SOC 15-1221 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Computer and Information Research Scientists — Tennessee
Tennessee · 1 metro areas compared
In Tennessee the median wage is $108,830.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
How pay has moved
The next ten years
Projected to grow much faster than average
- Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
- +19.7%
- Openings per year
- 3,200
- Typical entry-level education
- Master's degree
Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.
Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for Tennessee.
Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.
Salary overview
In Tennessee the median wage is $108,830. That is 22.4% lower than the national median of $140,300. The middle half of workers in this occupation earn between $100,100 and $130,680. The lowest tenth earn under $82,750, while the highest tenth earn more than $174,760.
Among the 35 states with published data for this occupation, Tennessee ranks 30th by median wage. Nashville leads the state's metro areas for this occupation, at $111,090. Set against every other occupation measured in the same area, it ranks 65th of 730 by median pay.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $82,750 | −41.0% |
| 25th | $100,100 | −28.7% |
| Median (50th) | $108,830 | −22.4% |
| 75th | $130,680 | −6.9% |
| 90th | $174,760 | +24.6% |
| Mean | $116,810 | −16.7% |
Highest-paying metro areas in Tennessee
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nashville | $111,090 | — |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Tennessee run 8.1% below the national average, so the median of $108,830 goes as far as $118,422 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 15.6% below the national median in real terms.
Published median
$108,830as reported by BLSLocal price level
91.9US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$118,422US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $108,830 a year, 22.4% below the national median.
- Published pay spans $82,750 to $174,760 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- It ranks 30th of 35 states for this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Nashville, at $111,090.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Computer and Information Research Scientists in Tennessee?
The median annual wage is $108,830, or $52.32 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.
Is that higher than the national average?
The national median for this occupation is $140,300, so pay in Tennessee is 22.4% lower. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.
What do the top earners make?
The top tenth of this occupation in Tennessee earns more than $174,760 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $82,750 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.
Which area nearby pays the most?
The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in Nashville, at $111,090 per year.
Source and methodology
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.
Explore related data