Salaries · United States · Tennessee
Salaries in Tennessee 2026
The median pay for all jobs in Tennessee is $47,380 a year ($22.78 an hour), 7% below the US median of $50,980 (BLS, May 2025): the 41st highest of the 50 states and DC. Full-time workers living in Tennessee earn a median of $54,207 (Census ACS 2020 to 2024).
By Dominic Roworth · From BLS, Census and BEA data, checked 31 October 2026
Pay in Tennessee: the key figures
| Figure | Tennessee | United States | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median pay, all jobs | $47,380 | $50,980 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Average (mean) pay | $60,800 | $69,770 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Lowest-paid 10% earn under | $28,600 | $31,200 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Highest-paid 10% earn over | $103,130 | $128,560 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Jobs counted | 3,278,760 | 155,495,730 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Full-time workers living here, median | $54,207 ± $224 | $61,657 | Census ACS 2020-2024, B20018 |
| Median household income | $69,595 ± $429 | $80,734 | Census ACS 2020-2024, B19013 |
| Price level (US = 100) | 91.9 | 100.0 | BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 |
| Minimum wage | $7.25 | $7.25 | State labor department |
Take-home pay on the median
On $47,380, a single person keeps about $40,250 a year ($3,354 a month) after federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare; Tennessee has no state income tax on wages. With prices 8% below the US average, $47,380 here buys what $51,600 buys at average US prices.
| Median pay | $47,380 |
|---|---|
| Federal income tax | -$3,506 |
| Social Security | -$2,938 |
| Medicare | -$687 |
| Take-home a year | $40,250 |
What drives pay in Tennessee
Tennessee pays a little below the national median, and its role as a freight hub shapes much of its work. Transportation and warehousing made up 4.6% of the state's GDP in 2025 (US 3.3%), with couriers, warehousing and other transport support at 1.7% (US 0.7%) and trucking at 1.4% (US 0.8%), according to BEA. Hand laborers and freight, stock and material movers are the most common job in the state, 105,870 of them on a median of $38,160, and heavy truck drivers, 64,890 of them, earn $58,620.
Manufacturing adds 11.6% of GDP (US 9.5%), including motor vehicles and parts at 1.4% (US 0.6%). The music and tourism economy shows in the 1.6% of GDP from performing arts, spectator sports and museums, against 0.6% nationally, and hospitals are 3.5% (US 2.4%), with registered nurses earning a median of $81,500.
The all-jobs median is $47,380, 7% below the US and 41st of the 50 states and DC.
Growth has been strong but is slowing. Real GDP rose 20.9% from 2019 to 2025, against 15.6% for the US, and the University of Tennessee's Boyd Center, in its 2026 economic report to the Governor, notes that the population grew 1.1% from 2023 to 2024, by nearly 80,000 people. Job gains have shrunk, though, from over 80,000 in 2023 to around 40,000 in 2024 and an expected 24,000 (0.7%) in 2025. Tariffs have hit trade: transportation equipment exports to Canada fell by $813 million (42.8%) in the first eight months of 2025.
The highest-paid jobs in Tennessee
Median annual pay, for jobs with at least 1,000 workers in the state (BLS, May 2025).
| Job | Workers | Median a year |
|---|---|---|
| Physicians, All Other | 5,340 | $301,290 |
| General Internal Medicine Physicians | 1,370 | $232,220 |
| Family Medicine Physicians | 2,260 | $226,830 |
| Dentists, General | 2,200 | $215,290 |
| Nurse Anesthetists | 1,690 | $211,450 |
| Chief Executives | 4,700 | $198,830 |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | 3,600 | $161,430 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | 12,040 | $158,700 |
| Financial Managers | 17,630 | $141,010 |
| Purchasing Managers | 1,460 | $137,060 |
| Lawyers | 9,010 | $136,180 |
| Pharmacists | 8,250 | $133,390 |
| Marketing Managers | 7,730 | $131,990 |
| Human Resources Managers | 4,310 | $131,760 |
| Sales Managers | 12,270 | $128,040 |
The most common jobs in Tennessee
The jobs with the most workers, and what they pay.
| Job | Workers | Median a year | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 105,870 | $38,160 | $18.35 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 90,690 | $27,470 | $13.21 |
| Retail Salespersons | 87,380 | $31,950 | $15.36 |
| Registered Nurses | 72,200 | $81,500 | $39.18 |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 64,890 | $58,620 | $28.18 |
| General and Operations Managers | 63,720 | $106,970 | $51.43 |
| Cashiers | 63,350 | $28,590 | $13.74 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 60,130 | $36,140 | $17.38 |
| Customer Service Representatives | 59,730 | $42,830 | $20.59 |
| Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators | 58,760 | $44,630 | $21.46 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 52,120 | $27,760 | $13.35 |
| Office Clerks, General | 49,880 | $38,860 | $18.68 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers | 49,870 | $66,390 | $31.92 |
| Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants | 41,810 | $39,940 | $19.20 |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 38,120 | $33,440 | $16.08 |
Pay for careers we cover, in Tennessee
Official BLS medians for Tennessee; each links to the full salary guide with pay by state.
| Career | Workers | Median a year |
|---|---|---|
| Dentist | 2,200 | $215,290 |
| Nurse Anesthetist | 1,690 | $211,450 |
| Air Traffic Controller | 590 | $157,330 |
| Lawyer | 9,010 | $136,180 |
| Pharmacist | 8,250 | $133,390 |
| Aerospace Engineer | 610 | $128,510 |
| Software Engineer | 19,030 | $122,430 |
| Physician Assistant | 2,240 | $118,240 |
| Nurse Practitioner | 12,150 | $117,590 |
| Commercial Pilot | 1,030 | $117,480 |
| Cybersecurity Analyst | 3,330 | $115,430 |
| Actuary | 300 | $108,930 |
| Elevator Technician | 700 | $100,490 |
| Data Scientist | 2,790 | $100,330 |
| Financial Analyst | 4,910 | $92,990 |
| Project Manager | 20,780 | $85,890 |
| Dental Hygienist | 4,570 | $84,640 |
| Registered Nurse | 72,200 | $81,500 |
| Aircraft Mechanic | 4,670 | $81,040 |
| Accountant | 27,340 | $76,840 |
| Compliance Officer | 7,990 | $63,960 |
| UX Designer | 3,610 | $63,510 |
| Electrician | 17,070 | $61,090 |
| Paralegal | 6,080 | $58,820 |
| Plumber | 9,270 | $58,600 |
| HVAC Technician | 9,740 | $55,490 |
| Welder | 12,510 | $48,040 |
Tennessee and its neighbors
| State | Median pay | Price level | At US prices |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tennessee | $47,380 | 91.9 | $51,600 |
| Alabama | $45,670 | 88.8 | $51,400 |
| Arkansas | $43,630 | 86.9 | $50,200 |
| Georgia | $48,170 | 96.3 | $50,000 |
| Kentucky | $46,920 | 90.2 | $52,000 |
| Missouri | $47,800 | 90.8 | $52,600 |
| Mississippi | $40,120 | 87.0 | $46,100 |
| North Carolina | $47,970 | 94.3 | $50,900 |
| Virginia | $55,690 | 101.1 | $55,100 |
Limits
BLS figures cover jobs located in Tennessee, not the self-employed; Census figures cover people who live here. Take-home assumes a single filer with the standard deduction. More in our methodology.
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (state file)
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020 to 2024 (tables B20018 and B19013)
- U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state (table SARPP), 2024
- Take-home pay: Paygrade's 2026 federal and state tax engine, see the methodology.
- U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis: GDP by state and industry, 2025 (industry shares and growth rates are our calculation), data last updated 30 Sep 2026
- University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Boyd Center for Business and Economic Research: An Economic Report to the Governor of the State of Tennessee, 2026, 2026 edition (forecasts as of December 2025)
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