Tennessee Ranks as One of the Worst States for Nurses in 2025

As National Nurses Week approaches (May 6-12), a new study from WalletHub shines a spotlight on where nurses thrive - and where they don’t. According to the report Tennessee is apparently one of those "don't thrive" places.

ALSO READ: 3 Tennessee Cities Ranked Among Most Dangerous in U.S.

WalletHub’s 2025 report on the Best & Worst States for Nurses ranked all 50 states based on a combination of factors grouped into two key categories: Opportunity & Competition and Work Environment. Within those categories, researchers looked at everything from average starting salary and job openings to the number of healthcare facilities per capita and mandatory overtime laws. Things like commute times and whether states have adopted the Nurse Licensure Compact were also taken into consideration.

Tennessee Is Once Again One of the WORST States for Nurses

When it comes to Opportunity & Competition, Tennessee landed in 34th place. That means nurses in the state may face lower pay, fewer job openings, or more competition compared to their peers elsewhere. The results were even worse in the Work Environment category, where Tennessee ranked 45^th. This includes issues like long hours, regulatory hurdles, and poor support for working moms.

Overall, Tennessee ranked 42nd out of 50 states. That makes it the 9th worst state in the country for nurses in 2025.

ALSO READ: Farmers’ Almanac Summer 2025 Weather Predictions for Tennessee

If you're looking for a teeny, tiny sliver of silver lining - here it is. In 2024, Tennessee was ranked 45th - this year it's 42nd - so at least the Volunteer State is moving in the right direction.

Get our free mobile app

If you want to know which state is first, last, or anywhere in between, you can scroll over the map below, or you can dive into the sea of data when you look at the full report here.