The average salary for a teacher in Tennessee is around $54,768 per year.
Avg Salary
Teachers earn an average yearly salary of $54,768.
Wages typically start from $40,213 and go up to $80,281.
11% below national average Updated in 2025
Teacher earnings by seniority
90th percentile
Top-level teacher earnings begin at:
$42.05 per hour
$80,281 per year
75th percentile
Senior-level teacher earnings begin at:
$29.55 per hour
$66,267 per year
50th percentile
Mid-level teacher earnings begin at:
$20.17 per hour
$54,768 per year
25th percentile
Junior-level teacher earnings begin at:
$21.55 per hour
$44,822 per year
10th percentile
Starting level teacher earnings begin at:
$15.93 per hour
$40,213 per year
Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.
Teacher salary by state
| State Name | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| California | $82,925 |
| District of Columbia | $77,122 |
| Washington | $75,561 |
| Maryland | $73,877 |
| Massachusetts | $72,627 |
| Rhode Island | $71,717 |
| New York | $71,245 |
| Connecticut | $71,193 |
| Minnesota | $68,074 |
| New Jersey | $67,172 |
| Delaware | $66,960 |
| Vermont | $65,438 |
| Oregon | $64,906 |
| Pennsylvania | $64,511 |
| Georgia | $64,313 |
| New Mexico | $63,122 |
| Ohio | $62,412 |
| Utah | $61,814 |
| Wisconsin | $61,227 |
| Michigan | $60,944 |
| Virginia | $60,848 |
| Maine | $60,066 |
| Colorado | $59,470 |
| Texas | $59,117 |
| Illinois | $58,509 |
| Alaska | $58,327 |
| Wyoming | $58,046 |
| Nebraska | $57,870 |
| Arizona | $57,499 |
| Iowa | $57,421 |
| North Dakota | $56,996 |
| New Hampshire | $56,960 |
| Hawaii | $56,859 |
| Missouri | $56,803 |
| South Carolina | $56,604 |
| Louisiana | $56,132 |
| North Carolina | $55,710 |
| Indiana | $55,212 |
| Idaho | $54,927 |
| Kentucky | $54,822 |
| Tennessee | $54,768 |
| Kansas | $53,885 |
| Florida | $53,542 |
| West Virginia | $53,502 |
| Nevada | $53,383 |
| Montana | $51,934 |
| Alabama | $51,441 |
| Arkansas | $51,098 |
| South Dakota | $50,953 |
| Oklahoma | $50,351 |
| Mississippi | $49,529 |
| Virgin Islands, U.S. | $44,580 |
| Guam | $42,040 |
| Puerto Rico | $36,878 |
How do teacher salaries compare to similar careers?
Teachers earn about the same as related careers in Tennessee. On average, they make less than professors but more than graduate teaching assistants.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Professor salary | $72K |
| High school teacher salary | $62K |
| Librarian salary | $62K |
| School counselor salary | $60K |
| Elementary school teacher salary | $60K |
| Teacher salary | $55K |
| Kindergarten teacher salary | $58K |
| Childcare program administrator salary | $49K |
| Preschool teacher salary | $34K |
| Graduate teaching assistant salary | $37K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)