The average salary for a registered nurse in Tennessee is around $81,500 per year.
Avg Salary
Registered nurses earn an average yearly salary of $81,500.
Wages typically start from $63,970 and go up to $104,920.
29% above national average Updated in 2025
Registered nurse earnings by seniority
90th percentile
Top-level registered nurse earnings begin at:
$50.44 per hour
$104,920 per year
75th percentile
Senior-level registered nurse earnings begin at:
$45.79 per hour
$95,250 per year
50th percentile
Mid-level registered nurse earnings begin at:
$39.18 per hour
$81,500 per year
25th percentile
Junior-level registered nurse earnings begin at:
$36.28 per hour
$75,460 per year
10th percentile
Starting level registered nurse earnings begin at:
$30.76 per hour
$63,970 per year
Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.
Registered nurse salary by state
| State Name | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Maryland | $99,790 |
| New Hampshire | $99,700 |
| Delaware | $99,520 |
| Arizona | $99,500 |
| Vermont | $97,460 |
| Pennsylvania | $96,430 |
| Illinois | $95,990 |
| Texas | $95,970 |
| Wisconsin | $95,530 |
| New Mexico | $94,340 |
| Michigan | $94,300 |
| Virginia | $93,600 |
| Georgia | $93,550 |
| Idaho | $92,460 |
| Maine | $86,990 |
| Montana | $85,280 |
| Nebraska | $84,730 |
| Utah | $84,600 |
| North Carolina | $84,350 |
| Florida | $84,190 |
| Wyoming | $83,760 |
| Indiana | $83,500 |
| Oklahoma | $82,920 |
| Ohio | $82,510 |
| South Carolina | $82,360 |
| Missouri | $81,780 |
| Tennessee | $81,500 |
| Kentucky | $81,040 |
| North Dakota | $80,730 |
| Louisiana | $80,230 |
| West Virginia | $80,130 |
| Kansas | $79,320 |
| Arkansas | $78,940 |
| Iowa | $78,630 |
| South Dakota | $78,060 |
| Mississippi | $77,090 |
| Alabama | $77,080 |
| Virgin Islands, U.S. | $60,950 |
| Guam | $57,320 |
| Puerto Rico | $32,800 |
| California | $140,270 |
| Hawaii | $136,320 |
| Oregon | $129,010 |
| Washington | $124,200 |
| Alaska | $109,480 |
| New York | $109,440 |
| New Jersey | $106,500 |
| Massachusetts | $104,550 |
| Nevada | $103,670 |
| Connecticut | $102,740 |
| District of Columbia | $102,540 |
| Minnesota | $101,510 |
| Rhode Island | $100,640 |
| Colorado | $100,260 |
How do registered nurse salaries compare to similar careers?
Registered nurses earn about the same as related careers in Tennessee. On average, they make less than genetic counselors but more than clinical psychologists.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Genetic counselor salary | $94K |
| Audiologist salary | $91K |
| Radiation therapist salary | $84K |
| Nuclear medicine technologist salary | $84K |
| Dental hygienist salary | $85K |
| Acute care nurse practitioner salary | $82K |
| Registered nurse salary | $82K |
| Clinical nurse specialist salary | $82K |
| Speech language pathologist salary | $85K |
| Clinical psychologist salary | $77K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)