$2,200–$4,500/wk • Vanderbilt Monroe Carell Level IV • 0% State Income Tax
Tennessee is a Full NLC Compact Member State
Hold a multistate compact license from your home state? You can practice in Tennessee immediately — no additional license application required. Non-compact nurses must apply for TN RN endorsement through the Tennessee Board of Nursing before starting an assignment.
The Hall Tax on investment income was repealed in 2022. Tennessee now has zero income tax on wages — period.
Tennessee has no state income tax on wages — the Hall Tax was fully repealed effective January 1, 2022. This means every dollar of your travel nursing base wage earned on a Tennessee contract is free from state income tax. Compare this to other common NICU travel destinations: Minnesota (9.85%), California (13.3%), Oregon (9.9%), New York (10.9%), and Colorado (4.4%).
On a $3,000/week Tennessee NICU contract with a $1,100 taxable base, your Tennessee state income tax is $0. A comparable assignment in Minnesota would cost approximately $108/week in state income tax alone. Over a 13-week contract, that is a $1,400+ advantage on the same gross package — just from Tennessee's tax structure.
| State | Top Income Tax Rate | Est. Weekly Tax (on $1,100 base) | 13-Week Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tennessee | 0% | $0 | $0 |
| Colorado | 4.4% | ~$48 | ~$627 |
| Oregon | 9.9% | ~$109 | ~$1,413 |
| Minnesota | 9.85% | ~$108 | ~$1,407 |
| New York | 10.9% | ~$120 | ~$1,557 |
| California | 13.3% | ~$146 | ~$1,902 |
* Tax estimates applied to $1,100 taxable base wage on illustrative $3,000/week package. Actual liability depends on federal bracket, home state, and IRS duplicate-expense rules. Consult a travel nurse tax professional.
Five reasons top-tier neonatal travel nurses keep coming back to the Volunteer State.
The Southeast's leading academic neonatal research NICU. 100 beds, ECMO, PPHN management, extreme prematurity, and micropreemie care. Nashville's draw as a healthcare hub means consistent travel demand and top-of-market pay.
Tennessee is a full NLC Compact member. Nurses with a compact license from their home state can begin an assignment without waiting for TN endorsement — a critical advantage for fast placement at Vanderbilt, Le Bonheur, and Erlanger.
Tennessee has no state income tax on wages. Every dollar of your taxable base pay stays in your pocket. Compared to California, New York, or Minnesota assignments, Tennessee contracts can be worth $1,400–$1,900 more over a 13-week contract on the same gross package.
Tennessee's Appalachian region has some of the highest Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) rates in the United States. Travel nurses with NAS protocol experience — Finnegan scoring, non-pharmacologic comfort care — are actively recruited across eastern Tennessee.
From Nashville's live music scene to the Great Smoky Mountains and Chattanooga's Tennessee River gorge, Tennessee offers exceptional lifestyle variety. Lower cost of living than coastal metros, no income tax, and three distinct cities — Nashville, Memphis, Knoxville.
Acuity level, pay range, and what you'll need to get placed at each.
Capacity
100 NICU beds
Weekly Pay
$2,600–$3,500/wk
Key Notes
RNC-NIC required. ECMO certification prioritized for ECMO team. PPHN and micropreemie (22–24 wk) experience strongly preferred. Southeast's leading academic research NICU. 2+ years Level III/IV experience.
Capacity
75 NICU beds
Weekly Pay
$2,400–$3,200/wk
Key Notes
High preterm birth rate in Memphis metro. Mississippi Delta rural transfer corridor creates elevated census. RNC-NIC required. Pediatric cardiac surgery center. Strong demand for NAS nursing experience.
Capacity
Large-volume birth center
Weekly Pay
$2,300–$3,100/wk
Key Notes
Common travel contract destination in Nashville. High birth volume drives consistent NICU need. RNC-NIC preferred. 13-week contracts frequently available. Good fit for Level III-experienced nurses entering the Nashville market.
Capacity
ACC pediatric cardiac center
Weekly Pay
$2,200–$3,000/wk
Key Notes
Tennessee River Valley location. ACC-accredited pediatric cardiac center. Regional referral for southeastern Tennessee and northern Georgia. RNC-NIC preferred. Chattanooga outdoor recreation is a major lifestyle draw.
Capacity
Eastern TN regional referral center
Weekly Pay
$2,200–$2,900/wk
Key Notes
Academic NICU affiliated with UT Health. Receives rural eastern Tennessee transfers. High NAS caseload from Appalachian counties. Compact license accepted. Knoxville access to Great Smoky Mountains.
Capacity
Dedicated children's hospital
Weekly Pay
$2,200–$2,800/wk
Key Notes
Respiratory disease specialty. Dedicated pediatric hospital model. NAS nursing demand. Strong orientation for travel nurses. Knoxville market provides multiple concurrent NICU placements with UTMC.
Weekly gross pay ranges based on active CatSol package data. Includes taxable base + tax-free stipends.
| Market / Facility | NICU Level | Weekly Pay Range | RNC-NIC |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nashville — Vanderbilt Monroe Carell (ECMO) | Level IV | $2,600–$3,500/wk | Required |
| Memphis — Methodist Le Bonheur | Level IV | $2,400–$3,200/wk | Required |
| Nashville — TriStar Centennial Women's | Level III | $2,300–$3,100/wk | Preferred |
| Chattanooga — Erlanger Children's | Level III | $2,200–$3,000/wk | Preferred |
| Knoxville — UTMC + East TN Children's | Level III | $2,200–$2,900/wk | Preferred |
| Rural TN — Appalachian / NAS Crisis Pay | Level II–III | $3,000–$4,500/wk | Varies |
Updated every 4 hours from active CatSol contracts
Tennessee's NICU staffing shortage — driven by above-average preterm birth rates, NAS caseloads, and rural transfer volume — creates year-round travel nurse demand. Our recruiters are placing nurses daily. Submit your profile and get matched before positions fill.
Submit Your ProfileThe highest-acuity, highest-paying NICU contracts in Tennessee
Vanderbilt Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital operates Tennessee's premier Level IV NICU with 100 dedicated NICU beds in Nashville. As the Southeast's leading academic neonatal research center, Monroe Carell manages the full spectrum of high-acuity neonatal care — from extreme prematurity at 22–24 weeks gestation to complex ECMO and persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN).
Level IV designation is the highest acuity classification defined by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). Monroe Carell's NICU manages: micropreemies, complex neonatal cardiac cases, ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation), PPHN, neonatal surgical specialties, and coordinates rural Tennessee NICU transfers — patients arriving from small hospitals across Appalachian Tennessee and the broader mid-South region.
As an academic medical center affiliated with Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Monroe Carell offers travel nurses substantial clinical research exposure and access to nationally recognized neonatologists, maternal-fetal medicine specialists, and neonatal surgeons — a clinical environment available at very few NICU facilities in the Southeast.
Weekly Pay Range
$2,600–$3,500
Highest NICU travel pay in the Southeast
Apply for Vanderbilt Monroe CarellNeonatal Abstinence Syndrome caseloads are transforming NICU staffing needs across the state
Tennessee's Appalachian counties — including Carter, Cocke, Hancock, Hawkins, Johnson, Scott, Unicoi, and Washington — have some of the highest NAS (Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome) rates in the United States. NAS occurs when a newborn is exposed to opioids or other addictive substances in utero and experiences withdrawal symptoms after birth.
NAS neonates require specialized NICU nursing care: modified Finnegan Neonatal Abstinence Scoring (FNAS), non-pharmacologic comfort protocols (swaddling, low-stimulation environments, skin-to-skin, breastfeeding support), and when necessary, pharmacologic weaning management with morphine, methadone, or clonidine. The average NAS NICU stay in Tennessee ranges from 14–28 days — significantly longer than typical NICU admissions — creating sustained bed demand and elevated nurse-to-patient ratios.
Facilities actively recruiting travel NICU nurses with NAS expertise include the Ballad Health system (Johnson City, Kingsport, Bristol — serving the Tri-Cities region), University of Tennessee Medical Center (Knoxville), and multiple rural critical access hospitals that stabilize NAS neonates before transfer. Travel nurses with documented NAS protocol experience, FNAS competency, and family-centered opioid withdrawal care skills are among the most sought-after NICU travelers in Tennessee.
Rural TN Crisis Pay
$3,000–$4,500/wk
Appalachian region NAS contracts — limited supply, high demand
Mississippi Delta transfer corridor and Memphis preterm birth demand
Methodist Le Bonheur Children's Hospital in Memphis operates a Level IV NICU with 75 beds — the highest-acuity neonatal center in western Tennessee and the mid-South region. Memphis has one of the highest preterm birth rates in Tennessee, driven by demographic patterns, socioeconomic factors, and rural Mississippi Delta referral volume that creates persistent high NICU census.
Le Bonheur serves as the primary NICU transfer destination for rural hospitals across western Tennessee, northern Mississippi, and eastern Arkansas — a broad geographic catchment that includes some of the most medically underserved counties in the United States. Travel NICU nurses at Le Bonheur gain exposure to a uniquely complex patient population with high rates of extreme prematurity, NAS, and neonatal cardiac anomalies requiring the hospital's ACC-accredited pediatric cardiac surgery center.
Yes. Tennessee is a full NLC (Nurse Licensure Compact) member state. Travel NICU nurses holding a multistate compact license from their home state can begin practicing in Tennessee immediately — no separate TN license application required. Nurses from non-compact states must apply for Tennessee RN endorsement through the Tennessee Board of Nursing before starting an assignment.
Travel NICU nurses at Vanderbilt Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital earn $2,600–$3,500/week for standard Level IV NICU positions. ECMO-certified nurses and those with advanced PPHN or micropreemie experience may command packages at the higher end of that range. The Level IV designation, active ECMO program, and academic research environment drive some of the highest NICU travel rates in the Southeast.
NAS stands for Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome — the withdrawal process that newborns experience when exposed to opioids or other substances in utero. Tennessee, particularly its Appalachian counties in the eastern part of the state, has some of the highest NAS rates in the United States due to the region's opioid crisis. NAS neonates require specialized nursing protocols including modified Finnegan scoring, non-pharmacologic comfort care, and family-centered opioid weaning management. Facilities across Tennessee — especially in Kingsport, Johnson City, and rural Appalachian counties — actively seek travel NICU nurses with NAS protocol experience. It is one of the most in-demand specialty skill sets for Tennessee NICU contracts.
Tennessee has no state income tax on wages — the Hall Tax on investment income was fully repealed in 2022, leaving Tennessee with a true 0% income tax rate. This is a major financial advantage compared to high-tax states where NICU travel nurses commonly work: Minnesota (9.85%), California (13.3%), Oregon (9.9%), New York (10.9%), and Colorado (4.4%). On a $3,000/week Tennessee NICU package, a nurse from a no-tax home state saves approximately $200–$400/week in state tax compared to a comparable assignment in Minnesota or California. Even nurses from high-tax home states benefit from Tennessee's 0% rate on assignment income earned in-state.
RNC-NIC (Neonatal Intensive Care Nursing Certification) is required at Vanderbilt Monroe Carell (Level IV) and Methodist Le Bonheur Children's (Level IV Memphis), and strongly preferred at Level III facilities including Erlanger Chattanooga, University of Tennessee Medical Center Knoxville, and East Tennessee Children's Hospital. ECMO certification is an advantage for Vanderbilt ECMO team rotation. NRP (Neonatal Resuscitation Program) and BLS current certification are universally required. NAS protocol training and Finnegan scoring competency add placement priority for rural Tennessee and Appalachian region contracts.
Level III NICUs manage complex neonates including those born at 28+ weeks gestation, infants requiring sustained respiratory support, and those with significant medical illness — but do not perform on-site neonatal surgery or ECMO. Tennessee Level III facilities include Erlanger Chattanooga, UTMC Knoxville, East Tennessee Children's, and TriStar Centennial Nashville. Level IV NICUs are the highest acuity classification and provide all Level III capabilities plus on-site neonatal surgery, ECMO, and complex neonatal cardiac intervention. Tennessee Level IV NICUs are Vanderbilt Monroe Carell (Nashville) and Methodist Le Bonheur Children's (Memphis). Level IV contracts typically pay $200–$600/week more than comparable Level III contracts and require RNC-NIC certification plus 2+ years of NICU experience.
Vanderbilt Monroe Carell Level IV, Methodist Le Bonheur Memphis, Erlanger Chattanooga — CatSol places NICU travel nurses at the top facilities in Tennessee. 0% state income tax. NLC Compact accepted. Submit your profile today and get matched within 24 hours.
No agency fees. No resume required to start. Compact & non-compact nurses welcome.