How Much Does an RN Make in Knoxville, TN in 2026?
Typical pay for RNs in Knoxville, from federal wage data (May 2025), with the ten-year trend and how the city compares across Tennessee.
BLS OES May 2025 · Knoxville metro area
A typical RN in Knoxville, Tennessee earns $37.13 per hour, or $77,240 per year, according to the latest government wage data for the area (May 2025). Calculated from the annual figure, that is roughly $6,437 a month. Entry-level positions typically offer around $57,070, and the top 10% of earners make over $97,360.
That pay is 5% below the Tennessee figure of $81,500 and 21% below the national figure of $97,550. Knoxville ranks 6th of 10 metro areas in Tennessee for RN pay. About 9,500 RNs work in the Knoxville area.
RN pay in Knoxville at a glance
- Typical pay is $37.13 an hour, or $77,240 a year.
- That is 5% below the Tennessee figure, ranking 6th of 10 metro areas in the state.
- Entry-level positions typically offer around $57,070; the top 10% make over $97,360.
- Typical pay rose +42% from 2015 to 2025, against +43% for Tennessee as a whole.
BLS OES May 2025
How much does an RN make in Knoxville?
Pay in Knoxville runs from entry-level positions at around $27.44 an hour to more than $46.81 for the top 10% of earners. The table sets each career stage against the Tennessee and national figures.
RN pay by career stage in Knoxville
| Career stage | Knoxville | Tennessee | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | $57,070$27.44 an hour | $63,970$30.76 an hour | $68,940$33.14 an hour |
| First years | $71,550$34.40 an hour | $75,460$36.28 an hour | $80,330$38.62 an hour |
| Typical RN | $77,240$37.13 an hour | $81,500$39.18 an hour | $97,550$46.90 an hour |
| Experienced | $83,000$39.90 an hour | $95,250$45.79 an hour | $112,350$54.02 an hour |
| Top 10% | $97,360$46.81 an hour | $104,920$50.44 an hour | $137,470$66.09 an hour |
BLS OES May 2025 · city figures cover the Knoxville area as BLS defines it
RN pay growth in Knoxville
Typical (median) annual wage for RNs in the Knoxville area · BLS OES May estimates, 2015 to 2025 · hover a bar for the year-over-year change
In 2015, typical RN pay in Knoxville was $54,240 a year. By 2025 it had reached $77,240, a change of +42%, compared with +43% for Tennessee over the same years.
How Knoxville compares with other Tennessee cities
Franklin pays RNs the most in Tennessee at $84,040 a year, $6,800 more than Knoxville. The lowest-paying area in the state is Cleveland at $72,800.
| # | City | Typical pay | Hourly | Vs Knoxville | RNs employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Franklin | $84,040 | $40.40 | +9% | 25,100 |
| 2 | Memphis | $81,500 | $39.18 | +6% | 13,760 |
| 3 | Chattanooga | $79,770 | $38.35 | +3% | 6,460 |
| 4 | Clarksville | $79,450 | $38.20 | +3% | 1,670 |
| 5 | Johnson City | $77,660 | $37.34 | +1% | 2,740 |
| 6 | Knoxville | $77,240 | $37.13 | this city | 9,500 |
| 7 | Kingsport metro incl. Bristol | $76,730 | $36.89 | -1% | 2,660 |
| 8 | Morristown | $75,680 | $36.38 | -2% | 710 |
| 9 | Jackson | $75,610 | $36.35 | -2% | 1,930 |
| 10 | Cleveland | $72,800 | $35.00 | -6% | 630 |
Every metro area in Tennessee with RN wage data · BLS OES May 2025 · Tennessee typical pay $81,500
Is Knoxville a good place to work as an RN?
RNs in Knoxville earn less than the national figure: typical pay is $77,240 a year, 21% below the national rate. For every 1,000 jobs in the Knoxville area, about 22 are RN positions; nationally, the figure is closer to 22. RN jobs make up about the same share of the job market as they do across the country.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does an RN make in Knoxville, TN?
- A typical RN in Knoxville earns $77,240 a year, or $37.13 an hour, according to BLS wage data for May 2025. Entry-level pay runs about $57,070 and the top 10% earn over $97,360.
- How much does an RN make an hour in Knoxville?
- Typical hourly pay for RNs in Knoxville is $37.13. Entry-level hourly pay runs about $27.44, and the top 10% earn over $46.81 an hour.
- What is the starting pay for an RN in Knoxville?
- Entry-level RN positions in Knoxville typically offer around $27.44 an hour, or $57,070 a year.
- Is RN pay in Knoxville higher than in the rest of Tennessee?
- Knoxville pay is 5% below the Tennessee figure of $81,500 a year, ranking 6th of 10 metro areas in the state. Franklin pays the most in Tennessee at $84,040.