Healthcare Jobs in Memphis, TN
Healthcare is one of the two big engines of the Memphis economy alongside logistics, and much of it sits in one place: the Medical District along Union Avenue and Jefferson Avenue. Registered nurses here earn a median near $39 an hour. Here are the current openings, then who is hiring and how to get in.
Current healthcare Openings in Memphis, TN
Listings marked External are sponsored openings provided by the Jobs2Careers network.
Healthcare Work in Memphis
Memphis hospitals cluster in a few corridors. The Medical District just east of downtown holds Methodist University Hospital, Le Bonheur Children's Hospital, Regional One Health with the Elvis Presley Trauma Center, and the Memphis VA Medical Center on Jefferson Avenue, with St. Jude Children's Research Hospital a short drive north on Danny Thomas Place. East Memphis adds Baptist Memorial Hospital-Memphis on Walnut Grove Road and Saint Francis Hospital-Memphis on Park Avenue, and the systems reach out to Germantown, Collierville, Whitehaven and north Memphis.
Healthcare practitioners make up 6.5 percent of jobs in the Memphis metro, a larger share than the national average, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The market is also tri-state. Baptist and Methodist both run hospitals in Southaven and Olive Branch across the Mississippi line, so a job seeker in Whitehaven or Hickory Hill can be weighing offers in two states, and licensed staff need the right state license for the site.
Top Memphis Employers Hiring Healthcare Workers
These Memphis health employers had healthcare openings on their own career sites this month:
- Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare - runs Methodist University, Le Bonheur Children's, Methodist North, Methodist South and Germantown hospitals, and posts nursing, lab and medical assistant roles.
- Baptist Memorial Health Care - hires nurses, LPNs and patient care staff at Baptist Memorial Hospital-Memphis, Collierville and its BMG clinics.
- Regional One Health - the Medical District safety-net hospital with the region's trauma, burn and newborn intensive care centers.
- St. Jude Children's Research Hospital - the pediatric research hospital hires nurses and clinical staff for inpatient units and outpatient clinics.
- Saint Francis Hospital-Memphis - the Tenet hospital in East Memphis posts RN, LPN, lab and imaging roles, with medical assistants in its physician network.
- Memphis VA Medical Center - the Lt. Col. Luke Weathers, Jr. VA Medical Center on Jefferson Avenue hires nurses and clinicians through USAJOBS.
Healthcare Salaries in Memphis
- Entry level: about $15 to $19 an hour for nursing assistants, medical assistants and other support roles.
- Experienced: roughly $24 to $31 an hour for licensed practical nurses.
- Senior: about $38 to $54 an hour for registered nurses, with short-term and flex roles posted higher.
These are estimates based on federal wage data for the Memphis metro and pay posted by local employers. A license is the biggest step up: an LPN earns well above a nursing assistant, and an RN well above an LPN. Night shifts, critical care units and children's hospitals tend to pay more, and travel or seasonal flex contracts, like Le Bonheur's $60 an hour flex team, pay the most for the shortest commitment.
How to Become a Healthcare Worker in Memphis
Entry depends on the role. Support jobs such as patient care and medical assistant positions often need a short certificate or on-the-job training. Licensed nursing starts with an approved program: Tennessee College of Applied Technology - Memphis on Alabama Avenue runs a practical nursing program, Southwest Tennessee Community College's Union Avenue Campus offers the associate degree in nursing, and the University of Memphis Loewenberg College of Nursing and Baptist Health Sciences University on Monroe Avenue offer the BSN. Nurses are licensed by the Tennessee Board of Nursing after passing the NCLEX.
What the Job Involves
Healthcare work covers direct patient care, clinical support and the business side of medicine. Depending on the role, that means taking vital signs and helping patients move, giving medications and charting in the electronic record, drawing blood or running lab tests, checking patients in and handling insurance, or coordinating care with physicians and families. Most hospital roles run on 12-hour shifts, including nights, weekends and holidays.
Skills Employers Look For
- Current license or certification for the role, plus BLS from the American Heart Association
- Electronic health record charting
- Clear communication with patients and families
- Attention to detail with medications and orders
- Physical stamina for long shifts on your feet
- Reliability and willingness to work nights or weekends
Career Path and Advancement
Memphis has a clear nursing ladder. Many workers start as nursing assistants or patient care staff, move into an LPN through TCAT Memphis, then use Southwest Tennessee Community College's LPN Mobility Track to become RNs. New RNs can start in programs like Regional One Health's 12-month Nurse Residency Program, then move into specialty units, charge nurse and management roles, or on to advanced practice degrees.
Related Careers in Memphis
If healthcare interests you, these Memphis guides go deeper into the nursing roles:
Frequently Asked Questions
Who are the biggest healthcare employers in Memphis?
Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare and Baptist Memorial Health Care run the largest hospital networks, and Regional One Health, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Saint Francis Hospital-Memphis and the Memphis VA Medical Center are major employers too. Most of their hospitals are in the Medical District or East Memphis.
How much do healthcare workers make in Memphis?
Federal wage data puts the median near $18 an hour for nursing assistants and medical assistants, about $28 for LPNs and about $39 for registered nurses. Shift, unit and experience move pay up or down from there.
Do I need a license to work in healthcare in Memphis?
Nurses do. RNs and LPNs are licensed by the Tennessee Board of Nursing, and hospitals in Southaven or Olive Branch may require a Mississippi license. Many support roles need a certificate or employer training instead of a state license.
Where can I train for healthcare jobs in Memphis?
Tennessee College of Applied Technology - Memphis offers practical nursing, Southwest Tennessee Community College offers the associate degree in nursing on its Union Avenue Campus, and the University of Memphis and Baptist Health Sciences University offer the BSN.
Do Memphis hospitals hire new graduates?
Yes. Regional One Health runs a 12-month Nurse Residency Program for nurses licensed one year or less, and Baptist Memorial lists nurse intern roles along with nursing support and patient care jobs that suit students and new graduates.
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