Registered Nurses Salary in Tennessee

Median annual wage in Tennessee: $81,500 -16.5% vs national

Tennessee vs United States

TennesseeUnited States
Median annual$81,500$97,550
Median hourly$39.18$46.90
Employment72,2003,379,720
Location quotient1.011.00

Data source: BLS OES state file (Tennessee) · U.S. BLS OES, May 2024 (updated April 2025)

A closer look

The mean wage of $85,390 sits 4.8% above the median — the typical worker earns close to the median, while a smaller group of higher earners pulls the average up.

Pay spans a wide range: workers at the 10th percentile earn about $63,970, while those at the 90th percentile earn about $104,920 — a 1.6x gap between entry-level and top earners.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average registered nurses salary in Tennessee?

The median annual wage in Tennessee is $81,500 ($39.18 per hour), per BLS OES May 2024 data.

How does Tennessee compare to the national average for registered nurses?

The Tennessee median of $81,500 is 16.5% lower than the U.S. median of $97,550.

How many registered nurses work in Tennessee?

Approximately 72,200 are employed in Tennessee, per BLS OES.