Nurse Practitioners Salary
In Tennessee, nurse practitioners earn $117,590 at the median, or about $56.54 an hour. The range runs from $83K at the entry level to $138K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 89.78), which stretches that salary to about $130,976 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,215/month, or 15.4% of estimated take-home pay.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Tennessee. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $118K get you in Tennessee?
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What this looks like in Tennessee
Pay for nurse practitioners in Tennessee runs about 11% below the U.S. median of $132K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,215/month, 16% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 89.78 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 10% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Lower pay, lower costs, Tennessee can be a reasonable trade-off for nurse practitionerss who value affordability over top-dollar markets.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Tennessee
Entry-level nurse practitioners (10th percentile) start around $83K. Mid-career wages sit at $118K. Top earners bring in $138K or more, a $55K spread from bottom to top.
Nurse Practitioners salary by metro in Tennessee
10 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Memphis | $125K | +6% | 1,800 |
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin | $122K | +4% | 4,540 |
| Kingsport-Bristol | $118K | +1% | 480 |
| Chattanooga | $116K | -1% | 1,000 |
| Clarksville | $115K | -2% | 300 |
| Knoxville | $110K | -7% | 1,630 |
| Jackson | $108K | -8% | 410 |
| Cleveland | $107K | -9% | 170 |
| Morristown | $106K | -10% | 120 |
| Johnson City | $102K | -13% | 380 |
Compare to other states
Track nurse practitioners salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Tennessee numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a nurse practitioner afford a 2BR apartment alone in Tennessee?
Yes — at the median salary of $118K, rent takes 16% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,215/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for nurse practitioners in Tennessee?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new nurse practitioners typically earn — is $83K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,967/month. At HUD’s $1,215/month FMR, rent would take 24% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is nurse practitioner a high-paying job in Tennessee?
Local pay runs 11% below the national median — $118K here vs. $132K nationally. Cost of living is 10% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Tennessee compare to the national average for nurse practitioners?
Tennessee pays $118K median vs. the U.S. average of $132K — that’s -11%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 89.78), the purchasing-power equivalent is $131K — below the national median.
How much do nurse practitioners make in Tennessee?
The median is $117,590 a year, that works out to about $57 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $82,790, and experienced nurse practitioners can clear $137,880. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $118K enough to live in Tennessee?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $7,593/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,215/month, which eats 16% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a nurse practitioners salary go in Tennessee?
Tennessee has a Regional Price Parity of 89.78 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median nurse practitioners salary is worth about $130,976 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do nurse practitioners get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.