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UnitedHealth Group
Knoxville, Tennessee

Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner - PMHNP

Nurse PractitionerNo callFull-Time Physician-Supervised State

Listed compensation

$110k-$164k

The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed

Ask the employer about the work setting, weekend coverage, nights and shift pattern and time off.

Posted 1h ago · Verified live

Job Description

Bearden of TN, part of the Optum family of businesses, is seeking a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) to join our team in Knoxville, TN. As a member of the Optum Behavioral Care team, you’ll be an integral part of our vision to make healthcare better for everyone.

As a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, you will treat a wide variety of mental health conditions that reflect the needs of our diverse patient population. We offer a variety of solutions that meet the unique needs of our workforce and the patients they serve. From clinical operations such as credentialing to business operations such as contracting, we provide organizational support that allows our providers to focus on what matters - providing care.

Primary Responsibilities

Provide psychiatric services, consisting primarily of outpatient psychiatric evaluations and medication management, in a variety of clinical settings during scheduled hours

Prescribe, recommend, or discontinue drugs and treatments to treat mental, emotional, or behavioral disorders in accordance with the Collaborative Practice Agreement and the state’s Nurse Practice Act

Collaborate with counselors, social workers, or other treatment team members to coordinate client care

Maintain accurate and up-to-date electronic medical records and clinical documentation, ensuring compliance with all regulatory requirements

Participate in our patient growth strategy by providing a profile for online directories and other marketing efforts

We are committed to your well-being and growth, offering a comprehensive package of perks and benefits with varying eligibility based on role, including:

  • Competitive salary & eligibility for quarterly incentive bonuses
  • Flexible work models & paid time off when you need it
  • Health and well-being benefits like health insurance, 401k matching, and other family support and wellness resources
  • Professional development with CME reimbursement and dedicated learning time to advance your career

You’ll be rewarded and recognized for your performance in an environment that will challenge you and give you clear direction on what it takes to succeed in your role as well as provide development for other roles you may be interested in.

Required Qualifications

Clear, active and unrestricted Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) license in the state of practice

  • Board certified as a PMHNP-BC by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC)
  • Active DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration) registration
  • 2+ years of clinical experience in psychiatric/mental health nursing in an outpatient setting
  • Experience providing psychotherapy to children and adolescents

Preferred Qualifications

Experience working with patients in different age groups

Experience working with computers for professional communication and medical documentation - Excel, Outlook, Athena RMS (or other EHRs)

Explore opportunities at Optum Behavioral Care. We’re revolutionizing behavioral health care delivery for individuals, clinicians and the entire health care system. Together, we are bringing high-end medical service, compassionate care and industry leading solutions to our most vulnerable patient populations.

Our holistic approach addresses the physical, mental and social needs of our patients wherever they may be - helping patients access and navigate care anytime and anywhere. We’re connecting care to create a seamless health journey for patients across care settings.

Join our team, it’s your chance to improve the lives of millions while Caring. Connecting. Growing together.

Compensation for this specialty generally ranges from $109,500 - $164,000. Total cash compensation includes base pay and bonus and is based on several factors including but not limited to local labor markets, education, work experience and may increase over time based on productivity and performance in the role.

We comply with all minimum wage laws as applicable. In addition to your salary, we offer benefits such as, a comprehensive benefits package, incentive and recognition programs, equity stock purchase and 401k contribution (all benefits are subject to eligibility requirements).

No matter where or when you begin a career with us, you’ll find a far-reaching choice of benefits and incentives.

At UnitedHealth Group, our mission is to help people live healthier lives and make the health system work better for everyone. We believe everyone–of every race, gender, sexuality, age, location and income–deserves the opportunity to live their healthiest life.

Today, however, there are still far too many barriers to good health which are disproportionately experienced by people of color, historically marginalized groups and those with lower incomes.

We are committed to mitigating our impact on the environment and enabling and delivering equitable care that addresses health disparities and improves health outcomes — an enterprise priority reflected in our mission.

UnitedHealth Group is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer under applicable law and qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, national origin, religion, age, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by local, state, or federal laws, rules, or regulations.

UnitedHealth Group is a drug-free workplace. Candidates are required to pass a drug test before beginning employment.

Key Responsibilities

The Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner will conduct outpatient psychiatric evaluations and manage medications for a diverse patient population. They will also collaborate with a multidisciplinary team to coordinate care and maintain accurate clinical documentation.

Requirements

Candidates must hold an active, unrestricted PMHNP license and be board certified by the ANCC. A minimum of 2 years of clinical experience in an outpatient psychiatric setting is required.

Qualifications

Experience
2+ years of experience

Certifications

DEA LicenseBoard Certification

Key Skills

Patient care coordinationTreatment planningRegulatory complianceChild and adolescent psychiatry

Work-Life Balance Analysis

WeekdayDoc's proprietary algorithm rates Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner - PMHNP at UnitedHealth Group a 6.9 out of 10 for work-life balance — classified as good. This places the position in the Above average in Psychiatry (NP) — ranked against 2,105 active Psychiatry (NP) listings on WeekdayDoc. Contributing factors include no on-call duties.

Psychiatry — Nurse Practitioner Career Context

UnitedHealth Group holds silver-tier status on WeekdayDoc's Top Employers work-life index, composite score 76/100, 1,189 active listings.

Of the 50 active Psychiatry listings this role was benchmarked against, 32% are remote, 64% have no call, 48% require no weekends.

Psychiatry pay on WeekdayDoc is up 3.5% vs. the prior quarter (through Sep 2026).

The cost-of-living index for Tennessee is 91.9 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$137k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $149k in an average-cost state. 58.6% of Tennessee clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Location & Logistics

Tennessee has no state income tax, which can significantly increase take-home pay compared to high-tax states. At the posted ~$137k midpoint, that is roughly $5k–$10k a year versus a typical 4–7% state rate.

Top Nurse Practitioner Jobs

36 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution36 jobs · 30 employers

12
<$145k
15
$145k-165k
3
$165k-185k
4
$185k-205k
2
$230k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks33 jobs · 30 employers

401k / retirement match
88% this job
CME allowance
55% this job
Sign-on bonus
39% this job
Loan repayment
6%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP)

LifeStance Health · Kirkwood, Missouri

$205k-$230k
#2

Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP)

LifeStance Health · Zionsville, Indiana

$192k-$230k
#3

Nurse Practitioner

$87k-$187k
#4

Telehealth Nurse Practitioner

$156k-$187k
+ 34 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 6.4this job 6.9
Better work-life than 60% of Psychiatry (NP) listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 2,105 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

  • No call

Living in Knoxville

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$358k≈ 3.3× annual pay
Typical market rent
$1,712/mo≈ 19% of gross pay
Residents’ average commute
20 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
92.6
State income tax
None
Sources & methodology

Sources: Zillow home values (Aug 2026), Zillow market rents (Aug 2026), U.S. Census ACS 2024 five-year.

BEA 2024 · Knoxville, TN metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

Ratios use this listing’s gross annual pay. Not a cost-of-living guarantee.

UnitedHealth Group logo

About UnitedHealth Group

Hospitals and Health Care
Eden Prairie , Minnesota
10,000+ employees

Benefits & Perks

Competitive salary
Quarterly incentive bonuses
Flexible work models
Paid time off
Health insurance
401k matching
Family support and wellness resources
CME reimbursement