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What to Pay a Registered Nurse in Nashville, TN (2026)

Last updated: May 15, 2026 Built for: Total Rewards, Comp, HR Sample: BLS OEWS + disclosed-range postings
Market Median
$82,000
base, annual
Competitive Range
$74K–$96K
25th–75th percentile
YoY Movement
+4.0%
trailing 12 months
Days to Fill
~24
Nashville metro average
To hire a Registered Nurse in Nashville at market, plan on a base salary range of $74,000 to $96,000, with $82,000 as the midpoint. To attract candidates in a market where average time-to-fill runs 24 days, expect to lead at $96K–$110K plus a sign-on bonus, common in skilled nursing settings. Tennessee does not currently require pay range disclosure in job postings.

How to set your RN pay range in Nashville

Three pay positions, modeled against current Nashville market data. Pick the one that matches your comp philosophy and the role's strategic value.

Lag Market
Pay Below Median
$66K–$74K
Workable in non-acute settings with strong non-cash differentiation. Expect longer fill times and turnover ~1.4× the Nashville average.
Match Market — recommended
Pay at Median
$78.8K–$87.6K
Default for most Nashville employers. Competitive enough to fill in ~24 days. A range width of ~30% (min $74,000 to max $96,000) keeps compa-ratio movement smooth across a RN's typical 8–12 year tenure.
Lead Market
Pay Above Median
$90.4K–$110K
Use for hard-to-fill specialties (wound care, IV therapy, bilingual), 24/7 SNF roles, or when speed-to-hire trumps budget. Reduces fill time by 35–45% on average.

RN salary percentile distribution in Nashville, TN

Where the Nashville market actually sits for RN base pay.

10th $66K
25th $74K
Median $82K
75th $96K
90th $110K

Most Nashville employers building a range for this role anchor the midpoint to the market median ($82,000) and set range width at 30–35% — a min of $74,000 and a max of $96,000. This keeps the band wide enough for experience-based progression without concentrating range penetration at the cap.

Tennessee pay transparency compliance for RN job postings

What you must post when hiring a RN in Tennessee.

Not required statewide. Tennessee has no statewide pay transparency law. Posting a range is optional — but roughly half of healthcare employers in the market now disclose ranges voluntarily, and candidates increasingly skip postings without one.

For a RN role in Nashville, a compliant good-faith range looks like $74,000 to $96,000. No statutory requirement applies, but if you disclose voluntarily, post a good-faith range of $74,000–$96,000 rather than a single number — it screens out misaligned candidates and reduces offer-stage fallout.

Top RN employers in Nashville — who you're competing against

Top healthcare employers hiring RNs in the Nashville metro and what they're posting.

Employer Type Disclosed Range Sign-on Bonus
Vanderbilt University Medical Center Academic medical center $82K–$106K Common ($8K–$15K)
HCA Healthcare (TriStar Health) Health system (HQ) $80K–$104K Very common ($12K–$22K)
Ascension Saint Thomas Health system $78K–$100K Very common ($10K–$18K)
Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital (Vanderbilt) Pediatric specialty $82K–$106K Common ($8K–$15K)
Williamson Medical Center Community hospital $76K–$98K Common ($8K–$15K)

RN talent supply and hiring difficulty in Nashville

How hard is it to fill a RN role in Nashville.

~24
Avg Days to Fill
~2,100
Active Postings
~22,200
Nashville RN Workforce
Moderate
Supply : Demand

Nashville RN market driven by Vanderbilt University Medical Center, HCA Healthcare (headquartered here), and Ascension Saint Thomas.

Skill premiums RN candidates command in Nashville, TN

Skill / Credential Pay Premium Demand Signal
CCRN +8–12% Very high
CEN +7–11% Very high
CNOR +8–12% Very high
Pediatric (Monroe Carell) +6–10% Very high

RN total compensation in Nashville — what candidates expect beyond base

Total rewards mix for RNs in Nashville. "Prevalence" reflects share of Nashville disclosed-range postings including each element.

Component Typical Value Prevalence in Nashville Postings
Base salary $82,000 (median) 100%
Shift differential +12–20% premium ~88%
Sign-on bonus $10,000–$22,000 ~78%
Certification pay +5–12% premium ~56%
Tuition reimbursement $2,500–$4,500/yr ~56%
Estimated total comp benchmark ~$104K–$128K —

Shift differentials and sign-on bonuses are typically table stakes rather than differentiators. Tuition reimbursement for LPN-to-RN bridge programs is increasingly the lever that wins competitive offers, particularly for early-career candidates.

RN pay by setting in Nashville — SNF, hospital, clinic, home health

Where the RN range splits by employer type in the Nashville metro.

Setting Median Competitive Range Hiring Difficulty
Acute-care hospital (med-surg) $78,000 $70K–$90K Moderate
ICU / Critical care $96,000 $86K–$110K Very high
Emergency department $92,000 $82K–$106K Very high
Pediatric (Monroe Carell) $94,000 $84K–$108K Very high
Ambulatory / clinic $70,000 $63K–$80K Moderate

RN salary in Nashville vs. other Tennessee and nearby metros

What you'd pay if you hired in a nearby metro instead.

Location Median Base vs. Nashville Hiring Difficulty
Nashville–Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN $82,000 — Moderate
Louisville, KY-IN $76,000 −7.3% Moderate
Charlotte–Concord–Gastonia, NC-SC $84,000 +2.4% Moderate
Atlanta–Sandy Springs–Roswell, GA $86,000 +4.9% Above national avg
Tennessee statewide $72,000 −12.2% —
U.S. national $93,600 — —

FAQ: hiring a Registered Nurse in Nashville, TN

Market median is $82,000 for base pay. To match market, set a range with the midpoint at $82,000 — typically $74,000 to $96,000. To lead the market, plan on $96K–$110K base plus a sign-on bonus.
No statewide law requires a posted range in Tennessee. Disclosing one voluntarily — a good-faith range such as $74,000–$96,000 — is increasingly the market norm and improves application rates.
$73,000 falls below the Nashville market median of $82,000 — roughly at the 10th–25th percentile locally. Acceptable in SNF or physician office settings where the candidate pool is deeper; below-market for hospital or specialty roles.
Roughly 78% of Nashville metro RN postings include a sign-on bonus — highest in Tennessee. HCA (headquartered in Nashville) leads with $12K–$22K offers.
Average fill time is approximately 24 days in the Nashville metro. Roles paid above the 75th percentile ($96K+) fill in roughly 18–22 days. Roles below the 25th percentile ($74K) commonly take 45+ days and have elevated turnover within the first 90 days.
By Nashville-metro posting volume: Vanderbilt University Medical Center, HCA Healthcare (TriStar Health), Ascension Saint Thomas, Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital (Vanderbilt), Williamson Medical Center lead the pack.
A 30–35% range width (min to max) is standard for RN in Nashville — for example, $74,000 to $96,000. Narrower than 25% compresses progression and creates compa-ratio pressure within 18 months.
No. Tennessee has no pay transparency law covering internal or external postings. Note that remote roles open to candidates in states like Colorado or California may still trigger those states' disclosure requirements.

Related RN pay benchmarks — Tennessee metros and nearby nursing roles

Same role, nearby metros
RN pay benchmark — Louisville, KY → RN pay benchmark — Charlotte, NC → RN pay benchmark — Atlanta, GA → All RN pay benchmarks →
Related roles in Nashville
Certified Nursing Assistant pay benchmark — Nashville → Nurse Practitioner pay benchmark — Nashville → All roles' pay benchmarks →

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Data refreshed May 15, 2026. Next scheduled update: August 15, 2026.
© 2026 BetterComp. Market data informational only — not legal advice.