Salaries for Tennessee's MSN-Educated Nurses

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Obtaining an MSN in Tennessee can nearly double the base salary of a nurse according to salary data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics as of 2014. While RNs rarely have a master’s degree, nurse practitioners must have this credential to obtain a license to practice.

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Comparing the median salary among nurse practitioners with that of RNs demonstrates the significant increase in salary that can come with earning an MSN:

Tennessee Area
Difference
RN Salary
Chattanooga
$45990
$57670
Kingsport area
$44440
$49900
Jackson
$43320
$49570
Memphis
$37660
$58900
Cleveland
$35620
$52420
Clarksville
$33030
$57600
Knoxville
$32930
$54310
Johnson City
$31990
$54980
Nashville area
$26880
$58870
North Central Tennessee
$36930
$56300
South Central Tennessee
$36090
$52670
Eastern Tennessee
$34830
$51240
Western Tennessee
$32090
$52190

The Average Salary of Experienced MSN-Educated Nurses in Tennessee Can Be as High as $168,000

While the salary of MSN-educated nurses with experience in Tennessee varied greatly, experienced nurse anesthetists earned an average salary of more than $168,000 as of 2015 according to the state’s Department of Labor and Workforce Development:

Nurse Career
Median
Entry-level
Nurse Anesthetists
$142173
$117357
Nurse Practitioners
$90041
$72159
Nurse Midwives
$68776
$57185
Nurse Educators
$59768
$40613

Nursing Professions That Require an MSN are Experiencing Rapid Job Growth in Tennessee

Nurse practitioners and nurse anesthetists were among the top 20 fastest growing occupations in Tennessee between 2012 and 2022. The Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development predicted that the level of job growth for advanced practice registered nurses would be 2.5 to 3 times higher than that of occupations as a whole in the state. Projections for the increase in the number of jobs over this ten-year period ranged from 25.2% for nurse anesthetists to 33.3% for nurse midwives.

Tennessee had the 4th highest concentration of jobs for nurse practitioners in the country in 2014 according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. The Bureau reported an even higher concentration for nurse anesthetists. The state as a whole had the 2nd highest concentration of jobs for nurse anesthetists in the country, while a number of metropolitan areas had extremely high levels of employment of nurse anesthetists:

  • Knoxville—highest concentration of nurse anesthetists in the country
  • Jackson—5th highest concentration of nurse anesthetists in the country
  • Nashville—5th largest number of nurse anesthetists employed
  • Knoxville—8th largest number of nurse anesthetists employed

Nurse Practitioner Salaries Throughout Tennessee

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics provided expanded detail on the salaries of nurse practitioners throughout Tennessee as of 2014. The salaries of NPs varied dramatically depending on their location. Nurse practitioners in Jackson earned an average salary that was much higher than that of NPs in other parts of Tennessee:

Area name
Employment
Annual mean wage
Chattanooga TN-GA
430
104200
Clarksville TN-KY
150
95260
Cleveland TN
40
87640
Jackson TN
80
107240
Johnson City TN
300
100720
Kingsport-Bristol-Bristol TN-VA
200
93480
Knoxville TN
590
86640
Memphis TN-MS-AR
950
100050
Morristown TN
60
86330
Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin TN
1120
84730
Western Tennessee nonmetropolitan area
180
92740
South Central Tennessee nonmetropolitan area
200
96560
North Central Tennessee nonmetropolitan area
200
87050
Eastern Tennessee nonmetropolitan area
110
86790

Nurse Anesthetist Salaries in the Major Metropolitan Areas of Tennessee

Nurse anesthetists in the Kingsport area earned a higher average salary than nurse anesthetists in other metropolitan areas of Tennessee as of 2014 according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Area name
Employment
Annual mean wage
Chattanooga TN-GA
180
135060
Jackson TN
70
150700
Kingsport-Bristol-Bristol TN-VA
110
175800
Knoxville TN
560
171020
Memphis TN-MS-AR
Estiamte not released
142740
Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin TN
730
141020

*This value is equal to or greater than $90/hour or $187,199/year. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics does not report salary data beyond this level.

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