State TN
Period May 2025
Price level 91.9
Data updated October 25, 2026

Highest-paying jobs in Tennessee

The highest published median in Tennessee is for cardiologists, at $610,080 a year. The median for all occupations in the state is $47,380, against $50,980 nationally.

Tennessee · all occupationsMay 2025

Median / yr: $47,380
Mean / yr: $60,800
Price level (U.S.=100): 91.9
Median, price-adjusted: $51,573
Adjusted rank: 32 of 51
Jobs: 3,278,760

Price-adjusted = median ÷ (BEA 2024 regional price parity ÷ 100). Compare all states.

The 50 best-paid occupations in Tennessee

TN · Src BLS-OEWS · May 2025Top 50 of 730

Top 50 occupations in Tennessee by median annual wage
No.	Occupation	Median in TN	U.S. median	Employed in TN
1	Cardiologists	$610,080	$496,010	560
2	Dermatologists	$433,630	$328,730	100
3	Surgeons, All Other	$373,510	$414,010	490
4	Obstetricians and Gynecologists	$354,580	$292,910	360
5	Orthodontists	$339,610	$289,140	—
6	Anesthesiologists	$330,620	$391,490	840
7	Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric	$325,520	$358,550	180
8	Physicians, All Other	$301,290	$265,930	5,340
9	General Internal Medicine Physicians	$232,220	$256,560	1,370
10	Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric	$231,040	$300,080	230
11	Neurologists	$229,670	$248,560	220
12	Family Medicine Physicians	$226,830	$244,180	2,260
13	Dentists, General	$215,290	$170,950	2,200
14	Psychiatrists	$214,880	$281,870	410
15	Podiatrists	$212,470	$160,300	70
16	Nurse Anesthetists	$211,450	$236,590	1,690
17	Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates	$208,350	$153,990	420
18	Chief Executives	$198,830	$213,990	4,700
19	Pediatricians, General	$176,210	$210,040	740
20	Physicists	$165,010	$172,250	240
21	Architectural and Engineering Managers	$161,430	$171,270	3,600
22	Computer and Information Systems Managers	$158,700	$175,140	12,040
23	Air Traffic Controllers	$157,330	$148,080	590
24	Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers	$143,580	$232,140	110
25	Acupuncturists	$141,430	$76,040	—
26	Financial Managers	$141,010	$166,570	17,630
27	Psychologists, All Other	$138,070	$110,840	200
28	Purchasing Managers	$137,060	$148,080	1,460
29	Lawyers	$136,180	$159,670	9,010
30	Medical Dosimetrists	$135,530	$147,470	60
31	Biochemists and Biophysicists	$134,560	$127,410	60
32	Optometrists	$134,170	$136,570	660
33	Pharmacists	$133,390	$140,910	8,250
34	Compensation and Benefits Managers	$132,780	$149,230	670
35	Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels	$132,710	$92,460	940
36	Marketing Managers	$131,990	$166,790	7,730
37	Human Resources Managers	$131,760	$149,280	4,310
38	Computer Hardware Engineers	$130,830	$161,740	—
39	Physical Scientists, All Other	$129,570	$122,570	120
40	Aerospace Engineers	$128,510	$134,960	610
41	Agricultural Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary	$128,270	$98,700	350
42	Sales Managers	$128,040	$148,270	12,270
43	Administrative Services Managers	$127,410	$114,130	8,170
44	Public Relations Managers	$127,390	$146,910	700
45	Natural Sciences Managers	$124,530	$167,220	880
46	Veterinarians	$124,350	$130,100	1,730
47	Computer Network Architects	$123,860	$134,050	4,330
48	Electronics Engineers, Except Computer	$122,920	$130,220	740
49	Software Developers	$122,430	$135,980	19,030
50	Training and Development Managers	$121,030	$133,000	840

Dashes mean the employment estimate was not published.

Best-paid occupations with at least 1,000 jobs in Tennessee

Physicians, All Other — $301,290 (5,340 jobs)
General Internal Medicine Physicians — $232,220 (1,370 jobs)
Family Medicine Physicians — $226,830 (2,260 jobs)
Dentists, General — $215,290 (2,200 jobs)
Nurse Anesthetists — $211,450 (1,690 jobs)
Chief Executives — $198,830 (4,700 jobs)
Architectural and Engineering Managers — $161,430 (3,600 jobs)
Computer and Information Systems Managers — $158,700 (12,040 jobs)
Financial Managers — $141,010 (17,630 jobs)
Purchasing Managers — $137,060 (1,460 jobs)

Sources

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, state file.
U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state, 2024.