How Much Does an RN Make in Nashville, TN in 2026?
Typical pay for RNs in Nashville, from federal wage data (May 2025), with the ten-year trend and how the city compares across Tennessee.
BLS OES May 2025 · Nashville · Davidson · · Murfreesboro · · Franklin metro area
A typical RN in Nashville, Tennessee earns $40.40 per hour, or $84,040 per year, according to the latest government wage data for the area (May 2025). Calculated from the annual figure, that is roughly $7,003 a month. Entry-level positions typically offer around $69,480, and the top 10% of earners make over $112,030.
That pay is 3% above the Tennessee figure of $81,500 and 14% below the national figure of $97,550. Nashville ranks 1st of 10 metro areas in Tennessee for RN pay. About 25,100 RNs work in the Nashville · Davidson · · Murfreesboro · · Franklin area. Nashville is part of the Nashville · Davidson · · Murfreesboro · · Franklin metro area, and BLS reports pay for the metro as a whole, so Franklin, Murfreesboro, Davidson share these figures.
RN pay in Nashville at a glance
- Typical pay is $40.40 an hour, or $84,040 a year.
- That is 3% above the Tennessee figure, ranking 1st of 10 metro areas in the state.
- Entry-level positions typically offer around $69,480; the top 10% make over $112,030.
- Typical pay rose +43% from 2015 to 2025, against +43% for Tennessee as a whole.
BLS OES May 2025
How much does an RN make in Nashville?
Pay in Nashville runs from entry-level positions at around $33.41 an hour to more than $53.86 for the top 10% of earners. The table sets each career stage against the Tennessee and national figures.
RN pay by career stage in Nashville
| Career stage | Nashville | Tennessee | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | $69,480$33.41 an hour | $63,970$30.76 an hour | $68,940$33.14 an hour |
| First years | $81,630$39.24 an hour | $75,460$36.28 an hour | $80,330$38.62 an hour |
| Typical RN | $84,040$40.40 an hour | $81,500$39.18 an hour | $97,550$46.90 an hour |
| Experienced | $103,550$49.78 an hour | $95,250$45.79 an hour | $112,350$54.02 an hour |
| Top 10% | $112,030$53.86 an hour | $104,920$50.44 an hour | $137,470$66.09 an hour |
BLS OES May 2025 · city figures cover the Nashville · Davidson · · Murfreesboro · · Franklin area as BLS defines it
RN pay growth in Nashville
Typical (median) annual wage for RNs in the Nashville · Davidson · · Murfreesboro · · Franklin area · BLS OES May estimates, 2015 to 2025 · hover a bar for the year-over-year change
In 2015, typical RN pay in Nashville was $58,810 a year. By 2025 it had reached $84,040, a change of +43%, compared with +43% for Tennessee over the same years.
How Nashville compares with other Tennessee cities
Nashville pays RNs the most of any metro area in Tennessee. The lowest-paying area in the state is Cleveland at $72,800.
| # | City | Typical pay | Hourly | Vs Nashville | RNs employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nashville | $84,040 | $40.40 | this city | 25,100 |
| 2 | Memphis | $81,500 | $39.18 | -3% | 13,760 |
| 3 | Chattanooga | $79,770 | $38.35 | -5% | 6,460 |
| 4 | Clarksville | $79,450 | $38.20 | -5% | 1,670 |
| 5 | Johnson City | $77,660 | $37.34 | -8% | 2,740 |
| 6 | Knoxville | $77,240 | $37.13 | -8% | 9,500 |
| 7 | Kingsport metro incl. Bristol | $76,730 | $36.89 | -9% | 2,660 |
| 8 | Morristown | $75,680 | $36.38 | -10% | 710 |
| 9 | Jackson | $75,610 | $36.35 | -10% | 1,930 |
| 10 | Cleveland | $72,800 | $35.00 | -13% | 630 |
Every metro area in Tennessee with RN wage data · BLS OES May 2025 · Tennessee typical pay $81,500
Is Nashville a good place to work as an RN?
RNs in Nashville earn less than the national figure: typical pay is $84,040 a year, 14% below the national rate. For every 1,000 jobs in the Nashville · Davidson · · Murfreesboro · · Franklin area, about 23 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 Nashville, TN?
- A typical RN in Nashville earns $84,040 a year, or $40.40 an hour, according to BLS wage data for May 2025. Entry-level pay runs about $69,480 and the top 10% earn over $112,030.
- How much does an RN make an hour in Nashville?
- Typical hourly pay for RNs in Nashville is $40.40. Entry-level hourly pay runs about $33.41, and the top 10% earn over $53.86 an hour.
- What is the starting pay for an RN in Nashville?
- Entry-level RN positions in Nashville typically offer around $33.41 an hour, or $69,480 a year.
- Is RN pay in Nashville higher than in the rest of Tennessee?
- Nashville pay is 3% above the Tennessee figure of $81,500 a year, ranking 1st of 10 metro areas in the state.