Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education Salary in Tennessee
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education in Tennessee have a median of $61,860 a year, below the national $72,040 (−14%); the state ranks 35th of 51 states by median. Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education earn 31% more than the median across all occupations in Tennessee ($47,380). Among neighbouring states, Georgia, Virginia and Alabama pay more (up to $75,480 in Georgia) and Kentucky, Arkansas, Missouri, North Carolina and Mississippi pay less (down to $50,980 in Mississippi). Tennessee employs 21,230 secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education, 6.47 per 1,000 jobs, the 15th largest count of any state. A location quotient of 0.95 is close to the national share.
Tennessee vs the United States, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Tennessee | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 21,230 | 6.48 | 0.95 |
| Annual | $49,050 | $52,870 | $61,860 | $73,740 | $79,180 | $62,950 | ||||
| United States | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 1,065,210 | – | – |
| Annual | $48,780 | $59,980 | $72,040 | $92,570 | $107,600 | $76,320 | ||||
- Rank by median
- 35th of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 15th of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 0.95
- Jobs per 1,000
- 6.48
Ranks count the 50 states and DC with a published value. The location quotient is the occupation's share of Tennessee's employment divided by its national share; 1.00 means the same share as the nation. Take-home pay at these wages: FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Metropolitan areas in Tennessee
10 metropolitan areas and 4 nonmetropolitan areas touching Tennessee publish a row for secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education, sorted by median. Areas crossing a state line are listed under every state they touch; a linked metro has its own profile.
| Area | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chattanooga, TN-GA | * | $65,100 | $47,880 | $82,060 | 1,790 | 6.66 | 0.97 |
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | * | $64,710 | $50,410 | $80,710 | 6,080 | 5.53 | 0.81 |
| Cleveland, TN | * | $63,380 | $50,220 | $76,260 | 280 | 6.46 | 0.94 |
| Knoxville, TN | * | $63,130 | $50,380 | $77,070 | 2,820 | 6.63 | 0.97 |
| Memphis, TN-MS-AR | * | $62,230 | $48,170 | $79,180 | 4,860 | 7.95 | 1.16 |
| Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA | * | $61,990 | $47,200 | $74,890 | 790 | 6.63 | 0.97 |
| Morristown, TN | * | $61,300 | $49,350 | $75,020 | 330 | 6.99 | 1.02 |
| Clarksville, TN-KY | * | $60,720 | $43,550 | $76,660 | 930 | 9.04 | 1.32 |
| Johnson City, TN | * | $60,180 | $50,330 | $63,680 | 640 | 7.82 | 1.14 |
| Jackson, TN | * | $59,700 | $47,970 | $72,800 | 580 | 6.82 | 1.00 |
| West Tennessee nonmetropolitan area | * | $60,790 | $48,840 | $73,750 | 1,080 | 9.17 | 1.34 |
| East Tennessee nonmetropolitan area | * | $60,760 | $47,720 | $77,680 | 1,010 | 7.15 | 1.04 |
| South Central Tennessee nonmetropolitan area | * | $60,660 | $48,980 | $74,720 | 1,000 | 9.11 | 1.33 |
| North Central Tennessee nonmetropolitan area | * | $60,050 | $48,810 | $73,060 | 830 | 7.20 | 1.05 |
Neighbouring states
| State | Median hourly | Median annual | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tennessee | * | $61,860 | 21,230 | 0.95 |
| Alabama | * | $61,990 | 15,880 | 1.10 |
| Arkansas | * | $59,660 | 12,890 | 1.44 |
| Georgia | * | $75,480 | 25,730 | 0.77 |
| Kentucky | * | $61,560 | 12,780 | 0.93 |
| Missouri | * | $59,240 | 24,380 | 1.21 |
| Mississippi | * | $50,980 | 10,400 | 1.30 |
| North Carolina | * | $57,650 | 28,620 | 0.85 |
| Virginia | * | $72,170 | 31,100 | 1.10 |
See the national page for Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education (every state ranked) and the Tennessee wage profile (every occupation in the state).
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS Tennessee estimates.
*- Wage estimate not available.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.