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Appleton’s Regional Price Parity (92.42). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About registered nurses
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What this looks like in Appleton
Pay for registered nurses in Appleton runs about 11% below the U.S. median of $98K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,236/month, 22.5% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 92.42 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 8% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Lower pay, lower costs, Appleton can be a reasonable trade-off for registered nursess who value affordability over top-dollar markets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for registered nurses in metros near Appleton, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee-Waukesha | $97K | $100K |
| Madison | $101K | $104K |
| Green Bay | $85K | $91K |
| La Crosse-Onalaska | $98K | $107K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Appleton, WI
Entry-level registered nurses (10th percentile) start around $74K. Mid-career wages sit at $87K. Top earners bring in $109K or more, a $35K spread from bottom to top.
Registered Nurses pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Registered Nurses salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $140K | +44% | 338,940 |
| Hawaii | $136K | +40% | 12,940 |
| Oregon | $129K | +32% | 39,730 |
| Washington | $124K | +27% | 69,260 |
| Alaska | $109K | +12% | 7,510 |
| New York | $109K | +12% | 205,810 |
| New Jersey | $107K | +9% | 92,680 |
| Massachusetts | $105K | +7% | 88,200 |
| Nevada | $104K | +6% | 27,070 |
| Connecticut | $103K | +5% | 40,110 |
| District of Columbia | $103K | +5% | 11,440 |
| Minnesota | $102K | +4% | 70,110 |
| Rhode Island | $101K | +3% | 10,090 |
| Colorado | $100K | +3% | 54,490 |
| Maryland | $100K | +2% | 52,910 |
| New Hampshire | $100K | +2% | 15,390 |
| Delaware | $100K | +2% | 14,290 |
| Arizona | $100K | +2% | 73,150 |
| Vermont | $97K | -0% | 7,410 |
| Pennsylvania | $96K | -1% | 146,520 |
| Illinois | $96K | -2% | 138,910 |
| Texas | $96K | -2% | 271,380 |
| Wisconsin | $96K | -2% | 68,060 |
| New Mexico | $94K | -3% | 17,980 |
| Michigan | $94K | -3% | 104,950 |
| Virginia | $94K | -4% | 77,490 |
| Georgia | $94K | -4% | 100,950 |
| Idaho | $92K | -5% | 16,880 |
| Maine | $87K | -11% | 16,540 |
| Montana | $85K | -13% | 10,950 |
| Nebraska | $85K | -13% | 24,720 |
| Utah | $85K | -13% | 27,420 |
| North Carolina | $84K | -14% | 111,120 |
| Florida | $84K | -14% | 229,940 |
| Wyoming | $84K | -14% | 5,330 |
| Indiana | $84K | -14% | 68,980 |
| Oklahoma | $83K | -15% | 38,270 |
| Ohio | $83K | -15% | 143,730 |
| South Carolina | $82K | -16% | 49,750 |
| Missouri | $82K | -16% | 76,310 |
| Tennessee | $82K | -16% | 72,200 |
| Kentucky | $81K | -17% | 50,300 |
| North Dakota | $81K | -17% | 11,340 |
| Louisiana | $80K | -18% | 48,970 |
| West Virginia | $80K | -18% | 23,430 |
| Kansas | $79K | -19% | 33,800 |
| Arkansas | $79K | -19% | 29,400 |
| Iowa | $79K | -19% | 34,420 |
| South Dakota | $78K | -20% | 14,710 |
| Mississippi | $77K | -21% | 29,060 |
| Alabama | $77K | -21% | 54,340 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track registered nurses salary changes
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a registered nurse afford a 2BR apartment alone in Appleton?
Yes — at the median salary of $87K, rent takes 22.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,236/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for registered nurses in Appleton?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new registered nurses typically earn — is $74K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,816/month. At HUD’s $1,236/month FMR, rent would take 26% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is registered nurse a high-paying job in Appleton?
Local pay runs 11% below the national median — $87K here vs. $98K nationally. Cost of living is 8% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Appleton compare to the national average for registered nurses?
Appleton pays $87K median vs. the U.S. average of $98K — that’s -11%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 92.42), the purchasing-power equivalent is $94K — below the national median.
How much do registered nurses make in Appleton, WI?
The median is $86,680 a year, that works out to about $42 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $74,340, and experienced registered nurses can clear $109,030. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $87K enough to live in Appleton?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,485/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,236/month, which eats 22.5% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a registered nurses salary go in Appleton?
Appleton has a Regional Price Parity of 92.42 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median registered nurses salary is worth about $93,789 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do registered nurses get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.