$1,900–$4,000/wk — VUMC Nashville, TriStar HCA, Methodist Le Bonheur, Regional One Memphis
0%
State Income Tax
NLC
Compact Member State
Top 20
VUMC US News Rank
500+
Healthcare HQs Nashville
Tennessee has no state income tax on wages. The Hall Tax — which had taxed investment income — was fully repealed effective January 1, 2022. For travel nurses, this means 100% of your taxable base pay goes home. There is no Tennessee state withholding on your hourly wage, no state income tax return required for Tennessee-sourced wage income, and no local county income tax in any Tennessee county.
| State | Rate |
|---|---|
| ★Tennessee | 0% (Hall Tax repealed 2022) |
| Texas | 0% |
| Florida | 0% |
| Washington | 0% |
| Minnesota | 9.85% |
| Oregon | 9.9% |
| New York | 10.9% |
| California | 13.3% |
On a $2,500/wk package with $1,100 taxable weekly base:
Note: Travel nurse stipends (housing, meals, incidentals) are tax-free under IRS guidance when you maintain a valid tax home. The taxable base above represents only the hourly wage portion of your package.
Tennessee has no local county or city income tax. Some Tennessee cities charge a business tax, but this does not affect individual travel nurse W-2 income. CatSol provides facility-specific net pay estimates for every Tennessee assignment at no charge.
Tennessee is a full Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) member state. Travel nurses who hold a multistate compact license issued from their home state can practice in Tennessee immediately — no separate Tennessee RN license application, no processing fee, and no waiting period. You begin your VUMC, Erlanger, or TriStar assignment the moment facility credentialing is complete.
The Tennessee Board of Nursing recognizes NLC multistate privilege across all clinical settings including acute care, ICU, NICU, L&D, and outpatient. For travel nurses without a compact license, Tennessee endorsement typically takes 3–6 weeks. CatSol tracks your license status and flags processing time for every Tennessee assignment.
CatSol verifies compact status and coordinates Tennessee license endorsement at no charge to candidates.
Tennessee repealed the Hall Tax on wages in 2022 — there is no state income tax on earned income. Travel nurses keep every dollar of their taxable base pay. Compared to California (13.3%), Minnesota (9.85%), Oregon (9.9%), and New York (10.9%), a Tennessee assignment delivers the same gross pay with thousands more in annual take-home.
Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville ranks in the US News top 20 nationally. The 1,000+ bed academic flagship houses MICU, CVICU, SICU, Neuro ICU, a Level IV Monroe Carell Jr. Children's NICU, and high-risk L&D. Highest-acuity academic assignments in Tennessee.
Tennessee is a full Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) member state. Travel nurses with a multistate compact license practice immediately — no separate Tennessee license required, no waiting period. Non-compact nurses must complete Tennessee Board of Nursing endorsement (approximately 3–6 weeks).
Nashville hosts headquarters for more than 500 healthcare companies, making it the US healthcare industry capital. HCA Healthcare, Envision, AMSURG, and Community Health Systems all have Nashville roots. This concentration creates a dense, high-census acute care market with sustained traveler demand year-round.
Northeast Tennessee Appalachian counties (Scott, Campbell, Claiborne) have severe opioid crisis burden. ICU OD admissions, NAS NICU volume, Suboxone-related complications, and rural Critical Access Hospital shortages drive sustained crisis premiums of $2,500–$4,000/wk — the highest in the state.
Shelby County (Memphis) combines high poverty, a large uninsured population, and limited primary care access — driving high acute care census at Regional One Health and Methodist Le Bonheur. Memphis travel nurse demand is structural, not cyclical. Regional One is the only adult Level I trauma within 150 miles.
Nashville, TN
Specialties: MICU, CVICU, SICU, Neuro ICU, L&D High-Risk, Monroe Carell Jr. Children's NICU (Level IV)
Notes: Top 20 US News nationally, 1,000+ beds. Academic flagship for Vanderbilt School of Medicine. Centralized credentialing: 3–5 weeks.
$2,100–$3,000/wk
Apply NowMemphis, TN
Specialties: NICU, Pediatric ICU, Pediatric Cardiac, Neonatal Subspecialties
Notes: Highest-acuity children's hospital in Tennessee. Level IV AAP-designated NICU. RNC-NIC preferred. Pediatric cardiac surgery access.
$2,000–$2,800/wk
Apply NowMemphis, TN
Specialties: MICU, Burn ICU, Trauma ICU, ED, Critical Care
Notes: Only adult Level I trauma center within 150-mile radius of Memphis. High-acuity burn and trauma volume. Safety-net hospital serving underserved Shelby County population.
$2,000–$2,800/wk
Apply NowChattanooga, TN
Specialties: MICU, CVICU, Level III NICU, L&D, ED
Notes: Academic Level I trauma center serving the Tennessee River Valley region. UT College of Medicine-Chattanooga affiliate. Credentialing: 3–5 weeks.
$1,900–$2,700/wk
Apply NowNashville, TN
Specialties: Cardiac, CVICU, L&D, Level III NICU, OR, ED
Notes: HCA flagship in Tennessee. TriStar Centennial Women's is one of the largest birth centers in Tennessee with Level III NICU. HCA system credentialing: 2–4 weeks.
$1,900–$2,600/wk
Apply Now| Market | Facility Level | Weekly Pay Range |
|---|---|---|
| Nashville — VUMC (Level I Academic / Top 20 US) | Level I Trauma / Academic | $2,100–$3,000/wk |
| Memphis — Regional One Health (Level I Trauma) | Level I Trauma / Safety Net | $2,000–$2,800/wk |
| Memphis — Methodist Le Bonheur Children's | Level IV NICU / Pediatric | $2,000–$2,800/wk |
| Chattanooga — Erlanger Health (Level I Academic) | Level I Trauma / Academic | $1,900–$2,700/wk |
| Nashville — TriStar HCA System | Level II Trauma / HCA | $1,900–$2,600/wk |
| Knoxville — UT Medical Center (Level I Academic) | Level I Trauma / Academic | $1,900–$2,600/wk |
| Northeast TN Appalachian Crisis Pay | Rural CAH / Critical Shortage | $2,500–$4,000/wk |
Pay ranges are all-in weekly package estimates (wages + tax-free stipends) for 36-hour contracts. Actual packages vary by specialty, shift, and facility. Tennessee has 0% state income tax. Data: April 2026.
High Demand — Limited Public Listings
Tennessee is experiencing active travel nurse shortages at VUMC Nashville, Regional One Memphis, and across Appalachian northeast Tennessee. Many positions are filled through direct recruiter outreach before appearing in public listings. Contact CatSol to access unpublished Tennessee openings.
Get Unpublished Tennessee JobsVanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville is the highest-ranked hospital in Tennessee and ranks in the US News top 20 nationally. The 1,000+ bed flagship campus is Tennessee's primary Level I trauma center and anchors the state's most complex critical care, cardiac, and neonatal medicine. VUMC serves as the principal teaching hospital for Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, creating a research-intensive academic environment where travel nurses work alongside fellows, residents, and subspecialty attendings across every major service line.
Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt operates a Level IV NICU — the highest AAP acuity designation. The children's hospital provides the full spectrum of neonatal subspecialty care including neonatal cardiac surgery, ECMO, extreme prematurity (22–24 weeks gestational age), and neonatal neurocritical care. RNC-NIC certification is strongly preferred for NICU travel assignments at VUMC.
Memphis anchors the western end of Tennessee's travel nursing market with two major high-acuity hospital systems serving a large, underserved population in Shelby County. High poverty rates, a large uninsured population, and limited primary care access create structurally elevated acute care census that drives sustained travel nurse demand — not cyclical surges.
Regional One Health is Memphis' only Level I trauma center and the sole adult Level I trauma facility within a 150-mile radius. Regional One serves as the regional trauma referral center for the entire Mid-South region including parts of Arkansas and Mississippi. The hospital specializes in burn care, trauma critical care, and serves as a safety-net institution for the uninsured Shelby County population. Travel ICU, burn ICU, and trauma ED nurses at Regional One face a consistently high-acuity patient census.
Methodist Le Bonheur Children's Hospital in Memphis is Tennessee's highest-acuity children's hospital and operates a Level IV AAP-designated NICU — the same designation as Monroe Carell Jr. at VUMC. Le Bonheur provides pediatric cardiac surgery access, ECMO, neonatal neurocritical care, and serves as the pediatric referral center for the Mid-South region extending into Arkansas and northern Mississippi.
Memphis Pay: $2,000–$2,800/wk
Regional One and Methodist Le Bonheur assignments pay $2,000–$2,800/week all-in. With Tennessee's 0% income tax, Memphis take-home beats comparable pay packages in California, Minnesota, and Oregon by $100–$150/week.
Browse NICU Jobs TennesseeYes. Tennessee is a full member of the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC). Travel nurses who hold a multistate compact license from their home state can practice in Tennessee immediately — no separate Tennessee RN license is required and no waiting period applies. This means you can accept a contract at VUMC Nashville, Erlanger Chattanooga, or any Tennessee facility and begin the standard facility credentialing process without stacking state licensing time on top. If your license is a single-state non-compact license, you must apply for Tennessee RN endorsement through the Tennessee Board of Nursing, which typically takes 3–6 weeks to process.
Yes. Tennessee has zero state income tax on earned wages. The Hall Tax — which had taxed investment income — was fully repealed effective January 1, 2022. There is no Tennessee state income tax on salaries, hourly wages, or travel nursing contract pay of any kind. For a travel nurse on a $2,500/week package with a $1,100 taxable weekly base, a Minnesota assignment (9.85%) costs approximately $108/week in state tax, a California assignment (13.3%) costs approximately $146/week, and an Oregon assignment (9.9%) costs approximately $109/week. A Tennessee assignment costs $0 in state income tax on the same package. Annualized over a 13-week contract, the Tennessee tax advantage versus California alone is over $1,800 per contract.
Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) in Nashville pays the highest standard rates in Tennessee at $2,100–$3,000/week for ICU, CVICU, NICU, and L&D specialties. VUMC is a Level I trauma center that ranks in the US News top 20 nationally. Regional One Health in Memphis pays $2,000–$2,800/week for Level I trauma ICU and burn specialties. Methodist Le Bonheur Children's in Memphis pays $2,000–$2,800/week for Level IV NICU and pediatric ICU. Erlanger Health System in Chattanooga pays $1,900–$2,700/week. The highest pay in the state — $2,500–$4,000/week — comes from rural northeast Tennessee Appalachian crisis facilities facing persistent structural shortages driven by the opioid epidemic.
The highest-demand travel nursing specialties in Tennessee in 2026 are: ICU and Critical Care (VUMC Nashville, Regional One Memphis, Erlanger Chattanooga — all Level I trauma with high-acuity census year-round), Level IV NICU (Monroe Carell Jr. NICU at VUMC and Methodist Le Bonheur Memphis — both highest AAP designation), L&D and high-risk OB (TriStar Centennial Women's Nashville is one of the largest birth centers in Tennessee), ER and Emergency (Regional One Memphis Level I trauma ED, rural Appalachian opioid crisis ED surge), OR and Surgical (Nashville healthcare boom drives sustained surgical volume), Psych and Mental Health (Appalachian opioid crisis and statewide behavioral health shortage), and Med-Surg across rural Critical Access Hospitals in all 95 counties.
Tennessee, Texas, and Florida are all zero-income-tax states, so from a tax perspective they are equivalent. The key differentiators are facility mix, pay rates, and market conditions. Tennessee features VUMC Nashville — a top-20 US academic medical center that Texas and Florida cannot match in academic prestige. Tennessee also has a dense concentration of Level I trauma centers relative to its size (VUMC, Regional One, Erlanger, UT Medical Center). Pay rates at Tennessee Level I academic centers ($2,100–$3,000/week) are competitive with Texas academic centers and higher than most Florida community hospitals. Tennessee's Appalachian rural crisis pay ($2,500–$4,000/week) exceeds typical rural Texas rates. NLC compact membership makes licensing friction identical across all three states.
Nashville is the capital of the US healthcare industry, hosting headquarters for more than 500 healthcare companies including HCA Healthcare, Envision, AMSURG, and Community Health Systems. This concentration means Nashville hospitals operate in a high-volume, commercially sophisticated market with strong payer mix. VUMC Nashville anchors the market as a top-20 US academic medical center. The TriStar HCA system (Skyline, Centennial, Southern Hills) adds significant Level II trauma and specialty capacity. Nashville's population growth — one of the fastest-growing metros in the US — drives sustained census increases across all Nashville hospital systems. Travel nurses in Nashville benefit from both the zero income tax advantage and access to one of the most prestigious academic medical centers in the country in a market with strong overall demand.
Seventy-seven of Tennessee's 95 counties are classified as rural. Rural Tennessee relies heavily on Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs), which operate under a federal designation that limits bed count to 25 and requires 24/7 emergency services. Many Tennessee CAHs cannot sustain permanent nursing staff at competitive wages and depend on travel nurses to maintain safe staffing ratios and state licensure.
Northeast Tennessee Appalachian counties — particularly Scott, Campbell, and Claiborne — face the dual burden of rural access deserts and severe opioid crisis. ICU occupancy rates in northeast Tennessee rural hospitals are elevated by opioid-induced respiratory depression, aspiration pneumonia, and rhabdomyolysis from overdose. NICU volume at rural Tennessee delivery hospitals is elevated by neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) from maternal opioid use during pregnancy.
Travel nurses willing to work rural Tennessee CAH assignments earn crisis shortage premiums of $2,500–$4,000/week — the highest per-contract pay in the state. These assignments typically offer more schedule flexibility and lower patient-to-nurse ratios than urban academic centers, though the acuity of individual patients can be high due to delayed access to primary care.
0% Tennessee income tax. NLC Compact. VUMC Nashville top-20 nationally, Regional One Memphis Level I trauma, Methodist Le Bonheur Level IV NICU, Appalachian crisis pay $2,500–$4,000/wk. CatSol places travel nurses across all of Tennessee.
No recruiter pressure. Transparent pay packages. CatSol places travel nurses in Tennessee and 45+ states.