Registered Nurses in Tennessee
The median registered nurse in Tennessee earns $81,500 a year and keeps $66,165 of it — $5,514 a month.
Take-home pay, Tennessee
$66,165
from $81,500 gross · $2,545 every two weeks · 18.8% effective tax rate
Gross median from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 state estimates, May 2025 estimates (source file). Tax computed here from IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32 and Tennessee revenue department tables. Single filer, 2026 tax year, annual liability rather than paycheck withholding.
By filing status
Filing status changes the standard deduction and the bracket widths, so the same salary yields a different answer.
| Filing status | Federal tax | State tax | Take-home |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single | $9,100 | $0 | $66,165 |
| Married filing jointly | $5,420 | $0 | $69,845 |
| Head of household | $6,528 | $0 | $68,737 |
Every state, ranked by what you keep
Gross pay and take-home pay do not rank the same way. A state can pay less and still leave you with more.
| # | State | Median salary | Take-home | Tax rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $140,270 | $98,340 | 30% |
| 2 | Washington | $124,200 | $96,157 | 23% |
| 3 | Hawaii | $136,320 | $95,878 | 30% |
| 4 | Oregon | $129,010 | $88,980 | 31% |
| 5 | Alaska | $109,480 | $85,849 | 22% |
| 6 | Nevada | $103,670 | $81,762 | 21% |
| 7 | New York | $109,440 | $80,404 | 27% |
| 8 | New Jersey | $106,500 | $79,159 | 26% |
| 9 | New Hampshire | $99,700 | $78,969 | 21% |
| 10 | Massachusetts | $104,550 | $77,373 | 26% |
| 11 | Connecticut | $102,740 | $77,032 | 25% |
| 12 | Arizona | $99,500 | $76,743 | 23% |
| 13 | Rhode Island | $100,640 | $76,452 | 24% |
| 14 | Texas | $95,970 | $76,345 | 20% |
| 15 | Colorado | $100,260 | $75,660 | 25% |
| 16 | District of Columbia | $102,540 | $75,219 | 27% |
| 17 | Minnesota | $101,510 | $74,863 | 26% |
| 18 | Maryland | $99,790 | $74,656 | 25% |
| 19 | Pennsylvania | $96,430 | $73,708 | 24% |
| 20 | Delaware | $99,520 | $73,615 | 26% |
| 21 | Vermont | $97,460 | $73,471 | 25% |
| 22 | Wisconsin | $95,530 | $72,353 | 24% |
| 23 | New Mexico | $94,340 | $71,906 | 24% |
| 24 | Illinois | $95,990 | $71,752 | 25% |
| 25 | Michigan | $94,300 | $71,413 | 24% |
| 26 | Georgia | $93,550 | $70,723 | 24% |
| 27 | Virginia | $93,600 | $70,110 | 25% |
| 28 | Idaho | $92,460 | $69,829 | 24% |
| 29 | Florida | $84,190 | $68,058 | 19% |
| 30 | Wyoming | $83,760 | $67,755 | 19% |
| 31 | Tennessee | $81,500 | $66,165 | 19% |
| 32 | Utah | $84,600 | $65,505 | 23% |
| 33 | Nebraska | $84,730 | $65,462 | 23% |
| 34 | Ohio | $82,510 | $65,389 | 21% |
| 35 | Montana | $85,280 | $65,367 | 23% |
| 36 | North Carolina | $84,350 | $65,313 | 23% |
| 37 | North Dakota | $80,730 | $65,309 | 19% |
| 38 | Maine | $86,990 | $65,303 | 25% |
| 39 | Indiana | $83,500 | $65,139 | 22% |
| 40 | South Carolina | $82,360 | $64,227 | 22% |
| 41 | Oklahoma | $82,920 | $63,915 | 23% |
| 42 | South Dakota | $78,060 | $63,745 | 18% |
| 43 | Missouri | $81,780 | $63,456 | 22% |
| 44 | Louisiana | $80,230 | $63,251 | 21% |
| 45 | Kentucky | $81,040 | $63,123 | 22% |
| 46 | West Virginia | $80,130 | $62,421 | 22% |
| 47 | Arkansas | $78,940 | $61,931 | 22% |
| 48 | Iowa | $78,630 | $61,810 | 21% |
| 49 | Kansas | $79,320 | $61,005 | 23% |
| 50 | Mississippi | $77,090 | $60,711 | 21% |
| 51 | Alabama | $77,080 | $59,467 | 23% |
Registered Nurses in Tennessee: questions
What is the average registered nurses salary in Tennessee?›
The median is $81,500 a year, about $39.18 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics May 2025 estimates. Median means half of registered nurses in Tennessee earn more and half earn less.
What is the take-home pay on $81,500 in Tennessee?›
About $66,165 a year — $5,514 a month, or $2,545 every two weeks — for a single filer in the 2026 tax year, after $9,100 federal income tax, $6,235 in Social Security and Medicare. Tennessee levies no state income tax.
Do registered nurses earn more in Tennessee than elsewhere?›
No. At $81,500, Tennessee pays $12,100 below the $93,600 median across all states, ranking 41 of 51 on gross pay. On take-home pay after tax it ranks 31.
Where do registered nurses keep the most money?›
Ranked by take-home rather than gross, the best-paying states for this occupation are California ($98,340), Washington ($96,157), Hawaii ($95,878). Gross pay and take-home pay do not rank the same way, because state income tax varies from nothing to over 10%.
What is the effective tax rate on $81,500 in Tennessee?›
18.8% of gross pay, combining federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare and state income tax. The marginal rate — what you would pay on the next dollar earned — is 29.6%.