Registered Nurses salary in Nashville, TN
Median pay for registered nurses in Nashville, TN: $78,020/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $60,020 – $101,910 · about 22,420 employed locally
Below the typical metro median ($80,810) by −$2,790 (-3%).
What it's really worth in Nashville
With Nashville's cost of living at 97 (US=100), that $78,020 has the buying power of about $80,413 in an average-cost US metro.
Local context: median household income $79,020 · median home $455,958 · median rent $1,798/mo.
How Nashville ranks for this job
On raw pay, Nashville, TN is 142nd of the 187 metros we hold registered nurses wages for. Once Nashville's cost of living is applied, it ranks 153rd.
Pay and living costs are roughly in step here, so Nashville sits in much the same place whether you look at raw salary or spending power.
What that salary buys in Nashville
A median home in Nashville, TN costs $455,958 — about 5.8× this salary, against a typical US metro figure of 4.7×. Buying is harder here than in the average metro on this income.
Median rent of $1,798/mo works out at 28% of gross pay — inside the conventional 30% affordability ceiling.
Where registered nurses earn more
Pay on its own is only half the picture, so each row shows what rent costs there relative to Nashville.
| Metro | Median pay | vs Nashville | Rent vs Nashville |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vallejo, CA | $187,080 | +140% | 1.3× |
| San Francisco, CA | $181,240 | +132% | 1.8× |
| San Jose, CA | $179,210 | +130% | 2× |
| Sacramento, CA | $157,810 | +102% | 1.3× |
Same job elsewhere in TN
| Metro | Median pay | vs Nashville | Rent vs Nashville |
|---|---|---|---|
| Memphis, TN | $77,290 | −1% | 0.8× |
| Clarksville, TN | $76,170 | −2% | 0.7× |
| Chattanooga, TN | $73,950 | −5% | 0.9× |
| Kingsport, TN | $68,080 | −13% | 0.8× |
Staying in TN keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Who hires registered nurses around Nashville
Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center · Healthcare
- State of Tennessee · Government
- HCA Healthcare · Healthcare
- Metro Nashville Government · Government
- Ascension · Healthcare
Other jobs in Nashville
Source: US BLS OEWS (May 2023) median annual wage; cost of living from BEA; home price and rent from Zillow; household income from US Census ACS. Rankings are across the 187 metros we hold wage data for in this occupation. Estimates for guidance only. See methodology.