NICU nurse salary in Tennessee
Open NICU nurse jobs in Tennessee post a median of $56.50 an hour, the middle half $48–$64 (about $117,500 a year full time), $1 above the national posted median. From 10 jobs at 3 employers that state their pay.
The jobs themselves: NICU nurse jobs in Tennessee · NICU nurse pay nationwide
What NICU nurses are paid in Tennessee
Each bar counts the open jobs posting an hourly rate in its step of pay (a range at its midpoint).
Posted on open jobs in Tennessee
Middle half of 6 employer rates (each employer's advertised range once), median $56.50. 38% of the 26 open NICU nurse jobs in Tennessee state an hourly rate.
NICU nurse in Tennessee: new openings every week
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NICU nurse pay by town in Tennessee
Towns where at least three open jobs state an hourly rate, the towns with the most such jobs first.
| Town | Median posted | Posted range | Jobs (employers) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nashville | $46.75 | $32.68–$60.90 | 3 (2) |
Median of employers' rates in the town, the lowest and highest rate posted, and the jobs and employers behind them. A town opens its own job page.
NICU nurse pay by employer in Tennessee
What each employer posts for NICU nurses here, the employers with the most jobs stating pay first.
| Employer | Median posted | Posted range | Jobs stating pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| HealthTrust Workforce Solutions | $52 | $50–$62.40 | 6 |
| Vanderbilt University Medical Center | $70 | $65–$75 | 2 |
| Ascension | $46.50 | $32.68–$60.90 | 2 |
Median of each employer's jobs in Tennessee (a range at its midpoint), and its lowest and highest rate here. An employer's name opens its pay for NICU nurses nationwide when it has such a page.
Best-paid open NICU nurse jobs in Tennessee
The open jobs posting the highest hourly rates tonight, at most two from one employer.

**Premium Pay $75/hr** Registered Nurse, NICU, Night Shift, Temp Force - VTHH
Vanderbilt University Medical Center · Tullahoma, TN· 1mo ago
$75/hr
Registered Nurse, NICU, Night Shift, TempForce - VCH
Vanderbilt University Medical Center · Clarksville, TN· 1mo ago
$65/hr
RN: NICU - Contract - Nights - Winchester, TN
HealthTrust Workforce Solutions · Winchester, TN· 2w ago
$60–$62.4/hr
Registered Nurse (RN) - Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) - Per Diem - Chattanooga, TN
HealthTrust Workforce Solutions · Chattanooga, TN· 3w ago
$50–$54/hr
Ascension · Murfreesboro and Nashville, TN· 1w ago
$32.68–$60.90/hr
Ascension · Nashville, TN· 3w ago
$38.39–$54.2/hr
What BLS measures in Tennessee
What people employed in the occupation earned in the state, at every level of experience, from the BLS survey. A posting advertises what a new hire is offered.
| BLS occupation | 10th pct | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | 90th pct | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nurses (29-1141) | $30.76 (source: BLS OEWS, Registered Nurses, opens in a new tab) | $36.28 (source: BLS OEWS, Registered Nurses, opens in a new tab) | $39.18 (source: BLS OEWS, Registered Nurses, opens in a new tab) | $45.79 (source: BLS OEWS, Registered Nurses, opens in a new tab) | $50.44 (source: BLS OEWS, Registered Nurses, opens in a new tab) | 72,200 (source: BLS OEWS, Registered Nurses, opens in a new tab) |
BLS median by metro area
- Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN$40.40/hr (source: BLS OEWS, Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN, opens in a new tab)
- Memphis, TN-MS-AR$39.18/hr (source: BLS OEWS, Memphis, TN-MS-AR, opens in a new tab)
- Knoxville, TN$37.13/hr (source: BLS OEWS, Knoxville, TN, opens in a new tab)
- Chattanooga, TN-GA$38.35/hr (source: BLS OEWS, Chattanooga, TN-GA, opens in a new tab)
- Johnson City, TN$37.34/hr (source: BLS OEWS, Johnson City, TN, opens in a new tab)
- Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA$36.89/hr (source: BLS OEWS, Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA, opens in a new tab)
- Jackson, TN$36.35/hr (source: BLS OEWS, Jackson, TN, opens in a new tab)
- Clarksville, TN-KY$38.20/hr (source: BLS OEWS, Clarksville, TN-KY, opens in a new tab)
NICU nurse salary in Tennessee: common questions
How much does a NICU nurse make in Tennessee?
Open NICU nurse jobs in Tennessee that state an hourly rate post a median of $56.50, the middle half $48–$64 (10 jobs from 3 employers). Full time that is about $117,500 a year. BLS measured a median of $39.18/hr ($81,500 a year) for people employed in the occupation in Tennessee (May 2025).
How does Tennessee compare with the rest of the country?
The posted median in Tennessee ($56.50) is $1 above the national posted median of $55.50. In the BLS survey Tennessee ranks 41 of 52 by median wage.
Where do these figures come from?
From the pay open jobs state, read every night from each employer's own job board: 10 of 26 open NICU nurse jobs in Tennessee (38%) state an hourly rate. No pay is estimated for a job that states none; "up to" ceilings and weekly travel rates are left out.
Sources and method
- CareJobs.Now job board: the pay open jobs state, read nightly from each employer's own careers site, published October 24, 2026
- BLS OEWS May 2025: Registered Nurses (SOC 29-1141), every state, published May 15, 2026
- BLS OEWS May 2025: Registered Nurses, national, published May 15, 2026
- BLS OEWS May 2025: Registered Nurses by metropolitan area, published May 15, 2026
Cite this page
CareJobs.Now. (2026). NICU nurse salary in Tennessee. Data as of October 24, 2026. https://carejobs.now/salaries/nicu-nurse/tennessee