Teacher Salary in Tennessee
What teachers earn across Tennessee, and what they keep after tax, rent and everyday costs.
- Median salary
- $60,767
- Median hourly wage
- Not published
- Top 10% earn
- $77,632
- Kept after costs
- $20,172
Pay range
Half of Tennessee's 62,530 teachers earn more than $60,767 a year, and half earn less. The US median for the same job is $66,847.
- BLS publishes an annual salary only for this job; school staff are paid for the school year.
Pay over time
In Tennessee, teacher pay rose 26% from 2015 to 2025, but fell 8% after inflation.
Yearly figures, 2015 to 2025
| May | Median pay | In 2025 dollars | US median |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | $48,391 | $65,730 | $55,843 |
| 2016 | $48,940 | $65,648 | $56,731 |
| 2017 | $49,303 | $64,755 | $57,949 |
| 2018 | $51,237 | $65,691 | $59,019 |
| 2019 | $52,550 | $66,175 | $60,335 |
| 2020 | $51,996 | $64,679 | $61,561 |
| 2021 | $50,050 | $59,465 | $61,530 |
| 2022 | $51,625 | $56,791 | $61,943 |
| 2023 | $55,656 | $58,805 | $64,326 |
| 2024 | $56,380 | $57,864 | $63,245 |
| 2025 | $60,767 | $60,767 | $66,847 |
BLS designs these estimates as yearly snapshots and cautions against reading small year-to-year changes as trends. 2025 dollars use the CPI-U annual average.
What a teacher keeps in Tennessee
The median salary, after federal, payroll and state taxes, a statewide 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.
- Median salary
- $60,767
- Federal income tax
- −$5,112
- Payroll taxes
- −$4,649
- State income tax
- $0
- Rent, 1-bedroom
- −$14,352
- Everyday costs
- −$16,482
a year, or $1,681 a month
Wages: BLS OEWS. Rent: HUD Fair Market Rents, statewide. Taxes: 2026 federal and state schedules, single filer.
At three pay levels
Half of teachers in Tennessee earn between the lower and higher pay shown here. Same statewide rent, everyday costs and taxes.
| Pay level | Salary | You keep |
|---|---|---|
| Lower-paid (25th percentile) | $51,300 | $12,566 |
| Typical (median) | $60,767 | $20,172 |
| Higher-paid (75th percentile) | $67,709 | $25,629 |
Compare cities in Tennessee
Pay and rent change from city to city. Here is what a teacher keeps in each Tennessee city we cover, using local pay and rent.
| City | Median pay | You keep |
|---|---|---|
| Knoxville | $62,712 | $21,372 |
| Memphis | $61,345 | $20,413 |
| Chattanooga | $62,464 | $19,811 |
| Nashville | $62,448 | $14,953 |
Workers and pay are BLS metro-area estimates; the middle half earns between the 25th and 75th percentile.
Try a city with your own salary
- Median salary
- $62,712
- Federal income tax
- −$5,345
- Payroll taxes
- −$4,797
- State income tax
- $0
- Rent, 1-bedroom
- −$14,724
- Everyday costs
- −$16,474
a year, or $1,781 a month
Pay: BLS OEWS metro estimates. Rent: HUD FY2027 Small Area Fair Market Rents. Taxes: 2026 schedules, single filer.
Teacher pay in other states
Ranked by what's left after taxes, rent and everyday costs, Tennessee comes 30 of 51. The ten states where a teacher keeps the most:
- Washington$40,675
- Ohio$32,802
- Rhode Island$32,178
- Alaska$31,099
- New Mexico$30,023
- Pennsylvania$28,026
- Utah$27,549
- California$26,532
- Massachusetts$25,082
- Wyoming$24,738
- Tennessee$20,172
Compare this job in two places: any two cities or states, at three pay levels.
Teacher salary by state
Pay and what's kept for teachers in every other state we cover, A–Z.
Other jobs in Tennessee
The 10 jobs closest to a teacher in what they keep: median pay and what's left after the same costs.
| Job | You keep |
|---|---|
| Registered nurse$15,159 more | $35,331 |
| Accountant$11,881 more | $32,053 |
| Respiratory therapist$8,574 more | $28,746 |
| Radiologic technologist$3,104 more | $23,276 |
| Electrician$260 more | $20,432 |
| Police officer$1,195 less | $18,977 |
| Diesel mechanic$1,267 less | $18,905 |
| Licensed practical nurse$1,524 less | $18,648 |
| Paralegal$1,564 less | $18,608 |
| Truck driver$1,724 less | $18,448 |
Moving for a job?
Questions people ask
How much does a teacher make in Tennessee?
The median teacher salary in Tennessee is $60,767 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn under $48,514 and the top 10% earn over $77,632 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What does a teacher take home in Tennessee?
On the median salary, a teacher in Tennessee pays about $9,761 in federal, payroll and state taxes. After a statewide 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs, they keeps $20,172 a year.
Where in Tennessee do teachers keep the most?
Of the Tennessee cities we cover, teachers keep the most in Knoxville: a median salary of $62,712 and a $1,227 1-bedroom leave $21,372 a year after taxes and everyday costs.
Which states are best for teachers after costs?
Ranked by what's left after taxes, rent and everyday costs, Tennessee comes 30 of 51. The top states are Washington ($40,675), Ohio ($32,802), Rhode Island ($32,178).
Do teachers in Tennessee earn more than the US average?
No. The Tennessee median of $60,767 is $6,080 below the US median of $66,847.
Sources and method
Occupation codes (SOC): 25-2021, 25-2022, 25-2031. Statewide figures use the state median wage, a population-weighted statewide rent and state price levels; city figures use metro wages and city rents.
- BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
- HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2027
- BLS Consumer Expenditure Surveys 2024, Table 1400 (size of consumer unit)
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI-U)
- BEA Regional Price Parities by state, 2024
Data compiled October 13, 2026. How we calculate