Travel Nurse Salary in Tennessee
A representative travel-nurse package in Tennessee — a $24.00/hr taxable base on a 3×12 schedule, plus tax-free housing and meal stipends benchmarked to the Nashville GSA per-diem — runs about $2,364 gross per week, or $2,240 take-home after federal, FICA, and state tax. Tennessee levies no state income tax, so you keep more of your taxable wages here.
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Avg RN wage (BLS)
$36.00/hr
$74,900/yr staff mean
Example weekly gross
$2,364
3×12 blended package
Take-home / week
$2,240
5.3% effective tax
State income tax
None
keeps more take-home
GSA housing cap
$4,800/mo
Nashville
Cost of living
90
US average = 100
What travel nurses earn in Tennessee
Travel-nurse pay in Tennessee depends far more on your specialty, the season, and the assignment's urgency than on a single statewide number. As a baseline, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports an average staff-RN wage of $36.00/hour ($74,900/year) in Tennessee. Travel contracts typically pay more than the staff mean because they bundle a taxable base wage with sizable tax-free stipends — and because they fill urgent, hard-to-staff gaps.
The reason travel pay looks so high is the stipend structure. In Tennessee, tax-free housing stipends are benchmarked to the GSA per-diem for the assignment's county — about $4,800/month for the Nashville area — plus roughly $79/day for meals and incidentals. Because that money isn't taxed (when you qualify for a tax home), the effective tax rate on the whole package in our example is just 5.3%, even though the taxable base wage is modest.
Tennessee is one of the nine states with no income tax, which is a meaningful advantage for take-home: the taxable portion of your package isn't taxed at the state level at all. With a cost-of-living index of 90 (US average = 100), Tennessee is more affordable than average, so your take-home stretches further than in pricier states.
Run your own numbers for Tennessee
Tennessee travel nurse pay FAQ
How much do travel nurses make in Tennessee?
Travel-nurse pay in Tennessee varies by specialty, season, and demand, but a representative 3×12 package — a $24/hr taxable base stacked with tax-free housing and meal stipends benchmarked to the Nashville GSA per-diem — comes to roughly $2,364 gross per week, or about $2,240 take-home after federal, FICA, and state tax. For context, the BLS reports an average staff-RN wage of $36/hr ($74,900/yr) in Tennessee; travel rates typically run higher.
Do travel nurses pay income tax in Tennessee?
Tennessee has no state income tax, so travel nurses keep more of their taxable wages here than in most states. You owe income tax to the state where you physically work, and separately to your state of legal residence (usually with a credit for tax paid to the work state). Your tax-free housing and M&IE stipends are not taxed in any state as long as you maintain a qualifying tax home.
What is the housing stipend for travel nurses in Tennessee?
Tax-free housing stipends in Tennessee are benchmarked to the GSA per-diem for the assignment's county. For Nashville, the representative GSA ceiling is about $4,800/month for lodging and $79/day for meals & incidentals. Agencies usually pay at or just under these limits to keep the stipend tax-free; amounts above the GSA cap can be reclassified as taxable wages.
Is Tennessee a good state for travel nurses?
Tennessee is attractive for take-home because it levies no state income tax, and its cost-of-living index is 90 (US average = 100), so your pay stretches further than in pricier markets. Weigh the pay package against housing costs, license requirements, and unit quality — and run your specific offer through the Compare Contracts and Stipend Analysis tools before signing.
Educational estimates, not a pay quote or tax advice. RN wages are BLS OEWS state means (May 2024) for all staff RNs; the example package is an illustrative 3×12 benchmarked to representative GSA per-diem (FY2025) and modeled as a single filer taxed in Tennessee. Your actual offer, metro, and tax situation will differ — confirm with a travel-tax professional.