Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN metro area
Highest-Paying Occupations in Nashville-Davidson Metro
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN metro area
Figures describe the Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN metropolitan statistical area as defined by BLS/OMB — the whole multi-county metro region, not Nashville-Davidson city limits. Occupations are ranked by published median annual wage; occupations where BLS suppressed the annual median or publishes only hourly wages are not ranked (12 such occupations here).
Top 25 of 609 occupations
| # | Occupation | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Orthodontists | $361,650 | $173.87 | Not published |
| 2 | Obstetricians and Gynecologists | $358,070 | $172.15 | 190 |
| 3 | Anesthesiologists | $328,840 | $158.10 | 480 |
| 4 | Physicians, All Other | $295,640 | $142.14 | 2,490 |
| 5 | Physicists | $236,920 | $113.90 | Not published |
| 6 | Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric | $232,300 | $111.68 | 120 |
| 7 | General Internal Medicine Physicians | $232,220 | $111.64 | 350 |
| 8 | Chief Executives | $218,190 | $104.90 | 1,730 |
| 9 | Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates | $218,190 | $104.90 | 200 |
| 10 | Dentists, General | $215,290 | $103.51 | 1,170 |
| 11 | Nurse Anesthetists | $211,450 | $101.66 | 830 |
| 12 | Family Medicine Physicians | $211,370 | $101.62 | 650 |
| 13 | Pediatricians, General | $176,210 | $84.72 | 400 |
| 14 | Computer and Information Systems Managers | $165,970 | $79.79 | 5,640 |
| 15 | Architectural and Engineering Managers | $159,720 | $76.79 | 1,060 |
| 16 | Financial Managers | $156,860 | $75.42 | 7,400 |
| 17 | Air Traffic Controllers | $155,540 | $74.78 | 60 |
| 18 | Optometrists | $144,260 | $69.36 | 180 |
| 19 | Psychiatrists | $144,020 | $69.24 | 230 |
| 20 | Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers | $143,580 | Not published | 60 |
| 21 | Lawyers | $142,540 | $68.53 | 3,990 |
| 22 | Purchasing Managers | $140,410 | $67.51 | 570 |
| 23 | Psychologists, All Other | $138,070 | $66.38 | Not published |
| 24 | Pharmacists | $137,590 | $66.15 | 2,630 |
| 25 | Computer Hardware Engineers | $137,450 | $66.08 | Not published |
The full list of every published occupation here is on the Nashville-Davidson metro area overview.
About this data. Estimates are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 release, retrieved from bls.gov/oes/tables.htm on July 24, 2026. OEWS estimates describe metropolitan/nonmetropolitan areas and states — not city limits — and are not designed for year-over-year comparisons. See BLS methodology, our plain-English methodology, and sources. CitySalaryData is independent and not affiliated with BLS.