Tennessee
Highest-Paying Occupations in Tennessee
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025Tennessee
Figures describe the state of Tennessee as a whole. Occupations are ranked by published median annual wage; occupations where BLS suppressed the annual median or publishes only hourly wages are not ranked (19 such occupations here).
Top 25 of 730 occupations
| # | Occupation | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cardiologists | $610,080 | $293.31 | 560 |
| 2 | Dermatologists | $433,630 | $208.48 | 100 |
| 3 | Surgeons, All Other | $373,510 | $179.57 | 490 |
| 4 | Obstetricians and Gynecologists | $354,580 | $170.47 | 360 |
| 5 | Orthodontists | $339,610 | $163.28 | Not published |
| 6 | Anesthesiologists | $330,620 | $158.95 | 840 |
| 7 | Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric | $325,520 | $156.50 | 180 |
| 8 | Physicians, All Other | $301,290 | $144.85 | 5,340 |
| 9 | General Internal Medicine Physicians | $232,220 | $111.64 | 1,370 |
| 10 | Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric | $231,040 | $111.08 | 230 |
| 11 | Neurologists | $229,670 | $110.42 | 220 |
| 12 | Family Medicine Physicians | $226,830 | $109.05 | 2,260 |
| 13 | Dentists, General | $215,290 | $103.51 | 2,200 |
| 14 | Psychiatrists | $214,880 | $103.31 | 410 |
| 15 | Podiatrists | $212,470 | $102.15 | 70 |
| 16 | Nurse Anesthetists | $211,450 | $101.66 | 1,690 |
| 17 | Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates | $208,350 | $100.17 | 420 |
| 18 | Chief Executives | $198,830 | $95.59 | 4,700 |
| 19 | Pediatricians, General | $176,210 | $84.72 | 740 |
| 20 | Physicists | $165,010 | $79.33 | 240 |
| 21 | Architectural and Engineering Managers | $161,430 | $77.61 | 3,600 |
| 22 | Computer and Information Systems Managers | $158,700 | $76.30 | 12,040 |
| 23 | Air Traffic Controllers | $157,330 | $75.64 | 590 |
| 24 | Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers | $143,580 | Not published | 110 |
| 25 | Acupuncturists | $141,430 | $68.00 | Not published |
The full list of every published occupation here is on the Tennessee 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.