New grad RN jobs and nurse residency programs in Tennessee
Tennessee employs 72,200 registered nurses, and half of them earn more than $81,500 a year, $16,050 below the national median of $97,550. We track 31 new-grad RN programs at Tennessee hospitals, of which 19 were taking applications on Oct 29, 2026.
- RNs employed
- 72,200
- Median RN pay
- $81,500
- 25th percentile
- $36.28/hr
- Programs we track
- 31
- Open on Oct 29, 2026
- 19
- In the compact
- Yes
- NCLEX pass rate, 2025
- 90.9%
- Work before the NCLEX
- Ask the board
Every Tennessee program we track is listed in the Vibe Nursing app.
What new grad nurses earn in Tennessee
A quarter of Tennessee RNs earn less than $36.28 an hour ($75,460 a year) and half earn more than $39.18. First-year offers tend to sit near the lower figure, since hospital pay scales usually rise with experience.
That puts Tennessee 41st of the 50 states and DC for median RN pay.
Pay is bunched together in Tennessee: only $2.90 an hour separates the 25th percentile from the median, a narrower gap than in most states.
| Metro area | RNs employed | Median pay | 25th percentile, hourly |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | 25,100 | $84,040 | $39.24 |
| Memphis, TN-MS-AR | 13,760 | $81,500 | $37.93 |
| Knoxville, TN | 9,500 | $77,240 | $34.40 |
Where the RN jobs are
The Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin area employs 25,100 RNs, about 35% of the state's total.
When people search for new grad RN jobs in Tennessee, the places they name most often are Nashville, Knoxville, Memphis, Chattanooga, Clarksville and Murfreesboro.
Getting licensed in Tennessee
The Tennessee Board of Nursing licenses RNs in Tennessee.
Tennessee is in the Nurse Licensure Compact. If Tennessee is your primary state of residence, the license you earn after the NCLEX can be multistate, valid in every compact state. Nurses who live in another compact state can work in Tennessee on their home state's multistate license.
Every one of its neighboring states is in the compact too, so one license covers the whole region.
Working before you pass the NCLEX in Tennessee
We could not confirm from an official Tennessee source whether new graduates can get a permit to work before the NCLEX. Ask the Tennessee board before you plan on it.
The Tennessee Board of Nursing can tell you; its contact details are on NCSBN's page for it.
29 of the 50 states and DC do allow it in some form. See every state's rule.
NCLEX pass rate in Tennessee
Tennessee had one of the highest first-time NCLEX-RN pass rates in the country in 2025: 90.9% of the 4,369 U.S.-educated candidates who tested for a Tennessee license passed, 4.2 points above the national rate of 86.7%.
With 31 new-grad programs on our list, that is about 141 new test takers for each one, near the national figure of about 114.
The exam is the same everywhere; the rate tells you about the graduates who tested here, not about your own chances. See pass rates in every state.
Tennessee and its neighboring states
Among its neighboring states, Virginia pays RNs the most, a median of $93,600. Georgia has the most new-grad programs on our list (59).
| State | Programs we track | Median RN pay | In the compact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tennessee | 31 | $81,500 | Yes |
| Georgia | 59 | $93,550 | Yes |
| North Carolina | 52 | $84,350 | Yes |
| Missouri | 32 | $81,780 | Yes |
| Virginia | 30 | $93,600 | Yes |
| Kentucky | 26 | $81,040 | Yes |
| Arkansas | 8 | $78,940 | Yes |
| Mississippi | 7 | $77,090 | Yes |
| Alabama | 5 | $77,080 | Yes |
Questions about Tennessee
How much do new grad nurses make in Tennessee?
The BLS does not separate new graduates. For all Tennessee RNs, the 25th percentile is $36.28 an hour and the median $39.18 (May 2025); first-year offers usually sit nearer $36.28.
How many nurse residency programs are in Tennessee?
Vibe Nursing tracks 31 new-grad programs at Tennessee hospitals: nurse residencies, and hospitals that hire new grads straight into RN jobs. On Oct 29, 2026, 19 were taking applications.
Can I work in Tennessee with a compact license?
Yes. Tennessee is a compact state, so a multistate license from your home compact state is valid here.
Can new grads work before passing the NCLEX in Tennessee?
We could not confirm from an official Tennessee source whether new graduates can get a permit to work before the NCLEX. Ask the Tennessee board before you plan on it.
What is the NCLEX pass rate in Tennessee?
90.9% in 2025: 3,972 of 4,369 first-time, U.S.-educated candidates passed the NCLEX-RN for Tennessee (NCSBN). The national rate was 86.7%.
What do RNs earn in the Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin area?
The median is $84,040 a year, and a quarter of RNs there earn under $39.24 an hour (BLS, May 2025). The area employs 25,100 RNs.
Sources
- Pay and jobs: BLS OEWS, May 2025, all registered nurses.
- Board: NCSBN directory. Compact: nursecompact.com. Both read October 2026.
- Working before the NCLEX: not confirmed from an official source (October 2026); ask the board.
- NCLEX: NCSBN, 2025 NCLEX Examination Statistics, first-time U.S.-educated candidates. Portions copyrighted by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, Inc. All rights reserved.
- Program counts: Vibe Nursing, Oct 29, 2026 (how we count).