Registered Nurse Salary in Detroit, MI
Registered Nurses in the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI metro area earn a median $97,280 a year — 0% less than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $73,383 take-home, or $6,115 a month.
Take-home pay calculator
Pre-filled with the median registered nurse salary in Detroit, MI. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.
- Federal income tax$12,572
- Social Security (6.2%)$6,031
- Medicare (1.45%)$1,411
- Michigan income tax$3,884
- Take-home pay$73,383
Marginal rate: 22% federal + 4.25% state
Living in Detroit? City residents also pay Detroit’s city income tax — about $2,335 a year on this salary — which lowers take-home pay to $71,048 ($5,921 a month). Choose “Detroit” under City income tax in the calculator. Suburban residents usually don’t pay it.
Got an offer somewhere else? Compare it with this one after taxes and rent →
Registered Nurse pay by experience in Detroit, MI
| Percentile | Salary | Hourly | Take-home / yr | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $78,140 | $37.57 | $60,731 | $5,061 |
| 25th percentile | $82,470 | $39.65 | $63,593 | $5,299 |
| Median (50th) | $97,280 | $46.77 | $73,383 | $6,115 |
| 75th percentile | $104,150 | $50.07 | $77,924 | $6,494 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $110,650 | $53.20 | $82,220 | $6,852 |
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, Michigan resident, 2026 tax rules.
What $97,280 buys in Detroit, MI
Prices in Detroit, MI are 0.3% higher than the U.S. average (housing costs are 5% below the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median registered nurse's $73,383 take-home pay has the buying power of $73,165 in a typical American city.
Rents: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2026 (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities). Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
Registered Nurse jobs are about as common in Detroit, MI as in the U.S. overall (location quotient 1.07).
Best-paying cities for registered nurses, adjusted for cost of living
Detroit, MI ranks #85 of 206 metro areas once taxes and local prices are taken into account.
| # | Metro area | Median salary | Take-home | Real value* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose, CA | $216,740 | $142,511 | $129,059 |
| 2 | Vallejo, CA | $203,290 | $134,031 | $123,555 |
| 3 | Santa Rosa, CA | $174,550 | $116,298 | $107,899 |
| 4 | Sacramento, CA | $171,460 | $114,514 | $107,353 |
| 5 | San Francisco, CA | $186,610 | $123,394 | $106,730 |
| 6 | Bend, OR | $135,010 | $92,480 | $89,260 |
| 7 | Bakersfield, CA | $128,810 | $89,883 | $89,094 |
| 8 | Seattle, WA | $128,260 | $98,932 | $89,021 |
| 85 | Detroit, MI | $97,280 | $73,383 | $73,165 |
*Take-home pay divided by the BEA price level, so every city is measured in U.S.-average dollars. See all 206 metros →
About the job: registered nurses
Assess patient health problems and needs, develop and implement nursing care plans, and maintain medical records. Administer nursing care to ill, injured, convalescent, or disabled patients. May advise patients on health maintenance and disease prevention or provide case management. Licensing or registration required.
- Typical education
- Bachelor's degree
- Work experience
- None required
- On-the-job training
- None
- Job outlook, 2025–35
- +5.6% (faster than average)
Source: BLS Standard Occupational Classification and Employment Projections, 2025–35.
Registered Nurse salaries elsewhere in Michigan
- Flint, MI — $97,780
- Saginaw, MI — $95,160
- Ann Arbor, MI — $103,450
- Kalamazoo, MI — $88,200
- Lansing, MI — $84,320
- Grand Rapids, MI — $83,920
Frequently asked questions
How much does a registered nurse make in Detroit, MI?
The median registered nurse salary in the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI metro area is $97,280 a year, or about $46.77 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $82,470 and $104,150.
What is a registered nurse’s take-home pay in Detroit, MI?
On the median $97,280 salary, a single filer living in Michigan takes home about $73,383 a year ($6,115 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $3,884 in Michigan taxes in 2026.
Is Detroit, MI a good place to work as a registered nurse?
Pay here is 0% below the national median of $97,550. Local prices are 0.3% above the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $73,165 would in a typical U.S. city. Detroit, MI ranks #85 of 206 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.
Can a registered nurse afford rent in Detroit, MI?
HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Detroit, MI is $1,128 a month ($1,413 for two bedrooms) — 18% of a median registered nurse’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.
Related jobs in Detroit, MI
- Pharmacist — $137,770
- Nurse Practitioner — $134,390
- Physician Assistant — $131,830
- Physical Therapist — $102,970
- Dental Hygienist — $84,480
- Radiologic Technologist and Technician — $77,530
- Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurse — $69,300
- Physicians, All Other — $68,220
- Clinical Laboratory Technologist and Technician — $58,910
- Health Technologists and Technicians, All Other — $49,340
- Pharmacy Technician — $43,330