Updated May 2026 · BLS OEWS 2024 reference period
50 Highest Paying Jobs in Tennessee (2026)
The highest-paying job in Tennessee is Computer and Information Systems Manager with a state-aggregated median salary of $158,360 as of 2026, based on Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data weighted across the state's 1 BLS-tracked metro. Across all 50 occupations the average median is $93,454, with 22 occupations paying a six-figure ($100K+) median. Tennessee's average cost-of-living index is 100, so the average median equates to $93,454 of buying power in an average-cost U.S. metro.
Top 10 Highest-Paying Jobs in Tennessee
Ranked by state-aggregated median (50th percentile) salary, employment-weighted across Tennessee's single tracked metro.
State median $158,360 · 5,650 jobs · top metro: Nashville ($158,360)
Computer and Information Systems Managers in Tennessee earn $158,360 median state-wide. Pay varies meaningfully across the state's metros — the top-paying metro (Nashville) pays $158,360 median, materially above the state aggregate.
State median $143,420 · 4,100 jobs · top metro: Nashville ($143,420)
Lawyers in Tennessee earn $143,420 median state-wide. Pay varies meaningfully across the state's metros — the top-paying metro (Nashville) pays $143,420 median, materially above the state aggregate.
State median $140,440 · 8,160 jobs · top metro: Nashville ($140,440)
Financial Managers in Tennessee earn $140,440 median state-wide. Pay varies meaningfully across the state's metros — the top-paying metro (Nashville) pays $140,440 median, materially above the state aggregate.
State median $135,500 · 2,650 jobs · top metro: Nashville ($135,500)
Pharmacists in Tennessee earn $135,500 median state-wide. Pay varies meaningfully across the state's metros — the top-paying metro (Nashville) pays $135,500 median, materially above the state aggregate.
State median $134,070 · 4,610 jobs · top metro: Nashville ($134,070)
Sales Managers in Tennessee earn $134,070 median state-wide. Pay varies meaningfully across the state's metros — the top-paying metro (Nashville) pays $134,070 median, materially above the state aggregate.
State median $131,420 · 4,030 jobs · top metro: Nashville ($131,420)
Marketing Managers in Tennessee earn $131,420 median state-wide. Pay varies meaningfully across the state's metros — the top-paying metro (Nashville) pays $131,420 median, materially above the state aggregate.
State median $128,810 · 1,840 jobs · top metro: Nashville ($128,810)
Human Resources Managers in Tennessee earn $128,810 median state-wide. Pay varies meaningfully across the state's metros — the top-paying metro (Nashville) pays $128,810 median, materially above the state aggregate.
State median $127,770 · 1,490 jobs · top metro: Nashville ($127,770)
Data Scientists in Tennessee earn $127,770 median state-wide. Pay varies meaningfully across the state's metros — the top-paying metro (Nashville) pays $127,770 median, materially above the state aggregate.
State median $127,150 · 8,420 jobs · top metro: Nashville ($127,150)
Software Developers in Tennessee earn $127,150 median state-wide. Pay varies meaningfully across the state's metros — the top-paying metro (Nashville) pays $127,150 median, materially above the state aggregate.
State median $124,010 · 810 jobs · top metro: Nashville ($124,010)
Physician Assistants in Tennessee earn $124,010 median state-wide. Pay varies meaningfully across the state's metros — the top-paying metro (Nashville) pays $124,010 median, materially above the state aggregate.
Full Ranking: All 50 Tracked Occupations
| Rank | Role | Category | State Median | Top Metro | Top Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Computer and Information Systems Manager | Technology | $158,360 | Nashville | $158,360 | 5,650 |
| 2 | Lawyer | Legal | $143,420 | Nashville | $143,420 | 4,100 |
| 3 | Financial Manager | Finance | $140,440 | Nashville | $140,440 | 8,160 |
| 4 | Pharmacist | Healthcare | $135,500 | Nashville | $135,500 | 2,650 |
| 5 | Sales Manager | Management | $134,070 | Nashville | $134,070 | 4,610 |
| 6 | Marketing Manager | Management | $131,420 | Nashville | $131,420 | 4,030 |
| 7 | Human Resources Manager | Management | $128,810 | Nashville | $128,810 | 1,840 |
| 8 | Data Scientist | Technology | $127,770 | Nashville | $127,770 | 1,490 |
| 9 | Software Developer | Technology | $127,150 | Nashville | $127,150 | 8,420 |
| 10 | Physician Assistant | Healthcare | $124,010 | Nashville | $124,010 | 810 |
| 11 | Computer Network Architect | Technology | $121,620 | Nashville | $121,620 | 1,700 |
| 12 | Nurse Practitioner | Healthcare | $116,160 | Nashville | $116,160 | 5,380 |
| 13 | Medical and Health Services Manager | Healthcare | $115,970 | Nashville | $115,970 | 5,050 |
| 14 | Information Security Analyst | Technology | $110,270 | Nashville | $110,270 | 1,140 |
| 15 | Electrical Engineer | Engineering | $109,400 | Nashville | $109,400 | 560 |
| 16 | General and Operations Manager | Management | $108,380 | Nashville | $108,380 | 23,930 |
| 17 | Physical Therapist | Healthcare | $103,750 | Nashville | $103,750 | 1,350 |
| 18 | Engineers (Other) | Engineering | $103,400 | Nashville | $103,400 | 1,490 |
| 19 | Industrial Engineer | Engineering | $102,850 | Nashville | $102,850 | 1,890 |
| 20 | Management Analyst | Management | $102,080 | Nashville | $102,080 | 5,770 |
| 21 | Mechanical Engineer | Engineering | $101,600 | Nashville | $101,600 | 1,200 |
| 22 | Network Architect | Technology | $100,180 | Nashville | $100,180 | 2,400 |
| 23 | Civil Engineer | Engineering | $99,780 | Nashville | $99,780 | 1,620 |
| 24 | Architect | Engineering | $96,930 | Nashville | $96,930 | 1,060 |
| 25 | Business Professor (Postsecondary) | Education | $93,650 | Nashville | $93,650 | 360 |
| 26 | Software Quality Assurance Tester | Technology | $92,470 | Nashville | $92,470 | 1,330 |
| 27 | Dental Hygienist | Healthcare | $92,160 | Nashville | $92,160 | 1,540 |
| 28 | Financial Analyst | Finance | $92,160 | Nashville | $92,160 | 1,840 |
| 29 | Personal Financial Advisor | Finance | $88,300 | Nashville | $88,300 | 1,650 |
| 30 | Speech-Language Pathologist | Healthcare | $83,970 | Nashville | $83,970 | 1,010 |
| 31 | Financial Examiner | Finance | $83,300 | Nashville | $83,300 | 260 |
| 32 | Registered Nurse | Healthcare | $81,170 | Nashville | $81,170 | 24,460 |
| 33 | Computer Systems Analyst | Technology | $81,160 | Nashville | $81,160 | 4,550 |
| 34 | Accountant | Finance | $79,310 | Nashville | $79,310 | 11,060 |
| 35 | Computer Network Support Specialist | Technology | $70,960 | Nashville | $70,960 | 830 |
| 36 | Market Research Analyst | Management | $66,750 | Nashville | $66,750 | 5,290 |
| 37 | Computer Occupations (Other) | Technology | $66,180 | Nashville | $66,180 | 4,230 |
| 38 | Loan Officer | Finance | $66,130 | Nashville | $66,130 | 2,370 |
| 39 | Clinical Laboratory Technologist | Healthcare | $62,660 | Nashville | $62,660 | 3,380 |
| 40 | Secondary School Teacher | Education | $62,100 | Nashville | $62,100 | 6,000 |
| 41 | Electrician | Trades | $61,130 | Nashville | $61,130 | 7,630 |
| 42 | Writer/Author | Creative | $60,540 | Nashville | $60,540 | 390 |
| 43 | Public Relations Specialist | Creative | $60,000 | Nashville | $60,000 | 1,190 |
| 44 | Paralegal | Legal | $59,980 | Nashville | $59,980 | 2,720 |
| 45 | Plumber | Trades | $59,870 | Nashville | $59,870 | 2,850 |
| 46 | Elementary School Teacher | Education | $59,420 | Nashville | $59,420 | 8,680 |
| 47 | Carpenter | Trades | $53,730 | Nashville | $53,730 | 3,250 |
| 48 | Graphic Designer | Creative | $53,290 | Nashville | $53,290 | 1,590 |
| 49 | Welder | Trades | $50,660 | Nashville | $50,660 | 2,410 |
| 50 | Automotive Technician | Trades | $48,310 | Nashville | $48,310 | 5,250 |
Why These Roles Pay the Most in Tennessee
Tennessee's pay reflects Nashville's healthcare-services capital (HCA, Vanderbilt), Memphis logistics (FedEx), and a growing finance sector. No state income tax; cost of living below national average.
$Tennessee tracks $1 BLS-published metros covering approximately $202,420 workers across the $50 occupations on this page. State-aggregated medians are employment-weighted across metros, which is the right way to read "state pay" when BLS publishes by metro. The Computer and Information Systems Manager top spot reflects Nashville pulling the upper end of the distribution; smaller metros in Tennessee typically pay 10–25% less for the same role.
Metro-by-Metro Detail
For salary data specific to one metro within Tennessee, see:
Frequently Asked Questions
The highest paying job in Tennessee is Computer and Information Systems Manager with a state median salary of $158,360. The top-paying metro for this role is Nashville at $158,360 median. The role employs roughly 5,650 workers across Tennessee.
22 of the 50 BLS-tracked occupations in Tennessee have a state-aggregated median salary of $100,000 or higher. That places this state in the upper tier nationally for high-paying occupations.
Across 50 BLS-tracked occupations, the average median salary in Tennessee is $93,454. The figure is employment-weighted across 1 metros, so larger occupations and larger metros contribute proportionally more. Cost-of-living-adjusted to a national-average baseline, it equates to $93,454.
BLS OEWS publishes wage data by Metropolitan Statistical Area. For Tennessee, this page aggregates Nashville. Some non-MSA areas (small towns, rural counties) are excluded from OEWS metro tables but covered in BLS state-level summaries; we use metro-level data to preserve the percentile granularity.
Every wage figure on this page is sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program at bls.gov/oes — public domain federal survey data covering about 1.2 million U.S. employers. State aggregates are computed by employment-weighting metro-level percentile wages across the BLS-tracked metros in Tennessee.
State aggregates are employment-weighted across the BLS-tracked metros in Tennessee, using OEWS 2024 data.