A higher-level nursing technician (TENS) in Chile earns between CLP 0.7 and 1.0 million gross per month four years after graduating, depending on where they studied, according to the Employment and Income Search Tool of Mi Futuro, from the Undersecretariat of Higher Education. The top bracket, CLP 0.9 to 1.0 million, belongs to graduates of IP del Valle Central, CFT ENAC and Universidad de las Américas.
Nursing Technician is one of the most widely offered technical degrees in the country: the tool lists 31 programs at technical training centers (CFT), professional institutes (IP) and universities, and 21 report income. The average lower bound of those programs is CLP 0.79 million. In public hospitals, TENS belong to the technical staff of the Administrative Statute, with gross pay of CLP 602,343 to 1,240,730 depending on grade. This guide explains how much a TENS earns in Chile in each case, how long it takes to find a job and how it compares with other health technicians.
How much a TENS earns in Chile by institution
| Gross income bracket in year 4 | Institutions | Count |
|---|---|---|
| CLP 0.9 to 1.0 million | IP del Valle Central, CFT ENAC, U. de las Américas | 3 |
| CLP 0.8 to 0.9 million | CFT Los Lagos, IP Diego Portales, U. Central de Chile, IP Duoc UC, U. de Aconcagua, CFT Inacap, IP AIEP, IP de Chile, CFT PUCV, CFT Santo Tomás, U. Arturo Prat, CFT de Tarapacá | 12 |
| CLP 0.7 to 0.8 million | CFT Ceduc-UCN, IP Dr. Virginio Gómez G., IP IPG, U. Católica de la Santísima Concepción, CFT Teodoro Wickel Kluwen, CFT San Agustín | 6 |
| No data | U. Bolivariana, CFT ICCE, U. de Magallanes, CFT Prodata, IP Esucomex, IP Iplacex, U. de La Frontera, CFT de la Región de Valparaíso, CFT de la Región de Arica y Parinacota, U. Adventista de Chile | 10 |
Source: Mi Futuro, Nursing Technician degree (31 programs, 21 with income data), retrieved November 6, 2026. According to the search tool's methodology, income is the average gross monthly income of 2018, 2019 and 2020 graduates in their fourth year after graduation, calculated with Internal Revenue Service (SII) data and expressed in September 2025 pesos. The employment rate is the share of graduates earning at least the minimum wage in their first or second year. Programs with few cases appear as "no data".
Most programs with data fall in the CLP 0.8 to 0.9 million bracket, which includes the country's large institutes such as Duoc UC, AIEP, IP de Chile, Inacap and Santo Tomás. Since the tool reports CLP 100,000 brackets, the differences between institutions are small. In the table below you can search for yours and sort by income or employment:
| IP del Valle Central | 0.9 | 80.9% | 83.2% |
| CFT ENAC | 0.9 | 68.7% | 73.8% |
| Universidad de las Américas | 0.9 | 68.6% | 72.1% |
| CFT Los Lagos | 0.8 | 72.7% | 74.6% |
| IP Diego Portales | 0.8 | 70.1% | 75.9% |
| Universidad Central de Chile | 0.8 | 67.0% | 67.7% |
| IP Duoc UC | 0.8 | 66.4% | 71.1% |
| Universidad de Aconcagua | 0.8 | 64.4% | 70.0% |
| CFT Inacap | 0.8 | 63.1% | 70.5% |
| IP AIEP | 0.8 | 63.1% | 67.3% |
| IP de Chile | 0.8 | 61.6% | 71.5% |
| CFT PUCV | 0.8 | 60.4% | 66.2% |
| CFT Santo Tomás | 0.8 | 59.8% | 69.0% |
| Universidad Arturo Prat | 0.8 | 50.6% | 71.1% |
| CFT de Tarapacá | 0.8 | 42.1% | 49.2% |
| CFT Ceduc-UCN | 0.7 | 60.8% | 65.9% |
| IP Dr. Virginio Gómez G. | 0.7 | 52.3% | 59.9% |
| IP IPG | 0.7 | 47.5% | 64.4% |
| Universidad Católica de la Santísima Concepción | 0.7 | 46.1% | 53.8% |
| CFT Teodoro Wickel Kluwen | 0.7 | 44.9% | 64.0% |
| CFT San Agustín | 0.7 | 44.1% | 55.8% |
| Universidad Bolivariana | No data | 89.7% | 86.8% |
| CFT ICCE | No data | 76.3% | No data |
| Universidad de Magallanes | No data | 74.2% | 87.5% |
| CFT Prodata | No data | 72.3% | 73.6% |
| IP Esucomex | No data | 71.0% | No data |
| IP Iplacex | No data | 69.6% | 74.0% |
| Universidad de La Frontera | No data | 68.8% | No data |
| CFT de la Región de Valparaíso | No data | 59.6% | 61.5% |
| CFT de la Región de Arica y Parinacota | No data | 49.1% | No data |
| Universidad Adventista de Chile | No data | 39.6% | No data |
How much a TENS earns in a public hospital
In public health service hospitals, TENS are governed by the Administrative Statute (Law 18,834) and belong to the technical staff, which has its own pay scale, separate from professionals. Each position's grade is set by the health service according to the vacancy and the civil service career: the lower the grade number, the higher the pay. This is the scale in force since June 2026:
| Grade (technical staff) | Base salary | Total gross monthly pay (no seniority) |
|---|---|---|
| 9 | CLP 613,027 | CLP 1,240,730 |
| 11 | CLP 525,644 | CLP 1,112,205 |
| 13 | CLP 450,639 | CLP 1,005,803 |
| 15 | CLP 386,316 | CLP 903,770 |
| 17 | CLP 331,147 | CLP 805,865 |
| 19 | CLP 286,578 | CLP 740,558 |
| 21 | CLP 250,295 | CLP 659,072 |
| 22 | CLP 233,939 | CLP 602,343 |
Source: Law 18,834 pay table of the Health Ministry for non-professional positions (technical, administrative and auxiliary staff), in force since June 2026 with the 1.4% adjustment of Law 21,806. Amounts for staff enrolled in an AFP, with no seniority; total pay includes the substitute allowance and other legal components. Seniority bonuses, zone allowances in remote regions and shift allowances are added on top, and in emergency and inpatient units shifts can weigh heavily in final pay.
In municipal primary care (Cesfam, Cecosf and rural clinics), TENS are governed by the Primary Care Statute (Law 19,378), in category C for higher-level technicians, and their pay depends on the career scale set by each municipality. In private clinics, pay is agreed with each employer and there is no public scale.
Employment of TENS in Chile
View the data as a table
| Average lower bound of year-4 income bracket | CLP 0.79 M |
| Employment rate, year 1 | 62.1% |
| Employment rate, year 2 | 69.2% |
| Programs in the tool | 31 |
| Indicator (Nursing Technician) | Range across institutions | Simple average |
|---|---|---|
| Employment rate, year 1 | 39.6% (Universidad Adventista de Chile) to 89.7% (Universidad Bolivariana) | 62.1% |
| Employment rate, year 2 | 49.2% (CFT de Tarapacá) to 87.5% (Universidad de Magallanes) | 69.2% |
| Actual length of studies | 4.4 to 7.9 semesters | 5.8 semesters |
Source: Mi Futuro, own calculation of simple averages. Six in ten TENS earn above the minimum wage in their first year after graduating, and about seven in ten in their second. To practice, TENS must be listed in the National Registry of Individual Health Providers of the Superintendency of Health. The relationship between income and employment by institution is shown in this chart:
View the data as a table
| Employment rate in year 1 | Lower bound of year-4 income bracket (CLP millions) | |
|---|---|---|
| IP del Valle Central | 80.90% | 0.90 |
| CFT ENAC | 68.70% | 0.90 |
| Universidad de las Américas | 68.60% | 0.90 |
| CFT Los Lagos | 72.70% | 0.80 |
| IP Diego Portales | 70.10% | 0.80 |
| Universidad Central de Chile | 67.00% | 0.80 |
| IP Duoc UC | 66.40% | 0.80 |
| Universidad de Aconcagua | 64.40% | 0.80 |
| CFT Inacap | 63.10% | 0.80 |
| IP AIEP | 63.10% | 0.80 |
| IP de Chile | 61.60% | 0.80 |
| CFT PUCV | 60.40% | 0.80 |
| CFT Santo Tomás | 59.80% | 0.80 |
| Universidad Arturo Prat | 50.60% | 0.80 |
| CFT de Tarapacá | 42.10% | 0.80 |
| CFT Ceduc-UCN | 60.80% | 0.70 |
| IP Dr. Virginio Gómez G. | 52.30% | 0.70 |
| IP IPG | 47.50% | 0.70 |
| Universidad Católica de la Santísima Concepción | 46.10% | 0.70 |
| CFT Teodoro Wickel Kluwen | 44.90% | 0.70 |
| CFT San Agustín | 44.10% | 0.70 |
TENS compared with other health technicians
| Technical degree | Average lower bound of year-4 income bracket | Average employment rate, year 1 | Programs with income data |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pharmacy Technician | CLP 0.95 million | 75.5% | 2 |
| Imaging and Radiotherapy Technician | CLP 0.80 million | 65.9% | 2 |
| Nursing Technician (TENS) | CLP 0.79 million | 62.1% | 21 |
| Clinical Laboratory Technician | CLP 0.77 million | 56.3% | 6 |
| Dental Technician | CLP 0.68 million | 49.0% | 6 |
| Preschool Education Technician | CLP 0.62 million | 34.7% | 22 |
Source: Mi Futuro, retrieved November 6, 2026; simple averages calculated by Vivarae News. Pharmacy and Imaging have few programs with data, so their average is less representative than that of TENS. If you are thinking of further study, the professional Nursing degree has an average lower bound of CLP 1.76 million in year 4: see how much a nurse earns in Chile and how much a medical technologist earns.
From gross to net pay for a TENS
For a hospital TENS at grade 18, with total pay of CLP 771,516, the legal deductions are the AFP pension contribution (10% plus the fee) and health contribution (7% to Fonasa or the Isapre plan). With a fee of about 1.5%, contributions add up to around 18.5%, leaving net pay of about CLP 629,000 (own approximate calculation). That salary pays no single income tax because it is below the exempt limit of 13.5 UTM (about CLP 978,000 with the November 2026 UTM). For reference, Chile's minimum wage has been CLP 553,553 since May 2026.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a newly graduated TENS earn in Chile?
There is no official figure for the first year. Mi Futuro reports income in the fourth year: CLP 0.7 to 1.0 million gross depending on the institution, with an average lower bound of CLP 0.79 million.
How much does a TENS earn in a public hospital?
Between CLP 602,343 (grade 22) and CLP 1,240,730 (grade 9) gross per month with no seniority, according to the Health Ministry's technical staff scale in force since June 2026. Shift and zone allowances are added separately.
Where should you study Nursing Technician to earn more?
According to Mi Futuro, graduates of IP del Valle Central, CFT ENAC and Universidad de las Américas are in the top bracket in year 4, CLP 0.9 to 1.0 million.
Is it easy to find work as a TENS?
On average, 62.1% of graduates earn above the minimum wage in year 1 and 69.2% in year 2, according to Mi Futuro.
How long does the TENS degree take?
On paper, four to five semesters; in practice, graduates take 5.8 semesters on average, according to the actual duration reported by Mi Futuro.
