Tampa: what paychecks leave after rent
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL metro area: 1,447,120 jobs, median pay of $48,940 across all occupations, and a $1,648 one-bedroom Fair Market Rent.
The typical worker in Tampa, earning the all-occupations median of $48,940, takes home about $3,459 a month after federal taxes. A one-bedroom at HUD's Fair Market Rent would take 48% of that. The median wage is 0.74× the income needed to keep that rent at 30% of gross pay, which falls short of the guideline.
Of the 10 jobs covered here, software developers have the most room (20% of take-home on a 1BR). Fast Food and Counter Workers are the most squeezed (77%).
Census figures add context: the ACS 2020–2024 5-year median gross rent paid by all renter households in the metro was $1,628 (±$11), and median household income was $74,392 (±$621).
Rent share of take-home pay, by job
All jobs in Tampa
| Job | Median pay | Take-home / mo | Hours of work | 1BR share | Left after 1BR | Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Software Developer | $130,450 | $8,369 | 26.3 h | 20% | $6,721 | 1.98× |
| Registered Nurse | $85,470 | $5,747 | 40.1 h | 29% | $4,099 | 1.30× |
| Accountant or Auditor | $78,990 | $5,367 | 43.4 h | 31% | $3,719 | 1.20× |
| Police Officer | $75,710 | $5,174 | 45.3 h | 32% | $3,526 | 1.15× |
| Elementary School Teacher | $60,120 | $4,207 | — h | 39% | $2,559 | 0.91× |
| Electrician | $57,450 | $4,028 | 59.7 h | 41% | $2,380 | 0.87× |
| Truck Driver | $50,560 | $3,567 | 67.8 h | 46% | $1,919 | 0.77× |
| Medical Assistant | $44,480 | $3,160 | 77.0 h | 52% | $1,512 | 0.68× |
| Retail Salesperson | $33,790 | $2,444 | 101.4 h | 67% | $796 | 0.51× |
| Fast Food Worker | $29,260 | $2,141 | 117.1 h | 77% | $493 | 0.44× |
HUD rent areas in this metro
| HUD FMR area | Population | 1BR | 2BR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL MSA | 3,304,691 | $1,648 | $1,917 |
HUD treats the whole metro as one rent area.
Sources & method
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 — metropolitan areas — vintage: May 2025 estimates. File:
oesm25ma.zip, retrieved 2026-10-06. - U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD USER), Fair Market Rents, FY2027 — vintage: FY2027 (effective Oct 1, 2026). File:
FY27_FMRs.xlsx, retrieved 2026-10-05. - U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates: Median gross rent (B25064) — vintage: ACS 2020–2024 5-year. File:
acsdt5y2024-b25064.dat, retrieved 2026-10-05. - U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates: Median household income (B19013) — vintage: ACS 2020–2024 5-year. File:
acsdt5y2024-b19013.dat, retrieved 2026-10-05. - Internal Revenue Service, Rev. Proc. 2025-32 (tax year 2026 brackets, $16,100 standard deduction) and SSA's $184,500 wage base, used for the take-home estimate.
Take-home = annual wage − 2026 federal income tax (single filer, standard deduction) − Social Security and Medicare. State and local income taxes are not deducted. Wages are May 2025 estimates; rents are HUD Fair Market Rents FY2027 (effective Oct 1, 2026). Full details on the methodology page. Page data last rebuilt 2026-10-06.