Registered Nurses pay range in Knoxville
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $57,070 a year or less, while the top 10% make $97,360 or more. The middle half of registered nurses in Knoxville earn between $71,550 and $83,000.
- $57K10th
- $72K25th
- $77KMedian
- $83K75th
- $97K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $78,410 | $6,534 | $37.70 |
| Median | $77,240 | $6,437 | $37.13 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $71,550 | $5,962 | $34.40 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $83,000 | $6,917 | $39.90 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Registered Nurses salary after taxes in Knoxville
On the average salary of $78,410, a single filer in Knoxville takes home about $63,991 a year, or $5,333 a month and $2,461 every two weeks. Taxes take 18% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and no state income tax.
Is Knoxville a good place for registered nurses? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Knoxville area are 7% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 92.6), so the average $78,410 buys what about $84,704 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.6 times the median wage of all jobs in Knoxville ($47,080). A typical home costs $367,158, or 4.7 years of this average salary before tax.
Registered Nurses salary in other Tennessee cities
Knoxville ranks 7th of 10 Tennessee metro areas for this job; Nashville pays the most ($92,350).
- Nashville$92,350
- Memphis$87,370
- Chattanooga$85,220
- Johnson City$84,350
- Clarksville$82,520
- Kingsport$80,250
- Knoxville$78,410
- Jackson$76,220
- Morristown$75,800
- Cleveland$71,990
Highest-paying cities for registered nurses
San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($194,950).
- San Jose, CA$194,950
- Vallejo, CA$182,820
- San Francisco, CA$176,900
- Santa Rosa, CA$170,000
- Sacramento, CA$164,200
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Registered Nurses salary in Knoxville: questions
How much do registered nurses make an hour in Knoxville?
$37.70 an hour on average, and $37.13 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level registered nurses salary in Knoxville?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $57,070 a year and the 25th percentile is $71,550, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the registered nurses take-home pay in Knoxville?
About $63,991 a year ($5,333 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $78,410. Tennessee has no state income tax.
Do registered nurses earn more in Knoxville than elsewhere?
The average here is 24% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($102,761).
Sources and how to read this page
- Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 29-1141; area Knoxville, TN (28940). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.2%.
- Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
- Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
- Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and no state income tax.
- Job concentration: location quotient 1.03, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.
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