State salary index

Salaries in Tennessee

Median annual wages for 200 occupations in Tennessee, ranked from highest to lowest. Click any occupation for the full wage distribution and how Tennessee compares with the other states.

Occupations ranked by median pay

Top 100 of 200 occupations with published data.

#	Occupation	Median annual	Employment
1	Cardiologists	$610,080	560
2	Dermatologists	$433,630	100
3	Surgeons, All Other	$373,510	490
4	Obstetricians and Gynecologists	$354,580	360
5	Orthodontists	$339,610	—
6	Anesthesiologists	$330,620	840
7	Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric	$325,520	180
8	Physicians, All Other	$301,290	5,340
9	General Internal Medicine Physicians	$232,220	1,370
10	Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric	$231,040	230
11	Neurologists	$229,670	220
12	Family Medicine Physicians	$226,830	2,260
13	Dentists, General	$215,290	2,200
14	Psychiatrists	$214,880	410
15	Podiatrists	$212,470	70
16	Nurse Anesthetists	$211,450	1,690
17	Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates	$208,350	420
18	Chief Executives	$198,830	4,700
19	Pediatricians, General	$176,210	740
20	Physicists	$165,010	240
21	Architectural and Engineering Managers	$161,430	3,600
22	Computer and Information Systems Managers	$158,700	12,040
23	Air Traffic Controllers	$157,330	590
24	Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers	$143,580	110
25	Acupuncturists	$141,430	—
26	Financial Managers	$141,010	17,630
27	Psychologists, All Other	$138,070	200
28	Purchasing Managers	$137,060	1,460
29	Lawyers	$136,180	9,010
30	Medical Dosimetrists	$135,530	60
31	Biochemists and Biophysicists	$134,560	60
32	Optometrists	$134,170	660
33	Pharmacists	$133,390	8,250
34	Compensation and Benefits Managers	$132,780	670
35	Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels	$132,710	940
36	Marketing Managers	$131,990	7,730
37	Human Resources Managers	$131,760	4,310
38	Computer Hardware Engineers	$130,830	—
39	Physical Scientists, All Other	$129,570	120
40	Aerospace Engineers	$128,510	610
41	Agricultural Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary	$128,270	350
42	Sales Managers	$128,040	12,270
43	Administrative Services Managers	$127,410	8,170
44	Public Relations Managers	$127,390	700
45	Natural Sciences Managers	$124,530	880
46	Veterinarians	$124,350	1,730
47	Computer Network Architects	$123,860	4,330
48	Electronics Engineers, Except Computer	$122,920	740
49	Software Developers	$122,430	19,030
50	Training and Development Managers	$121,030	840
51	Industrial Production Managers	$119,430	6,310
52	Education Administrators, All Other	$118,330	720
53	Physician Assistants	$118,240	2,240
54	Economists	$117,650	80
55	Nurse Practitioners	$117,590	12,150
56	Commercial Pilots	$117,480	1,030
57	Nurse Midwives	$116,980	330
58	Power Plant Operators	$115,920	490
59	Database Administrators	$115,500	2,020
60	Information Security Analysts	$115,430	3,330
61	Database Architects	$115,170	650
62	Sales Engineers	$111,580	530
63	Construction Managers	$110,200	5,860
64	Actuaries	$108,930	300
65	Computer and Information Research Scientists	$108,830	—
66	Life Scientists, All Other	$108,770	40
67	Fundraising Managers	$107,760	300
68	Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers	$107,740	380
69	Medical and Health Services Managers	$107,120	14,160
70	General and Operations Managers	$106,970	63,720
71	Facilities Managers	$106,730	2,580
72	Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers	$106,470	170
73	Economics Teachers, Postsecondary	$104,560	250
74	Electrical Engineers	$104,450	2,830
75	Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists	$102,720	4,020
76	Education Administrators, Postsecondary	$100,850	2,680
77	Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers	$100,740	4,910
78	Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary	$100,640	790
79	Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers	$100,490	700
80	Mining and Geological Engineers, Including Mining Safety Engineers	$100,390	—
81	Data Scientists	$100,330	2,790
82	Physical Therapists	$100,140	4,800
83	Mechanical Engineers	$99,550	3,930
84	Managers, All Other	$99,430	17,510
85	Management Analysts	$99,260	13,700
86	Postmasters and Mail Superintendents	$99,170	260
87	Industrial Engineers	$99,080	7,440
88	Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary	$98,870	4,400
89	Environmental Science Teachers, Postsecondary	$98,560	100
90	Statisticians	$98,230	530
91	Advertising and Promotions Managers	$98,170	—
92	Anthropology and Archeology Teachers, Postsecondary	$98,160	80
93	Occupational Therapists	$97,700	2,490
94	Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary	$97,590	6,180
95	Epidemiologists	$97,310	220
96	Environmental Engineers	$97,190	540
97	Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Powerhouse, Substation, and Relay	$96,840	430
98	Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers	$96,730	170
99	Engineers, All Other	$96,640	4,400
100	Atmospheric and Space Scientists	$96,190	230

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025. Retrieved 2026-10-26. bls.gov/oes