Healthcare & Medical Jobs in Nashville, TN
Healthcare is Nashville's signature industry, with Vanderbilt University Medical Center, HCA's TriStar hospitals and Ascension Saint Thomas all hiring inside Davidson County. The guides below cover every healthcare and medical role in Nashville, who is hiring, what it pays and how to get licensed in Tennessee.
Why Healthcare & Medical Work Is Different in Nashville
Nashville's medical jobs sit in a tight geography a local can draw from memory. The West End and Midtown medical district holds Vanderbilt University Medical Center and Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital on Medical Center Drive, Saint Thomas Midtown on Church Street and TriStar Centennial's 741-bed campus on Patterson Street, home to its heart, women's and children's hospitals and the Sarah Cannon Cancer Institute. Around that core sit TriStar Skyline on Dickerson Pike, a comprehensive stroke center and provisional Level I trauma center, TriStar Summit in Hermitage, TriStar Southern Hills on Wallace Road, Saint Thomas West on Harding Road and Nashville General Hospital, the city's safety-net hospital, on Albion Street in North Nashville.
The workforce mix is different too. BLS figures for May 2025 show healthcare practitioners and technical workers make up 6.8 percent of Nashville-area jobs, above the 6.3 percent national share, and earn a mean of $51.66 an hour. Healthcare support jobs are a smaller share of local employment than nationally but pay slightly better, a mean of $20.38 an hour against $19.62 for the country. Beyond the county line, the Alvin C. York VA Medical Center and Saint Thomas Rutherford in Murfreesboro add more hospital work along I-24, and senior living and home care employers such as Brookdale hire across the suburbs.
Top Healthcare & Medical Employers in Nashville
These employers hire across Nashville's nursing, clinical and support roles:
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center - the academic medical center, hiring for nursing, research and support roles and training Care Partners through its own academy.
- TriStar Health - HCA Healthcare's Middle Tennessee hospitals, including Centennial, Skyline, Summit and Southern Hills, with RN openings and a Nurse Residency Program.
- Ascension Saint Thomas - Saint Thomas Midtown and Saint Thomas West, hiring registered nurses and patient care technicians.
- Nashville General Hospital - the North Nashville safety-net hospital, staffing an RN Pool and running a 9-month residency for new nurses.
- VA Tennessee Valley Healthcare System - the Nashville VA Medical Center and Alvin C. York VA Medical Center, hiring nurses, nursing assistants and support staff.
- Ascension Saint Thomas Rehabilitation Hospital - the inpatient rehab hospital, hiring LPNs and certified nurse aides with sign-on bonuses.
- Brookdale Senior Living - senior living and home care, hiring CNAs and LPN care coordinators in the Nashville area.
Healthcare & Medical Career Paths in Nashville
- Nursing - Certified Nursing Assistant, Patient Care Technician, Licensed Practical Nurse and Registered Nurse. This is the ladder many Nashville hospital careers climb, from bedside aide to licensed nurse.
- Clinical and diagnostic support - Medical Assistant, Phlebotomist, Medical Laboratory Technician, Radiologic Technologist, Surgical Technologist, Respiratory Therapist, Pharmacy Technician and Physical Therapy Assistant. These roles keep clinics, labs, imaging and operating rooms running.
- Front office and revenue - Medical Receptionist and Medical Biller and Coder. The business side of the city's hospitals and physician practices.
- Emergency, behavioral and dental care - EMT and Paramedic, Behavioral Health Technician and Dental Assistant, plus the Healthcare overview guide for the whole field.
How to Start a Healthcare & Medical Career in Nashville
- Tennessee Nurse Aide Registry - run by the Tennessee Department of Health. You are listed after a state-approved training program and competency evaluation, and certification lasts 24 months.
- RN or LPN license from the Tennessee Board of Nursing - issued after an approved program and the NCLEX-RN or NCLEX-PN. Tennessee is a Nurse Licensure Compact state.
- TCAT Nashville Practical Nursing - a 12-month, 1,296-hour diploma at the main campus on White Bridge Pike, leading to the NCLEX-PN.
- Nashville State Community College Nursing A.A.S. - a two-year RN program on the White Bridge campus, with an LPN to RN Pathway.
- BLS certification - expected by most patient-facing employers, and some, such as Saint Thomas, require it within 30 days of hire.
Registry listing for CNAs and a Board of Nursing license for RNs and LPNs are legally required; BLS certification is an employer requirement, and the choice of school is yours.
Healthcare & Medical Salaries in Nashville
- Entry - about $16.50 to $21.50 an hour for nursing assistants and other support roles, with a CNA median of $18.99.
- Mid - about $26 to $32.50 an hour for most licensed practical nurses, with a median of $29.78.
- Senior - about $39 to $54 an hour and up for registered nurses, with a median of $40.40, and healthcare practitioners overall average $51.66.
These are estimates from BLS wage data for the Nashville-Davidson-Murfreesboro-Franklin metro, May 2025. Night and weekend shifts carry differentials, and sign-on bonuses are common for nurses and aides, from $1,000 for a rehab CNA to up to $16,000 advertised for RNs at Saint Thomas Midtown. Federal VA jobs pay on the GS scale with federal benefits.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the biggest healthcare employers in Nashville?
Vanderbilt University Medical Center, HCA's TriStar Health hospitals and Ascension Saint Thomas are the largest hospital employers. Nashville General Hospital and the VA Tennessee Valley Healthcare System add hospital jobs in the city and in Murfreesboro.
Which healthcare jobs in Nashville need a license?
Registered nurses and licensed practical nurses need a license from the Tennessee Board of Nursing, and certified nursing assistants must be on the Tennessee Nurse Aide Registry. Some support roles, such as Vanderbilt's Care Partner, train new hires on the job.
How much do healthcare workers earn in Nashville?
BLS data for May 2025 puts the median at $18.99 an hour for nursing assistants, $29.78 for LPNs and $40.40 for registered nurses in the Nashville metro. Healthcare practitioners as a group average $51.66 an hour.
Where can I train for healthcare work in Nashville?
TCAT Nashville and Nashville State Community College on White Bridge Pike are the main low-cost options for practical nursing and the RN associate degree. Belmont University, Tennessee State University and Vanderbilt School of Nursing offer bachelor's and graduate nursing programs.
Can I bring a nursing license from another state?
Tennessee belongs to the Nurse Licensure Compact, so a multistate license from another compact state is valid in Nashville. Nurses from non-compact states apply for a Tennessee license by endorsement through the Tennessee Board of Nursing.
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