Tennessee Average Salary 2026
Average pay, top-paying occupations, and cost of living across Tennessee.
The average salary in Tennessee is $104,627 as of 2026, based on Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS 2025 data aggregated across 3 metropolitan areas (Nashville, Memphis, Knoxville). The highest-paying tracked occupation in the state is Obstetrician/Gynecologist at $359,050 median; 27 occupations pay six-figure ($100K+) medians. Adjusted for the state's average cost-of-living index of 92, the average median equates to $113,725 of purchasing power in an average-cost U.S. metro.
Tennessee has 3 metropolitan areas in our BLS OEWS coverage. Wages within the state vary substantially by metro — large coastal cities typically pay materially more than smaller inland ones, though the cost-of-living gap closes a lot of the apparent difference. BLS OEWS data captures every metropolitan statistical area (MSA) above a population threshold. Cities below that threshold roll up to non-metropolitan areas, which are not represented in the per-metro view but are captured in state-level rollups.
For workers comparing Tennessee job markets, the per-metro pages give the role-specific breakdown that headline state averages obscure. The role-specific ranking pages — which list the highest-paying cities for a single occupation — are particularly useful when geographic flexibility is real and the role is the constraint.
Top 10 Highest-Paying Jobs in Tennessee
Obstetrician/Gynecologist
Healthcare · 220 jobs in state · top metro: Knoxville ($365,260)
Family Medicine Physician
Healthcare · 1,600 jobs in state · top metro: Knoxville ($460,080)
Dentist
Healthcare · 1,670 jobs in state · top metro: Memphis ($238,040)
Pediatrician
Healthcare · 520 jobs in state · top metro: Nashville ($176,210)
Computer and Information Systems Manager
Technology · 8,730 jobs in state · top metro: Nashville ($165,970)
Financial Manager
Finance · 12,240 jobs in state · top metro: Nashville ($156,860)
Lawyer
Legal · 6,910 jobs in state · top metro: Nashville ($142,540)
Pharmacist
Healthcare · 5,080 jobs in state · top metro: Nashville ($137,590)
Optometrist
Healthcare · 370 jobs in state · top metro: Nashville ($144,260)
Human Resources Manager
Management · 3,130 jobs in state · top metro: Memphis ($138,560)
Cities in Tennessee
Nashville, TN
63 occupations tracked · COL index: 100.3
Knoxville, TN
61 occupations tracked · COL index: 90.3
Memphis, TN
63 occupations tracked · COL index: 84
Frequently Asked Questions
The average salary in Tennessee is $104,627 as of 2026, based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics' OEWS 2025 release aggregated across 3 BLS-tracked metros. The figure is employment-weighted, so larger occupations contribute proportionally more to the average. The top-paying role in the state is Obstetrician/Gynecologist at $359,050 median.
The top five highest-paying occupations in Tennessee, ranked by employment-weighted median across all tracked metros, are Obstetrician/Gynecologist ($359,050), Family Medicine Physician ($313,178), Dentist ($211,544), Pediatrician ($174,362), Computer and Information Systems Manager ($161,623). See the full ranking at /ranking/highest-paying-jobs/state/tennessee.
27 of the 65 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.
Nashville, TN leads Tennessee with an average median salary of $105,352 across 63 BLS-tracked occupations.
The average cost-of-living index across Tennessee's tracked metros is 92 (national avg = 100). The state average median of $104,627 translates to $113,725 of purchasing power in an average-cost U.S. metro. Low COL means nominal pay translates to better-than-average buying power.
State aggregates are employment-weighted across the BLS-tracked metros in Tennessee, using the OEWS 2025 reference period.
187 data points · BLS OEWS 2025 · last refreshed 2026-05-21
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2026.