SOC 43-3051 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks — Tennessee
Tennessee · 10 metro areas compared
In Tennessee the median wage is $51,780.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
How pay has moved
The next ten years
Projected to decline
- Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
- -16.7%
- Openings per year
- 13,000
- Typical entry-level education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
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 $51,780. That is 11.1% lower than the national median of $58,260. The middle half of workers in this occupation earn between $45,300 and $61,350. The lowest tenth earn under $36,270, while the highest tenth earn more than $75,160.
Employment stands at 3,680, or 1.1 jobs per thousand held locally. Among the 51 states with published data for this occupation, Tennessee ranks 43rd by median wage. Nashville leads the state's metro areas for this occupation, at $55,960. Set against every other occupation measured in the same area, it ranks 388th of 730 by median pay.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $36,270 | −37.7% |
| 25th | $45,300 | −22.2% |
| Median (50th) | $51,780 | −11.1% |
| 75th | $61,350 | +5.3% |
| 90th | $75,160 | +29.0% |
| Mean | $54,220 | −6.9% |
Highest-paying metro areas in Tennessee
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nashville | $55,960 | 1,460 | |
| 2 | Memphis | $53,420 | 520 | |
| 3 | Knoxville | $52,910 | 500 | |
| 4 | Clarksville | $52,420 | 100 | |
| 5 | Chattanooga | $51,870 | 190 | |
| 6 | Kingsport | $51,170 | 90 | |
| 7 | Cleveland | $47,940 | 40 | |
| 8 | Jackson | $47,820 | 60 | |
| 9 | Johnson City | $46,150 | 90 | |
| 10 | Morristown | $44,790 | 40 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Tennessee run 8.1% below the national average, so the median of $51,780 goes as far as $56,344 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 3.3% below the national median in real terms.
Published median
$51,780as reported by BLSLocal price level
91.9US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$56,344US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $51,780 a year, 11.1% below the national median.
- Published pay spans $36,270 to $75,160 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 3,680 jobs in this occupation.
- It ranks 43rd of 51 states for this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Nashville, at $55,960.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks in Tennessee?
The median annual wage is $51,780, or $24.89 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 $58,260, so pay in Tennessee is 11.1% 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 $75,160 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $36,270 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 $55,960 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 3,680 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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