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Highest Paying Jobs in Tennessee

Ranked by the average of the local median wages BLS publishes for Tennessee, among 36 occupations with at least 1,000 workers in the state.

Highest paying occupations in Tennessee
#OccupationAverage median wageWorkers in state
1Financial Managers$145,45716,520
2Software Developers$122,27115,350
3General and Operations Managers$106,41662,300
4Project Management Specialists$86,28319,820
5Registered Nurses$80,47872,810
6Accountants and Auditors$76,33925,880
7First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers$68,00646,900
8Human Resources Specialists$66,51420,600
9Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products$60,97522,860
10Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education$59,96330,300
11Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers$58,66369,090
12Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel$58,61920,530
13Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks$48,07836,870
14First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers$47,85828,570
15Maintenance and Repair Workers, General$47,30137,190
16Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators$46,52163,650
17Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive$45,01935,080
18Light Truck Drivers$44,72034,220
19Construction Laborers$44,65126,600
20Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks$44,64521,190
21Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators$43,53323,520
22Customer Service Representatives$42,44855,340
23First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers$40,81431,060
24Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants$40,56041,900
25Office Clerks, General$39,65850,240

Highest-paying jobs in Tennessee

This ranking covers 36 occupations that employ at least 1,000 people in Tennessee. The figure used is the employment-weighted average of the local median wages published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, May 2025) for the state's wage areas. Financial Managers comes first at $145,457 a year; number 25 on the list, Office Clerks, General, averages $39,658.

Each occupation links to its Tennessee page with the wage areas, the counties and what is left after taxes and living costs. Pay is only part of the picture, so compare it with local rents and taxes before choosing where to work.