Tennessee RN Salary 2026
Last reviewed: by Jayson Minagawa, BSN, RN
What RNs actually earn in Tennessee
The mean registered nurse salary in Tennessee is $85,390 a year, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics release. That puts Tennessee 16% below the national RN mean of $101,420, and 42nd of 51 states and DC.
That mean covers every RN in the state — new graduates and thirty-year charge nurses, day shift and nights, bedside and management. In practice new-graduate wages in Tennessee land around $64,042, and experienced specialty or supervisory nurses reach roughly $119,545. If you are comparing a specific offer, the ladder below is more useful than the all-RN average.
Tennessee pay across the nursing ladder
Six roles, all Tennessee figures, each against its national anchor:
| Role | Mean annual | vs national | State rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nurse (all RNs) | $85,390 | 16% below national | 42nd |
| ICU / critical care RN | $104,575 | 23% above national | 34th |
| Emergency department RN | $78,724 | — | 42nd |
| Travel nurse (posted base) | $91,789 | 9% below national | 42nd |
| Nurse practitioner | $108,180 | 21% below national | 49th |
| CRNA | $248,985 | level with national | 20th |
RN, NP and CRNA figures are BLS May 2025 OEWS unless the state note says otherwise. ICU, ER and travel figures are 2026 aggregator data (ZipRecruiter, Vivian, TheCRNA) — those specialties have no separate federal SOC code, so no BLS series exists for them.
What that salary is actually worth
Tennessee's regional price parity is 91.4 against a national average of 100, so goods and services here cost 8.6% less than the national norm. Run the $85,390 mean through that and it carries the purchasing power of $93,425 anywhere else in the country.
Tennessee ranks 42nd on nominal pay and 39th once cost of living is taken out, so the headline number is roughly honest here — what you are offered is close to what it is worth.
What is driving Tennessee pay right now
HCA Healthcare's home base; right-to-work, no state income tax, restrictive NP scope of practice produces lowest NP wages in country.
Staffing-ratio law: Tennessee has no statutory nurse-to-patient ratios, so how many patients you carry is set by hospital policy and unit budget rather than by law. That makes the ratio a question to settle in the interview, not after you start — ask what the unit actually runs on nights and weekends, not what the policy says.
Who you are competing with
As a Nurse Licensure Compact state, Tennessee lets any nurse holding a multistate licence work here without applying for a separate one. That widens the pool of candidates for every posting, and it also means travel nurses can start assignments quickly — which keeps contract rates competitive but stops staff wages running away during a shortage. Full detail on requirements and timelines is in the Tennessee licensure guide.
Where the jobs are in Tennessee
The largest RN employment markets in Tennessee are Nashville, Memphis. Metro wages generally run 5-15% above the state mean, and rural postings 5-10% below — though rural and critical-access hospitals often close part of that gap with sign-on bonuses and loan repayment, because they compete for a much smaller pool of applicants. ANCC Magnet-designated hospitals typically pay 8-12% more than non-Magnet facilities for the same role.
Tax and take-home in Tennessee
Tennessee state income tax: none on wages. With no state income tax, a given gross goes further here than the same gross in a high-tax state — worth several thousand dollars a year at RN salaries, and one reason this state stays competitive for travellers. Federal brackets and FICA (6.2% Social Security plus 1.45% Medicare) apply the same everywhere. The pay calculator models federal and Tennessee state tax together, and the cost-of-living calculator compares two states on take-home rather than headline pay.
Differentials and premium pay
Base rate is rarely the whole story. Most Tennessee hospitals pay a night differential of roughly $2-7/hr, weekends $1-3/hr, holidays at $1-3/hr or time-and-a-half, and charge-nurse pay of $2-5/hr on top. A nurse working a permanent night rotation with every third weekend can add several thousand a year over the base figures above. The shift differential calculator works out what a given rotation is actually worth.
Common questions
What is the average RN salary in Tennessee?
The mean registered nurse salary in Tennessee is $85,390 per year, per the BLS May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics release. That is 16% below the national RN mean of $101,420, and ranks 42nd of 51 states and DC.
Is $85,390 a good RN salary in Tennessee?
Adjusted for Tennessee's cost of living (BEA regional price parity 91.4, where 100 is the national average), $85,390 has the purchasing power of about $93,425 nationally — 39th among the 51 states and DC. Compare offers on the adjusted figure, not the headline one.
Which Tennessee nursing roles pay the most?
CRNAs lead at $248,985, followed by nurse practitioners at $108,180. Within bedside nursing, ICU and critical care ($104,575) typically pays above the all-RN mean.
Related Tennessee guides
See nursing licensure in Tennessee for Board of Nursing requirements and compact status, and travel nursing in Tennessee for contract rates and stipend detail. National context: pay and data, highest-paying RN specialties.