Registered Nurses in Tennessee

Is Tennessee a good place for you to work as a Registered Nurse?

You’re in luck! Jobs for Registered Nurses in Tennessee are projected to grow and these jobs tend to pay higher than average.

• Projected employment for Registered Nurses in Tennessee is growing faster than average.

• Registered Nurses in Tennessee earn higher salaries than the typical U.S. wage earner.

What Major Will Prepare You For a Registered Nurse Career?

• Health Professions
• Nursing
• Registered Nursing
• Nursing Administration
• Adult Health Nurse/Nursing
• Family Practice Nurse/Nursing
• Maternal/Child Health and Neonatal Nurse/Nursing
• Nursing Science
• School Nursing
• Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse/Nursing
• Public Health/Community Nurse/Nursing
• Perioperative/Operating Room and Surgical Nurse/Nursing
• Clinical Nurse Specialist
• Critical Care Nursing
• Occupational and Environmental Health Nursing
• Emergency Room/Trauma Nursing
• Nursing Practice
• Palliative Care Nursing
• Clinical Nurse Leader
• Geriatric Nurse/Nursing
• Other Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing

How Many Registered Nurses Work in Tennessee?

In 2018, there were 60,360 Registered Nurses working in the state.

There were 59,350 Registered Nurses employed in this state in 2017.

That’s growth of 1,010 jobs between 2017 and 2018.

The typical state has 43,110 Registered Nurses working in it, which means Tennessee has more Registered Nurses than average.

Job Projections for Tennessee

Jobs for Registered Nurses in this state are growing at a rate of 18.9% which is faster than the nationwide estimated projection of 14.8%.

Tennessee Annual Job Openings

The BLS is projecting 4,320 annual Registered Nurses job openings in Tennessee, and 69,280 total jobs in the year 2026.

Nationwide, the prediction is 203,700 annual jobs and 3,393,200 total jobs in 2026.

What do Registered Nurses Make in Tennessee?

In 2018 wages for Registered Nurses ranged from $43,340 to $80,310 with $60,120 being the median annual salary.

Broken down to an hourly rate, workers in this field made anywhere from $20.83 to $38.61. The median hourly rate was $28.91.

In 2017 the median pay for this field was $28.41 an hour.

The hourly rate grew by $0.50.

The median salary in Tennessee is higher than the nationwide median salary.

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Top Tennessee Metros for Registered Nurses

The table below shows some of the metros in this state with the most Registered Nurses.

Metro	Number Employed	Annual Median Salary
Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN	20,560	$62,850
Memphis, TN-MS-AR	12,870	$65,370
Knoxville, TN	7,150	$57,170
Chattanooga, TN-GA	6,080	$57,590
Johnson City, TN	2,780	$55,130
Kingsport-Bristol-Bristol, TN-VA	2,580	$51,860
Jackson, TN	2,020	$56,890
Clarksville, TN-KY	1,310	$61,230
Morristown, TN	600	$53,460

Top States for Registered Nurses Employment

The table below shows the states where most Registered Nurses work.

State	Number Employed	Annual Median Salary
California	294,510	$104,410
Texas	210,350	$72,000
New York	182,490	$85,300
Florida	177,600	$64,400
Pennsylvania	148,520	$69,170
Illinois	129,400	$72,250
Ohio	125,380	$64,200
North Carolina	102,500	$62,940
Michigan	96,680	$70,590
Massachusetts	80,630	$86,860
New Jersey	79,530	$81,820
Georgia	76,640	$67,870
Missouri	71,770	$62,270
Minnesota	69,000	$77,940
Indiana	67,870	$62,330
Virginia	64,750	$68,000
Tennessee	60,360	$60,120
Wisconsin	59,030	$70,150
Washington	56,290	$79,920
Arizona	54,690	$75,770

Below are the states where Registered Nurses get paid the most:

State	Annual Median Salary
Hawaii	$105,300
California	$104,410
Oregon	$91,220
District of Columbia	$88,800
Alaska	$87,650
Massachusetts	$86,860
New York	$85,300
Nevada	$85,210
New Jersey	$81,820
Connecticut	$79,920

References

• Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)
• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• Image Credit: By Aleksahgabrielle under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.