Registered Nurse Salary in Tennessee
Median annual pay in Tennessee
$81,500
$39.18/hour
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Adjusted for cost of living in Tennessee
$88,712
Regional Price Parity: 91.870 (U.S. = 100)
Wages: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Cost of living: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
Difference from the U.S. median ($97,550): −$16,050 (−16.5%)
Tennessee ranks 41st of 51 states by median pay, and 44th of 51 after adjusting for cost of living.
Pay
| Annual | Hourly | |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $63,970 | $30.76 |
| 25th percentile | $75,460 | $36.28 |
| Median | $81,500 | $39.18 |
| 75th percentile | $95,250 | $45.79 |
| 90th percentile | $104,920 | $50.44 |
Employment
- Employment in Tennessee
- 72,200
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Comparison
Compared with the U.S.
- Median annual pay in Tennessee
- $81,500
- Median annual pay in the U.S.
- $97,550
- Difference
- −$16,050 (−16.5%)
Cost of living
$81,500 ÷ 91.870 × 100 = $88,712
Wages: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Cost of living: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
Ranking
| Rank | Median annual pay | Adjusted for cost of living (annual) |
|---|---|---|
| South Carolina | ||
| 39th | $82,360 | $87,852 48th |
| Missouri | ||
| 40th | $81,780 | $90,049 36th |
| Tennessee This page | ||
| 41st | $81,500 | $88,712 44th |
| Kentucky | ||
| 42nd | $81,040 | $89,886 37th |
| North Dakota | ||
| 43rd | $80,730 | $90,750 33rd |
Similar occupations
Related occupations from O*NET, in O*NET's order, with their BLS median pay. Each figure shows the place it is for.
- Nurse Practitioner salary in Tennessee
$117,590/year Tennessee
- Nurse Anesthetist salary in Tennessee
$211,450/year Tennessee
- Physician Assistant salary in Tennessee
$118,240/year Tennessee
- Nursing Assistant salary in Tennessee
$37,990/year Tennessee
- Paramedic salary in Tennessee
$57,690/year Tennessee
- Emergency Medicine Physician salary in the U.S.
$335,550/year U.S.
Outlook
- Projected employment change, 2025–35 (U.S.)
- +5.6%
- Typical education needed for entry (U.S.)
- Bachelor's degree
BLS publishes employment projections only for the U.S. as a whole. BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35
Specialties included in this occupation
- Acute Care Nurses
- Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nurses
- Critical Care Nurses
- Clinical Nurse Specialists
BLS publishes one wage figure for all Registered Nurses; it does not publish separate data for these specialties.
O*NET 31.0
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Registered Nurse salary in nearby places
- Registered Nurse salary in Alabama
$77,080/year Alabama
- Registered Nurse salary in Arkansas
$78,940/year Arkansas
- Registered Nurse salary in Georgia
$93,550/year Georgia
- Registered Nurse salary in Kentucky
$81,040/year Kentucky
- Registered Nurse salary in Mississippi
$77,090/year Mississippi
- Registered Nurse salary in Missouri
$81,780/year Missouri
- Registered Nurse salary in North Carolina
$84,350/year North Carolina
- Registered Nurse salary in Virginia
$93,600/year Virginia
- Registered Nurse salary in the U.S.
$97,550/year U.S.
Sources and update
- Wages and employment: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025.
- Cost of living: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
- Related occupations and specialties: O*NET® 31.0 Database, CC BY 4.0. Attributions
- Employment projections and typical education: BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35.
- Neighboring states: U.S. Census Bureau, County Adjacency File, 2024.
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