Nursing Assistants Salary
In Tennessee, nursing assistants earn $37,990 at the median, or about $18.27 an hour. The range runs from $31K at the entry level to $45K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 89.78), which stretches that salary to about $42,315 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,215/month, about 44.4% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Tennessee. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $38K get you in Tennessee?
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What this looks like in Tennessee
Nursing assistants pay in Tennessee tracks closely to the national median, $38K locally vs. $42K nationwide, a 10% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,215/month, which is 44.8% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. 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. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Tennessee
Entry-level nursing assistants (10th percentile) start around $31K. Mid-career wages sit at $38K. Top earners bring in $45K or more, a $14K spread from bottom to top.
Nursing Assistants salary by metro in Tennessee
10 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin | $40K | +4% | 7,420 |
| Chattanooga | $39K | +2% | 2,420 |
| Memphis | $38K | +0% | 4,930 |
| Knoxville | $38K | +0% | 3,860 |
| Morristown | $38K | -1% | 350 |
| Kingsport-Bristol | $38K | -1% | 1,400 |
| Clarksville | $37K | -2% | 620 |
| Johnson City | $37K | -2% | 1,390 |
| Cleveland | $37K | -2% | 440 |
| Jackson | $37K | -3% | 1,080 |
Compare to other states
Track nursing assistants salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Tennessee numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a nursing assistant afford a 2BR apartment alone in Tennessee?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $38K, rent takes 44.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,215/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $800/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for nursing assistants in Tennessee?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new nursing assistants typically earn — is $31K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,867/month. At HUD’s $1,215/month FMR, rent would take 65% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is nursing assistant a high-paying job in Tennessee?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $38K locally vs. $42K nationally, a 10% difference.
How does Tennessee compare to the national average for nursing assistants?
Tennessee pays $38K median vs. the U.S. average of $42K — that’s -10%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 89.78), the purchasing-power equivalent is $42K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do nursing assistants make in Tennessee?
The median is $37,990 a year, that works out to about $18 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $31,110, and experienced nursing assistants can clear $44,660. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $38K enough to live in Tennessee?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,714/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,215/month, which eats 44.8% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a nursing assistants 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 nursing assistants salary is worth about $42,315 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do nursing assistants 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.