Average Salary in Tennessee
What workers in Tennessee earn: mean and median wages, monthly and hourly pay, the full wage distribution, household income and cost-of-living context. Wage data: BLS OEWS May 2025.
- Mean annual wage$60,800Rank #40 of 51 · US $69,770
- Median annual wage$47,380Rank #41 of 51 · US $50,980
- Mean hourly wage$29.23Median $22.78/hour
- Median monthly pay$3,948Mean $5,067/month
- Median household income$71,997ACS 2024 · rank #41
- Price level (RPP)91.9US = 100 · BEA 2024
What is the average salary in Tennessee?
The average (mean) annual wage across all occupations in Tennessee is $60,800, and the median annual wage is $47,380, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ May 2025 OEWS estimates. The mean is 12.9% below the national mean of $69,770; the median is 7.1% below the national median of $50,980. Tennessee ranks #40 of the 50 states and DC for mean wage and #41 for median wage.
The mean is $13,420 (28%) higher than the median. That gap is normal: a minority of very high earners pulls the average up, so the median is the better guide to what a typical worker in Tennessee earns. Why mean and median differ →
The estimates cover 3,278,760 wage and salary jobs in Tennessee (self-employed workers are not included).
Monthly, weekly and hourly pay in Tennessee
Gross pay before taxes. Monthly = annual ÷ 12, bi-weekly = annual ÷ 26, weekly = annual ÷ 52. Hourly figures are published by BLS.
| Pay period | Mean (average) | Median (typical) |
|---|---|---|
| Annual | $60,800 | $47,380 |
| Monthly | $5,067 | $3,948 |
| Bi-weekly paycheck | $2,338 | $1,822 |
| Weekly | $1,169 | $911 |
| Hourly | $29.23 | $22.78 |
Estimate take-home pay on the Tennessee median wage (2026 tax year) →
What is a good salary in Tennessee?
“Good” depends on your household and where in the state you live, but the wage distribution shows where a salary stands relative to other workers in Tennessee:
| Percentile | Annual | Monthly | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | $28,600 | $2,383 | 90% of workers earn more |
| 25th | $35,830 | $2,986 | 75% earn more |
| 50th (median) | $47,380 | $3,948 | half earn more, half less |
| 75th | $71,050 | $5,921 | top 25% earn more than this |
| 90th | $103,130 | $8,594 | top 10% earn more than this |
In practice, a salary above $47,380 beats more than half of Tennessee workers, about $71,050 puts you in the top quarter, and $103,130 or more puts you in the top 10%. These are individual wages, not household income. Compare percentiles across states →
Household income and earnings in Tennessee
| Measure (ACS 2024) | Tennessee | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $71,997 | $81,604 |
| Median family income | $90,018 | $101,265 |
| Per-capita income | $40,729 | $45,256 |
| Median earnings, all workers with earnings | $43,255 | $46,949 |
| Median earnings, men working full-time year-round | $60,714 | $66,965 |
| Median earnings, women working full-time year-round | $50,326 | $55,678 |
Household income adds up the income of everyone in a household — often two earners, plus Social Security, investment and self-employment income — so it is higher than any per-worker wage figure. Women working full-time year-round in Tennessee have median earnings equal to 83% of men’s. Household income in every state →
Salary vs. cost of living in Tennessee
Prices in Tennessee are about 8.1% below the national average (BEA regional price parity 91.9; housing 79.1). Adjusted for that, the median wage of $47,380 is worth $51,556 at national-average prices (rank #32), and the mean wage is worth $66,159 (rank #36). Cost-of-living adjusted ranking →
Tennessee does not levy a state income tax on wages, so take-home pay is reduced by federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare only (plus any local or benefit deductions).
Tennessee vs. neighboring states
| State | Mean wage | Median wage | RPP | Adjusted median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tennessee | $60,800 | $47,380 | 91.9 | $51,556 |
| Alabama | $57,500 | $45,670 | 88.8 | $51,430 |
| Arkansas | $54,890 | $43,630 | 86.9 | $50,207 |
| Georgia | $65,920 | $48,170 | 96.3 | $50,021 |
| Kentucky | $58,990 | $46,920 | 90.2 | $52,018 |
| Mississippi | $50,810 | $40,120 | 87.0 | $46,115 |
| Missouri | $62,160 | $47,800 | 90.8 | $52,643 |
| North Carolina | $64,290 | $47,970 | 94.3 | $50,870 |
| Virginia | $74,040 | $55,690 | 101.1 | $55,084 |
Highest-paying occupations in Tennessee
Detailed occupations with at least 300 jobs in the state, ranked by mean annual wage. “$239,200+” means BLS reports only that the wage is at or above that level.
| Occupation | Mean wage | Median wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cardiologists | $551,190 | $610,080 | 560 |
| Surgeons, All Other | $408,230 | $373,510 | 490 |
| Anesthesiologists | $323,070 | $330,620 | 840 |
| Physicians, All Other | $312,220 | $301,290 | 5,340 |
| Obstetricians and Gynecologists | $296,570 | $354,580 | 360 |
| Family Medicine Physicians | $284,650 | $226,830 | 2,260 |
| Chief Executives | $239,970 | $198,830 | 4,700 |
| General Internal Medicine Physicians | $238,020 | $232,220 | 1,370 |
| Nurse Anesthetists | $218,870 | $211,450 | 1,690 |
| Dentists, General | $210,700 | $215,290 | 2,200 |
Most common jobs in Tennessee and what they pay
| Occupation | Employment | Median wage | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
The largest occupation in Tennessee is laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand, with 105,870 jobs and a median wage of $38,160. Many of the most common jobs pay well below the state median, which is one reason the overall median sits far below the mean.
Salaries for 54 common occupations in Tennessee
Frequently asked questions
What is the average salary in Tennessee?
The average (mean) annual wage in Tennessee is $60,800, or $29.23 per hour, based on BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates. The median wage — what a typical worker earns — is $47,380 a year ($22.78 per hour).
What is the average monthly salary in Tennessee?
Dividing the annual figures by 12, the mean wage in Tennessee works out to about $5,067 per month and the median wage to about $3,948 per month, before taxes.
What is considered a good salary in Tennessee?
Earning more than the median of $47,380 puts you above half of all workers in Tennessee. A salary of $71,050 or more is in the top 25%, and $103,130 or more is in the top 10% of wage earners in the state.
What is the median household income in Tennessee?
Median household income in Tennessee was $71,997 in the Census Bureau’s 2024 American Community Survey, compared with $81,604 nationally. Household income combines all earners and income sources in a home.
Does Tennessee have a state income tax on wages?
No. Tennessee does not tax wage income at the state level.