Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) Salary in Tennessee (BLS May 2025)
Nurse anesthetists in Tennessee earned a median of $211,450 a year ($101.66 an hour) in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. That is 11% below the national CRNA median of $236,590, and it ranks 38th of the 44 states with a published BLS CRNA median.
BLS reports this occupation as "nurse anesthetists" (SOC 29-1151). It is the same job people call CRNA — Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist — the credential every practicing nurse anesthetist holds.
Median salary
$211,450
Median hourly
$101.66
Average (mean)
$218,870
CRNAs employed
1,690
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates for Nurse Anesthetists (SOC 29-1151), retrieved 2026-10-25. Employed (wage-and-salary) nurse anesthetists in all settings — hospitals, surgery centers, physician and dental offices; excludes self-employed CRNAs and locum contracts.
CRNA pay range in Tennessee
Half of Tennessee's nurse anesthetists earned between $192,910 and $243,240. The spread from the 10th to the 90th percentile is $119,150, which reflects practice model (independent vs anesthesia-care-team), call burden, setting (hospital vs ambulatory surgery center) and region within the state.
| Percentile | Tennessee annual | Hourly equivalent | U.S. annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $167,480 | $80.52 | $155,250 |
| 25th percentile | $192,910 | $92.75 | $206,730 |
| Median (50th) | $211,450 | $101.66 | $236,590 |
| 75th percentile | $243,240 | $116.94 | $294,350 |
| 90th percentile | $286,630 | $137.80 | $339,500 |
Hourly equivalent = annual ÷ 2,080 hours, the convention BLS uses to annualize hourly wages. BLS publishes the median hourly wage directly ($101.66); small differences are rounding.
Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) vs registered nurse and nurse practitioner pay in Tennessee
Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA), median
$211,450
$101.66/hr · 1,690 employed
Registered nurse, median
$81,500
$39.18/hr · 72,200 employed
Nurse practitioner, median
$117,590
$56.54/hr · 12,150 employed
In Tennessee the CRNA median is $129,950 (159%) higher than the RN median and $93,860 (80%) higher than the NP median. All figures are BLS estimates for May 2025. The CRNA role requires an RN license plus critical-care experience, a graduate nurse anesthesia program (now a doctorate for new entrants), the NBCRNA national certification exam and state APRN licensure.
Registered nurse salary in Tennessee · Nurse practitioner salary in Tennessee
What a median CRNA paycheck looks like in Tennessee
Gross pay at the Tennessee median, and the federal taxes on it for a single filer taking the 2026 standard deduction. Retirement, insurance and other payroll deductions vary by employer and are not included.
| Yearly | Monthly | Every 2 weeks | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay (median) | $211,450 | $17,621 | $8,133 |
| Federal income tax | $39,482 | $3,290 | $1,519 |
| Social Security + Medicare | $14,608 | $1,217 | $562 |
| Tennessee income tax | $0 — no state tax on wages | ||
| Take-home | $157,360 | $13,113 | $6,052 |
Taxes: IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32 brackets and standard deduction, SSA 2026 wage base, including the 0.9% Additional Medicare Tax on wages over $200,000. See methodology. Run your own numbers in the tax calculator.
Tennessee vs neighboring states
Median nurse anesthetist pay in the states that border Tennessee:
| State | Median salary | Median hourly | vs Tennessee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tennessee | $211,450 | $101.66 | — |
| Virginia | $252,110 | $121.21 | +$40,660 |
| Missouri | $242,630 | $116.65 | +$31,180 |
| Georgia | $224,630 | $108.00 | +$13,180 |
| North Carolina | $224,610 | $107.99 | +$13,160 |
| Arkansas | $224,280 | $107.83 | +$12,830 |
| Kentucky | $222,520 | $106.98 | +$11,070 |
| Mississippi | $198,410 | $95.39 | −$13,040 |
| Alabama | $190,300 | $91.49 | −$21,150 |
The Nurse Licensure Compact covers RN and LPN licenses only. A CRNA needs APRN recognition in each state where they practice, and scope (independent practice vs physician supervision) differs by state. Compact license lookup.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do nurse anesthetists make in Tennessee?
Nurse anesthetists in Tennessee earned a median of $211,450 a year ($101.66 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The average (mean) was $218,870 ($105.23 an hour). That median is 11% below the national CRNA median of $236,590 and ranks 38th of the 44 states with a published BLS CRNA median.
What do the highest-paid nurse anesthetists in Tennessee make?
The top 10% of nurse anesthetists in Tennessee earned at least $286,630 a year, and the top quarter at least $243,240. The bottom 10% earned less than $167,480. These are BLS percentile estimates for employed nurse anesthetists across all settings, not offers for a specific job.
How does CRNA pay compare with RN pay in Tennessee?
The CRNA median in Tennessee ($211,450) is $129,950 a year, or 159%, above the registered nurse median of $81,500, both from BLS for May 2025. The role requires an RN license plus critical-care experience, a graduate nurse anesthesia program (now a doctorate for new entrants), the NBCRNA national certification exam and state APRN licensure.
What is a nurse anesthetist's paycheck in Tennessee?
At the Tennessee median of $211,450, gross pay is about $17,621 a month or $8,133 every two weeks. For a single filer with the standard deduction, 2026 federal income tax plus Social Security and Medicare come to about $54,090 a year. Tennessee has no state income tax on wages, so take-home is about $157,360 a year ($6,052 every two weeks), before retirement or insurance deductions.
How many nurse anesthetists work in Tennessee?
BLS estimated 1,690 nurse anesthetists employed in Tennessee in May 2025, the 11th largest CRNA workforce of the 38 states with a published BLS CRNA employment estimate.
About this data
These figures are the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) estimates for May 2025, the latest published. OEWS surveys employers, so it measures employed nurse anesthetists in all settings — hospitals, surgery centers, physician and dental offices; excludes self-employed CRNAs and locum contracts. Means are pulled up by high earners, which is why we lead with the median. BLS does not publish a wage above its top code; where a percentile sits there, the table says so instead of showing a number.
See nurse anesthetist salary in every state for the full ranking, or registered nurse salary in Tennessee.