A complete 2026 pay reference for Tennessee: 100 occupations across tech, healthcare, finance, trades, and more, ranked by median annual salary.
Sorted highest to lowest. Click any role for detailed percentiles, experience tiers, and metro breakdown.
| # | Job | Category | Median 2026 | 25th % | 75th % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CEO (Mid-Market) | Business & Management | $458,300 | $348,300 | $595,800 |
| 2 | Surgeon | Healthcare | $377,100 | $286,600 | $490,200 |
| 3 | Chief Financial Officer | Finance | $345,100 | $262,300 | $448,700 |
| 4 | Physician (MD/DO) | Healthcare | $243,100 | $184,800 | $316,000 |
| 5 | Corporate Lawyer | Legal | $207,300 | $157,500 | $269,500 |
| 6 | Investment Banker | Finance | $188,000 | $142,900 | $244,400 |
| 7 | Dentist | Healthcare | $178,600 | $135,700 | $232,200 |
| 8 | AI Engineer | Technology | $177,800 | $135,100 | $231,100 |
| 9 | Machine Learning Engineer | Technology | $162,600 | $123,600 | $211,400 |
| 10 | Senior Software Engineer | Technology | $158,900 | $120,700 | $206,500 |
| 11 | Site Reliability Engineer | Technology | $153,200 | $116,400 | $199,100 |
| 12 | IT Manager | Technology | $149,400 | $113,500 | $194,200 |
| 13 | Controller | Finance | $146,500 | $111,400 | $190,500 |
| 14 | Judge / Magistrate | Legal | $146,500 | $111,400 | $190,500 |
| 15 | Management Consultant | Business & Management | $145,100 | $110,300 | $188,700 |
| 16 | Product Manager | Technology | $143,700 | $109,200 | $186,800 |
| 17 | Lawyer / Attorney | Legal | $142,700 | $108,400 | $185,500 |
| 18 | Petroleum Engineer | Engineering | $141,300 | $107,400 | $183,700 |
| 19 | Sales Engineer | Sales | $141,300 | $107,400 | $183,700 |
| 20 | Data Scientist | Technology | $139,900 | $106,400 | $181,900 |
| 21 | Marketing Manager | Business & Management | $138,400 | $105,200 | $180,000 |
| 22 | Pharmacist | Healthcare | $136,900 | $104,100 | $178,000 |
| 23 | Account Executive (SaaS) | Sales | $135,600 | $103,000 | $176,300 |
| 24 | Data Engineer | Technology | $134,300 | $102,000 | $174,600 |
| 25 | Cloud Engineer (AWS/Azure) | Technology | $134,300 | $102,000 | $174,600 |
| 26 | Sales Manager | Business & Management | $131,800 | $100,100 | $171,300 |
| 27 | DevOps Engineer | Technology | $130,500 | $99,200 | $169,600 |
| 28 | Physician Assistant (PA) | Healthcare | $129,000 | $98,000 | $167,700 |
| 29 | Nurse Practitioner (NP) | Healthcare | $127,000 | $96,500 | $165,100 |
| 30 | HR Manager | Business & Management | $126,000 | $95,800 | $163,800 |
| 31 | Aerospace Engineer | Engineering | $126,000 | $95,800 | $163,800 |
| 32 | Software Engineer | Technology | $124,800 | $94,900 | $162,300 |
| 33 | Mobile Developer (iOS/Android) | Technology | $124,800 | $94,900 | $162,300 |
| 34 | Actuary | Finance | $123,400 | $93,800 | $160,400 |
| 35 | Backend Developer | Technology | $122,900 | $93,400 | $159,800 |
| 36 | Veterinarian | Healthcare | $121,100 | $92,000 | $157,400 |
| 37 | Cybersecurity Analyst | Technology | $121,000 | $92,000 | $157,300 |
| 38 | Full-Stack Developer | Technology | $118,200 | $89,800 | $153,700 |
| 39 | General Manager | Business & Management | $116,500 | $88,500 | $151,400 |
| 40 | Chemical Engineer | Engineering | $112,700 | $85,600 | $146,500 |
| 41 | Frontend Developer | Technology | $111,600 | $84,800 | $145,000 |
| 42 | Construction Manager | Skilled Trades | $107,200 | $81,400 | $139,300 |
| 43 | Electrical Engineer | Engineering | $106,900 | $81,300 | $139,000 |
| 44 | Database Administrator (DBA) | Technology | $105,900 | $80,500 | $137,700 |
| 45 | College Professor | Education | $105,100 | $79,900 | $136,700 |
| 46 | School Principal | Education | $105,100 | $79,900 | $136,700 |
| 47 | Operations Manager | Business & Management | $103,100 | $78,400 | $134,100 |
| 48 | Supply Chain Manager | Business & Management | $103,100 | $78,400 | $134,100 |
| 49 | Art Director | Creative & Media | $102,100 | $77,600 | $132,800 |
| 50 | Physical Therapist | Healthcare | $101,200 | $76,900 | $131,600 |
| 51 | Financial Analyst | Finance | $101,200 | $76,900 | $131,600 |
| 52 | Project Manager (PMP) | Business & Management | $100,300 | $76,200 | $130,300 |
| 53 | Biomedical Engineer | Engineering | $100,300 | $76,200 | $130,300 |
| 54 | UX / Product Designer | Technology | $99,300 | $75,500 | $129,100 |
| 55 | Civil Engineer | Engineering | $97,400 | $74,000 | $126,600 |
| 56 | Mechanical Engineer | Engineering | $97,400 | $74,000 | $126,600 |
| 57 | Data Analyst | Technology | $96,400 | $73,300 | $125,400 |
| 58 | Occupational Therapist | Healthcare | $95,300 | $72,400 | $123,800 |
| 59 | Financial Advisor | Finance | $94,500 | $71,800 | $122,800 |
| 60 | Industrial Engineer | Engineering | $93,600 | $71,100 | $121,600 |
| 61 | QA / Test Engineer | Technology | $92,700 | $70,400 | $120,500 |
| 62 | Business Analyst | Business & Management | $90,700 | $68,900 | $117,900 |
| 63 | Dental Hygienist | Healthcare | $87,300 | $66,400 | $113,500 |
| 64 | Registered Nurse (RN) | Healthcare | $85,300 | $64,900 | $110,900 |
| 65 | Insurance Underwriter | Finance | $84,800 | $64,500 | $110,300 |
| 66 | Animator | Creative & Media | $83,200 | $63,200 | $108,200 |
| 67 | Tax Accountant | Finance | $82,900 | $63,000 | $107,800 |
| 68 | Credit Analyst | Finance | $81,000 | $61,500 | $105,300 |
| 69 | Accountant / CPA | Finance | $79,100 | $60,100 | $102,800 |
| 70 | Respiratory Therapist | Healthcare | $77,400 | $58,800 | $100,600 |
| 71 | Sales Representative | Sales | $74,500 | $56,600 | $96,800 |
| 72 | Police Officer | Public Service | $73,000 | $55,500 | $94,900 |
| 73 | Radiologic Technologist | Healthcare | $71,400 | $54,300 | $92,900 |
| 74 | Hotel Manager | Hospitality | $70,800 | $53,800 | $92,000 |
| 75 | Electrician | Skilled Trades | $67,500 | $51,300 | $87,700 |
| 76 | High School Teacher | Education | $66,200 | $50,300 | $86,100 |
| 77 | Special Education Teacher | Education | $66,200 | $50,300 | $86,100 |
| 78 | Plumber | Skilled Trades | $65,500 | $49,800 | $85,100 |
| 79 | Video Editor | Creative & Media | $64,300 | $48,900 | $83,600 |
| 80 | Social Media Manager | Creative & Media | $64,300 | $48,900 | $83,600 |
| 81 | Interior Designer | Creative & Media | $64,300 | $48,900 | $83,600 |
| 82 | Elementary Teacher | Education | $64,200 | $48,800 | $83,500 |
| 83 | Real Estate Agent | Real Estate | $62,400 | $47,400 | $81,100 |
| 84 | School Counselor | Education | $62,300 | $47,300 | $81,000 |
| 85 | Heavy Equipment Operator | Skilled Trades | $61,500 | $46,800 | $80,000 |
| 86 | Chef / Head Cook | Hospitality | $60,900 | $46,300 | $79,200 |
| 87 | Firefighter | Public Service | $60,400 | $45,900 | $78,500 |
| 88 | Paralegal | Legal | $59,800 | $45,400 | $77,700 |
| 89 | Medical Lab Technician | Healthcare | $59,500 | $45,200 | $77,400 |
| 90 | HVAC Technician | Skilled Trades | $59,500 | $45,200 | $77,400 |
| 91 | Graphic Designer | Creative & Media | $58,600 | $44,600 | $76,200 |
| 92 | Social Worker | Public Service | $58,400 | $44,400 | $75,900 |
| 93 | Carpenter | Skilled Trades | $57,600 | $43,700 | $74,800 |
| 94 | Content Writer / Copywriter | Creative & Media | $54,800 | $41,700 | $71,300 |
| 95 | Welder | Skilled Trades | $51,600 | $39,200 | $67,100 |
| 96 | Auto Mechanic | Skilled Trades | $51,600 | $39,200 | $67,100 |
| 97 | Photographer | Creative & Media | $45,400 | $34,500 | $59,000 |
| 98 | Administrative Assistant | Administrative | $44,300 | $33,700 | $57,700 |
| 99 | Medical Assistant | Healthcare | $43,700 | $33,200 | $56,800 |
| 100 | Customer Service Rep | Administrative | $38,600 | $29,300 | $50,100 |
→ See top 25 highest-paying jobs in Tennessee (with growth outlook)
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