High paying medical jobs in Tennessee

Every medical occupation below is ranked by its median annual wage in Tennessee. Read the percentile range, not just the median: the gap between the 10th and 90th inside a single medical job is usually wider than the gap between two different ones, so where you land in a field matters more than which field you pick.

Cost of living: prices in Tennessee run 8.1% below the national average (2024), so a Tennessee salary is worth about 1.09× its face value in national terms. That scales every wage here by the same factor — it changes what the numbers mean, not their order. To see where a job pays a real premium, use jobs that pay more in Tennessee.

Wages: BLS OEWS, May 2025 · Cost of living: BEA regional price parities, 2024

Find medical jobs in Tennessee

OccupationMedian, Tennessee · Employed

1Physicians, All Other$301,290
Doctoral or professional degree
$101,560 – $503,4305,340
2General Internal Medicine Physicians$232,220
Doctoral or professional degree
$64,870 – $412,4601,370
3Family Medicine Physicians$226,830
Doctoral or professional degree
$100,290 – $481,2002,260
4Dentists, General$215,290
Doctoral or professional degree
$84,360 – $311,9002,200
5Nurse Anesthetists$211,450
Master's degree
$167,480 – $286,6301,690
6Pharmacists$133,390
Doctoral or professional degree
$88,700 – $164,4308,250
7Veterinarians$124,350
Doctoral or professional degree
$98,500 – $167,9001,730
8Physician Assistants$118,240
Master's degree
$93,380 – $141,6702,240
9Nurse Practitioners$117,590
Master's degree
$82,790 – $137,88012,150
10Physical Therapists$100,140
Doctoral or professional degree
$67,280 – $127,5004,800
11Occupational Therapists$97,700
Master's degree
$68,520 – $119,0702,490
12Dental Hygienists$84,640
Associate's degree
$76,190 – $98,3004,570
13Speech-Language Pathologists$84,630
Master's degree
$58,550 – $116,7903,320
14Registered Nurses$81,500
Bachelor's degree
$63,970 – $104,92072,200
15Diagnostic Medical Sonographers$80,640
Associate's degree
$62,220 – $101,8301,880
16Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists$78,610
Associate's degree
$62,310 – $97,8701,350
17Respiratory Therapists$72,140
Associate's degree
$57,860 – $88,0603,440
18Dietitians and Nutritionists$67,620
Bachelor's degree
$40,860 – $90,2001,230
19Radiologic Technologists and Technicians$64,630
Associate's degree
$50,540 – $90,7904,660
20Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Workers, All Other$63,400
Postsecondary nondegree award
$35,120 – $108,7201,650
21Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians$62,070
Bachelor's degree
$37,800 – $87,2108,410
22Surgical Technologists$60,530
Postsecondary nondegree award
$47,620 – $75,9203,310
23Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses$58,870
Postsecondary nondegree award
$41,110 – $67,54020,830
24Paramedics$57,690
Postsecondary nondegree award
$41,410 – $80,1903,710
25Opticians, Dispensing$49,840
High school diploma or equivalent
$34,740 – $74,1601,530
26Health Technologists and Technicians, All Other$49,180
Postsecondary nondegree award
$37,660 – $89,7401,110
27Medical Records Specialists$48,780
Postsecondary nondegree award
$37,320 – $79,9604,440
28Veterinary Technologists and Technicians$42,810
Associate's degree
$31,660 – $57,0401,640
29Pharmacy Technicians$41,920
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,550 – $55,43011,870
30Emergency Medical Technicians$40,330
Postsecondary nondegree award
$29,720 – $59,3703,860
31Psychiatric Technicians$39,800
Postsecondary nondegree award
$31,370 – $53,9403,810
32Ophthalmic Medical Technicians$38,890
Postsecondary nondegree award
$32,870 – $60,1701,760

Bars run from the 10th to the 90th percentile; the middle half is shaded darker, and the tick is the median.

#	Occupation	MedianTennessee	10th–90th percentilemiddle half shaded darker	Employed
1	Physicians, All OtherDoctoral or professional degree	$301,290	$101,560 – $503,430	5,340
2	General Internal Medicine PhysiciansDoctoral or professional degree	$232,220	$64,870 – $412,460	1,370
3	Family Medicine PhysiciansDoctoral or professional degree	$226,830	$100,290 – $481,200	2,260
4	Dentists, GeneralDoctoral or professional degree	$215,290	$84,360 – $311,900	2,200
5	Nurse AnesthetistsMaster's degree	$211,450	$167,480 – $286,630	1,690
6	PharmacistsDoctoral or professional degree	$133,390	$88,700 – $164,430	8,250
7	VeterinariansDoctoral or professional degree	$124,350	$98,500 – $167,900	1,730
8	Physician AssistantsMaster's degree	$118,240	$93,380 – $141,670	2,240
9	Nurse PractitionersMaster's degree	$117,590	$82,790 – $137,880	12,150
10	Physical TherapistsDoctoral or professional degree	$100,140	$67,280 – $127,500	4,800
11	Occupational TherapistsMaster's degree	$97,700	$68,520 – $119,070	2,490
12	Dental HygienistsAssociate's degree	$84,640	$76,190 – $98,300	4,570
13	Speech-Language PathologistsMaster's degree	$84,630	$58,550 – $116,790	3,320
14	Registered NursesBachelor's degree	$81,500	$63,970 – $104,920	72,200
15	Diagnostic Medical SonographersAssociate's degree	$80,640	$62,220 – $101,830	1,880
16	Magnetic Resonance Imaging TechnologistsAssociate's degree	$78,610	$62,310 – $97,870	1,350
17	Respiratory TherapistsAssociate's degree	$72,140	$57,860 – $88,060	3,440
18	Dietitians and NutritionistsBachelor's degree	$67,620	$40,860 – $90,200	1,230
19	Radiologic Technologists and TechniciansAssociate's degree	$64,630	$50,540 – $90,790	4,660
20	Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Workers, All OtherPostsecondary nondegree award	$63,400	$35,120 – $108,720	1,650
21	Clinical Laboratory Technologists and TechniciansBachelor's degree	$62,070	$37,800 – $87,210	8,410
22	Surgical TechnologistsPostsecondary nondegree award	$60,530	$47,620 – $75,920	3,310
23	Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational NursesPostsecondary nondegree award	$58,870	$41,110 – $67,540	20,830
24	ParamedicsPostsecondary nondegree award	$57,690	$41,410 – $80,190	3,710
25	Opticians, DispensingHigh school diploma or equivalent	$49,840	$34,740 – $74,160	1,530
26	Health Technologists and Technicians, All OtherPostsecondary nondegree award	$49,180	$37,660 – $89,740	1,110
27	Medical Records SpecialistsPostsecondary nondegree award	$48,780	$37,320 – $79,960	4,440
28	Veterinary Technologists and TechniciansAssociate's degree	$42,810	$31,660 – $57,040	1,640
29	Pharmacy TechniciansHigh school diploma or equivalent	$41,920	$35,550 – $55,430	11,870
30	Emergency Medical TechniciansPostsecondary nondegree award	$40,330	$29,720 – $59,370	3,860
31	Psychiatric TechniciansPostsecondary nondegree award	$39,800	$31,370 – $53,940	3,810
32	Ophthalmic Medical TechniciansPostsecondary nondegree award	$38,890	$32,870 – $60,170	1,760

Ranked among the occupations common enough to employ roughly one in every three thousand workers in Tennessee. The rarer ones are real jobs — but a 1,190-person occupation at the top of a list answers a different question than the one most readers are asking.

More for Tennessee

Metro areas in Tennessee

Pay varies more between metros than between states — the spread inside one state is often wider than the gap between two.

By field in Tennessee

Without a degree

The same fields, narrowed to what you can enter without one. Fields missing here have too few such occupations in Tennessee to rank honestly.

High paying medical jobs in Tennessee

More for Tennessee

Metro areas in Tennessee

By field in Tennessee

Without a degree

High paying medical jobs in each state