State profile · NCES F-33 FY2022
Teacher Salary in Tennessee
According to the NCES Common Core of Data finance survey, estimated teacher pay and per-pupil spending are available across 140 public school districts in Tennessee.
- $68,524
- Est. state avg salary
- -20.1%
- vs national
- #38
- National rank
- 140
- Districts
Tennessee's estimated average teacher salary is $68,524, materially below the national average of $85,759, ranking #38 of 51 states and territories, across 140 public school districts (NCES CCD F-33, FY2022).
- lower third nationally (#38 of 51)
- $45,817 spread between its highest- and lowest-paying districts
- -20.1% vs the national average
- +12.9% since FY2019
- #38 of 51 purchasing-power-adjusted (BEA RPP 91.8)
What does the NCES F-33 data show for Tennessee?
Tennessee reports 140 public school districts in the NCES Common Core of Data FY2022 Local Education Agency Finance Survey, with an average teacher salary of $68,524. That places the state in the lower third of US teacher-pay rankings - #38 of 51, materially below the national average of $85,759 (-20.1%). The state's public schools serve 984,331 students across these districts. Most district figures divide total instructional spending by the district's REPORTED teacher headcount (NCES CCD Staff Universe Survey); a small number of large consolidated districts that report staffing only at a sub-district level fall back to an estimated ratio instead, since total instructional spending also includes aides and assistants, both figures run somewhat above survey-reported classroom-teacher-only salaries, treat this as a relative cross-district comparison, not an exact paycheck, and see our methodology for the formula, its data source per district, and its limits.
Among enrolling districts, pay varies widely: Davidson County reports the highest estimated average salary at $87,920, while Union County sits at the lower end at $42,103 - a spread of $45,817 between top and bottom reporting districts. Licensing rules, state aid formulas, collective bargaining density, and local tax bases all drive this intra-state variation. Urban and suburban districts with larger tax bases typically lead, while rural districts often lag despite lower cost of living.
Teacher compensation here reflects both state policy choices, the statutory minimum salary schedule, pension funding levels, licensure reciprocity, and the funding formula that determines how much state aid each district receives per pupil. A #38 national rank signals where Tennessee sits in the competition for teachers against neighboring states; teacher shortage areas typically correlate with lower pay rank. Figures below are per-district averages derived from the F-33 instructional salary expenditure field (Z33) divided by each district's reported teacher FTE (or an estimated FTE for the small minority with no reported figure), a district-level aggregate, not individual salary records.
Purchasing-power-adjusted rank
Tennessee's nominal average teacher salary ranks #38 of 51 states and territories. Adjusted by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis's 2022 Regional Price Parity (91.8, US = 100, a relative state-level price-level index, not a district or metro cost-of-living figure), the estimate becomes $74,645, ranking #38 of 51 , unchanged from the nominal rank. This purchasing-power view is not published by NEA's teacher-pay rankings or the aggregator sites; it comes from combining our own F-33-derived salary estimate with BEA's public RPP series. See the full 51-state release for methodology and download.
Tennessee's estimated average teacher salary, FY2019-FY2022
Highest-paying districts in Tennessee
Estimated average teacher salary, enrolling districts (200+ students)
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$87,920 Est. avg salary
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$83,159 Est. avg salary
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$80,833 Est. avg salary
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$80,547 Est. avg salary
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$78,161 Est. avg salary
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$77,490 Est. avg salary
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$76,661 Est. avg salary
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$76,575 Est. avg salary
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$74,777 Est. avg salary
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$74,739 Est. avg salary
What this shows Davidson County leads Tennessee on the F-33 instructional-salary estimate. Service entities (CTCs, county offices) are excluded, their enrollment-based ratios are not reliable salary figures.
Top 3 districts
Districts by Estimated Teacher Salary
| District | Est. Avg Salary | Enrollment | Per-Pupil Exp |
|---|---|---|---|
| Davidson County | $87,920 | 80,381 | $17,219 |
| Maryville | $83,159 | 5,604 | $12,664 |
| Franklin SSD | $80,833 | 3,251 | $27,867 |
| Johnson City | $80,547 | 7,799 | $12,614 |
| Tullahoma | $78,161 | 3,618 | $12,802 |
| Murfreesboro | $77,490 | 9,365 | $12,255 |
| Greeneville | $76,661 | 2,943 | $14,079 |
| Oak Ridge | $76,575 | 4,757 | $16,005 |
| Kingsport | $74,777 | 7,629 | $12,059 |
| Shelby County | $74,739 | 105,596 | $15,292 |
| Alcoa | $74,580 | 2,167 | $14,506 |
| Lebanon | $74,518 | 4,052 | $12,177 |
| Arlington | $74,128 | 4,962 | $10,918 |
| Athens | $72,853 | 1,767 | $12,206 |
| Claiborne County | $72,361 | 4,081 | $12,627 |
| Stewart County | $72,191 | 1,987 | $11,570 |
| Williamson County | $71,986 | 41,954 | $12,699 |
| Collierville | $71,825 | 9,060 | $13,453 |
| Bartlett | $71,610 | 8,826 | $13,364 |
| Grainger County | $71,508 | 3,112 | $11,871 |
| Alamo | $71,216 | 606 | $9,569 |
| Fayetteville | $71,106 | 1,266 | $12,778 |
| Manchester | $71,009 | 1,522 | $14,237 |
| Elizabethton | $70,916 | 2,647 | $12,474 |
| Humboldt City Schools | $70,671 | 1,078 | $13,904 |
| Paris | $70,583 | 1,548 | $12,187 |
| Monroe County | $70,239 | 4,993 | $11,870 |
| Hamblen County | $70,116 | 10,121 | $11,692 |
| Sevier County | $70,109 | 14,304 | $14,655 |
| Morgan County | $69,835 | 2,789 | $11,906 |
| Etowah | $69,727 | 358 | $12,980 |
| Millington Municipal Schools | $69,687 | 2,540 | $12,987 |
| Trenton | $69,457 | 1,358 | $12,800 |
| Rutherford County | $69,433 | 49,253 | $11,822 |
| Blount County | $69,043 | 10,281 | $12,120 |
| Hamilton County | $68,783 | 45,176 | $12,591 |
| Dyersburg | $68,733 | 2,608 | $13,008 |
| Perry County | $68,582 | 1,040 | $14,856 |
| Tipton County | $68,300 | 10,300 | $11,124 |
| Montgomery County | $68,235 | 37,680 | $12,015 |
| Bristol | $68,156 | 3,939 | $13,576 |
| Meigs County | $67,975 | 1,750 | $11,474 |
| Wayne County | $67,526 | 2,202 | $12,698 |
| Lakeland | $67,450 | 1,903 | $12,571 |
| Lenoir City | $67,439 | 2,512 | $12,745 |
| Dyer County | $67,277 | 3,660 | $12,417 |
| Gibson Co Sp Dist | $67,226 | 3,905 | $10,735 |
| Polk County | $67,153 | 2,147 | $12,511 |
| Newport | $66,867 | 674 | $14,123 |
| Unicoi County | $66,796 | 2,234 | $11,600 |
| Cleveland | $66,649 | 5,730 | $11,804 |
| Lauderdale County | $66,582 | 3,598 | $12,960 |
| Knox County | $66,499 | 60,426 | $11,040 |
| Clinton | $66,482 | 968 | $13,819 |
| Dayton | $66,353 | 820 | $10,980 |
| Rogersville | $66,333 | 651 | $12,169 |
| Houston County | $66,003 | 1,289 | $10,857 |
| Van Buren County | $65,982 | 754 | $14,137 |
| Cannon County | $65,959 | 1,944 | $12,031 |
| Hancock County | $65,937 | 1,009 | $14,418 |
| Pickett County | $65,591 | 656 | $12,087 |
| Bledsoe County | $65,476 | 1,628 | $13,451 |
| Oneida | $65,322 | 1,369 | $10,988 |
| Sweetwater | $65,297 | 1,486 | $10,608 |
| Hickman County | $65,042 | 3,208 | $11,619 |
| Franklin County | $64,834 | 5,146 | $11,739 |
| Jefferson County | $64,556 | 6,995 | $11,202 |
| Henderson County | $64,519 | 3,988 | $10,872 |
| Robertson County | $64,491 | 14,343 | $10,316 |
| Rhea County Department of Education | $64,352 | 4,112 | $12,339 |
| Macon County | $64,261 | 4,079 | $11,210 |
| Jackson County | $64,061 | 1,473 | $11,725 |
| Loudon County | $63,848 | 4,790 | $11,084 |
| Bradford | $63,545 | 637 | $12,160 |
| Lincoln County | $63,483 | 3,920 | $11,007 |
| Anderson County | $63,472 | 6,357 | $13,496 |
| Bells | $63,448 | 392 | $11,084 |
| Chester County | $63,320 | 2,715 | $11,362 |
| Scott County | $63,279 | 2,613 | $13,040 |
| DeKalb County | $63,244 | 2,933 | $10,335 |
| Roane County | $63,065 | 6,304 | $12,876 |
| Sullivan County | $62,892 | 8,475 | $11,930 |
| Sequatchie County | $62,841 | 2,049 | $13,156 |
| Madison County | $62,797 | 12,336 | $11,117 |
| Richard City | $62,750 | 218 | $18,078 |
| Union City | $62,697 | 1,545 | $14,074 |
| Cheatham County | $62,645 | 5,786 | $10,582 |
| Marshall County | $62,569 | 5,272 | $10,957 |
| Lawrence County | $62,507 | 6,871 | $10,977 |
| Cocke County | $62,462 | 4,333 | $11,694 |
| Carter County | $62,399 | 4,766 | $11,866 |
| Fentress County | $62,364 | 2,225 | $11,176 |
| Fayette County Public Schools | $62,362 | 3,186 | $12,193 |
| Wilson County | $62,354 | 19,521 | $11,283 |
| Milan | $62,324 | 1,946 | $12,624 |
| Haywood County | $62,206 | 2,757 | $13,494 |
| Henry County | $62,183 | 3,053 | $12,154 |
| Hollow Rock - Bruceton | $61,860 | 633 | $11,101 |
| Coffee County | $61,792 | 4,257 | $13,085 |
| Greene County | $61,259 | 6,208 | $11,067 |
Showing 1–100 of 139 enrolling districts. Specialized non-enrolling agencies (career/technical centers, county offices, service co-ops) are excluded from the salary ranking, their enrollment-based estimates are not reliable.
Lowest-Paying Districts in Tennessee
| District | Est. Avg Salary | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|
| Union County | $42,103 | 5,905 |
| Campbell County | $47,632 | 5,250 |
| Overton County | $48,360 | 3,090 |
| Hardin County | $53,502 | 3,408 |
| Decatur County | $53,848 | 1,489 |
| Lake County | $54,650 | 762 |
| Benton County | $54,687 | 2,105 |
| Dickson County | $55,113 | 8,078 |
| Marion County | $55,328 | 3,921 |
| McKenzie | $55,476 | 1,240 |
Among enrolling districts (200+ students) with a reliable estimate; service entities excluded, see methodology.
Compare Nearby-Ranked States
Data: NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey + Staff Universe Survey, FY2022. Salary figures divide instructional expenditure (variable Z33) by each district's reported teacher FTE, or an estimated FTE for the small minority with no reported figure. Not individual salary data. Read our methodology.
Tennessee teacher salary FAQ
What is the average teacher salary in Tennessee?
Across Tennessee's 140 public school districts, the average teacher salary is $68,524 (NCES CCD F-33 finance data divided by CCD Staff Universe Survey teacher headcounts, FY2022). This figure is derived from total instructional spending and runs above survey-reported classroom-teacher-only salaries, read it as a relative comparison.
Which Tennessee school district pays teachers the most?
Davidson County reports the highest average teacher salary in Tennessee at $87,920, while Union County sits at the lower end at $42,103.
How does Tennessee teacher pay compare to the national average?
Tennessee's average of $68,524 is materially below the national average of $85,759 (-20.1%), ranking #38 of 51 US states and territories.
How many school districts are in Tennessee?
Tennessee has 140 public school districts in the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey, together serving 984,331 students.
Can teachers earn $100,000 in Tennessee?
No Tennessee district with reliable data reports an estimated average teacher salary at or above $100,000; the state's highest is Davidson County at $87,920. This is a district-wide average, not an individual salary, step, or years-of-experience figure.
How does Tennessee rank after adjusting for cost of living?
Adjusted by the BEA's 2022 Regional Price Parity (91.8, US=100), Tennessee's purchasing-power-adjusted estimated teacher salary is $74,645, ranking #38 of 51 states and territories, the same as its #38 nominal-salary rank. This is a relative state-level price-level comparison, not take-home pay, taxes, or district/metro cost of living.
Related
According to the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) F-33 Local Education Agency Finance Survey, PlainTeacher's figures are computed directly, no number is typed in by an editor. Tennessee's district figures are aggregated directly from each district's FY2022 F-33 submission, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error on this page. Data current as of FY2022.
| Publisher | PlainTeacher |
| Sources | Public official public datasets |