SOC 11-3121 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Human Resources Managers — Tennessee
Tennessee · 10 metro areas compared
Median pay for this occupation in Tennessee is $131,760 a year, trailing the national median of $149,280 by 11.7%.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
How pay has moved
The next ten years
Projected to grow faster than average
- Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
- +5.0%
- Openings per year
- 17,900
- Typical entry-level education
- Bachelor's degree
- Related work experience
- 5 years or more
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
Median pay for this occupation in Tennessee is $131,760 a year, trailing the national median of $149,280 by 11.7%. The middle half of workers in this occupation earn between $103,560 and $168,970. The lowest tenth earn under $85,160, while the highest tenth earn more than $218,300.
The area has 4,310 jobs in this occupation, giving a location quotient of 0.93 — a measure of how concentrated the occupation is here relative to the country as a whole. Tennessee ranks number 28th out of 51 states by median pay for this occupation. Within the state, Memphis records the highest median at $138,560. Of the 730 occupations with published wages in this area, it sits 37th.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $85,160 | −43.0% |
| 25th | $103,560 | −30.6% |
| Median (50th) | $131,760 | −11.7% |
| 75th | $168,970 | +13.2% |
| 90th | $218,300 | +46.2% |
| Mean | $144,990 | −2.9% |
Highest-paying metro areas in Tennessee
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Memphis | $138,560 | 760 | |
| 2 | Nashville | $135,230 | 1,840 | |
| 3 | Kingsport | $132,680 | 150 | |
| 4 | Knoxville | $132,200 | 530 | |
| 5 | Chattanooga | $129,900 | 320 | |
| 6 | Jackson | $115,320 | 70 | |
| 7 | Johnson City | $113,220 | 70 | |
| 8 | Morristown | $109,010 | 40 | |
| 9 | Clarksville | $108,450 | 70 | |
| 10 | Cleveland | $107,470 | 40 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Tennessee run 8.1% below the national average, so the median of $131,760 goes as far as $143,373 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 4.0% below the national median in real terms.
Published median
$131,760as reported by BLSLocal price level
91.9US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$143,373US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $131,760 a year, 11.7% below the national median.
- Published pay spans $85,160 to $218,300 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 4,310 jobs in this occupation.
- It ranks 28th of 51 states for this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Memphis, at $138,560.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Human Resources Managers in Tennessee?
The median annual wage is $131,760, or $63.35 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 $149,280, so pay in Tennessee is 11.7% 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 $218,300 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $85,160 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 Memphis, at $138,560 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 4,310 jobs in this occupation in Tennessee. Self-employed workers are not included.
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.
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