Based on the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data — updated September 10, 2026.
| Tennessee | National | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median annual salary | $131,760 | $149,469 | -12% |
| Median hourly wage | $63.35 | $71.86 | -12% |
Adjusted for local price levels (100 = national average), the cost-adjusted median is $143,373.
| City | Median | Entry Level | Experienced | Cost of Living |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nashville | $130,000 | $75,000 | $165,000 | 105 |
| Memphis | $114,400 | $66,000 | $145,200 | 85 |
The median annual salary for a HR Manager in Tennessee is $131,760, or about $63.35 per hour, according to BLS OEWS data.
The national median for HR Managers is $149,469. Tennessee is -12% below the national median.
Entry-level hr managers in Tennessee typically earn from $75,000 depending on the city and employer.
With 4,310 hr manager jobs on record and a median salary of $131,760, Tennessee offers competitive pay compared to the rest of the country.
By median annual wage, hr managers rank 37 of the 730 occupations reported in Tennessee — higher than 95% of them.
Among occupations in the same job family, Chief Executives at $198,830, Architectural and Engineering Managers at $161,430, Computer and Information Systems Managers at $158,700 — all figures are median annual wages for Tennessee.
No. Every figure on this page is a gross (pre-tax) wage. Tennessee has no state income tax on wages, so take-home pay is closer to the gross figures shown here. The state's cost of living index is 92.0 (100 = national average).
By median annual wage, hr managers rank 37 of the 730 occupations reported in Tennessee — higher than 95% of them.
| Occupation in the same job family | Median in Tennessee | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Chief Executives | $198,830 | $4,700 |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | $161,430 | $3,600 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | $158,700 | $12,040 |
| Financial Managers | $141,010 | $17,630 |
| Purchasing Managers | $137,060 | $1,460 |
| Compensation and Benefits Managers | $132,780 | $670 |
Tennessee has no state income tax on wages, so take-home pay is closer to the gross figures shown here. The state's cost of living index is 92.0 (100 = national average).
Ranking and comparison figures come from the same BLS OEWS release as the rest of this page, which covers 730 occupations in Tennessee.