Salario de Ingeniero Civil en Tennessee (2026)
El salario promedio de un Ingeniero Civil en Tennessee es de $88,000/año. Después de impuestos, tu sueldo neto estimado es de $70,738/año ($5,895/mes).
Desglose del Sueldo Neto
| Categoría | Cantidad |
|---|---|
Sueldo Neto Anual | $70,738 |
Sueldo Neto Mensual | $5,895 |
Sueldo Neto Quincenal | $2,721 |
Sueldo Neto por Hora basado en 2,080 hrs/año | $34/hr |
Impuesto Federal | $10,530 |
Impuesto Estatal | $0 |
Impuestos FICA | $6,732 |
Tasa Efectiva de Impuesto impuestos totales ÷ salario bruto | 19.62% |
¿Quieres modelar 401(k), HSA, o aportes antes de impuestos contra tu salario completo? Abrir la calculadora de salario →
¿Recibes bono de fin de año, firma o retención? Ver la calculadora de bonos →
¿Trabajo 1099 o proyectos paralelos? El impuesto SE agrega 15.3% encima. Ver la calculadora de freelancer →
¿Trabajas horas extra? La deducción OBBBA 2025 puede ahorrarte hasta $12,500 en impuesto federal. Abrir la calculadora de horas extra →
Rangos de Salario de Ingeniero Civil en Tennessee
No todas las Ingeniero Civils ganan lo mismo — ni de cerca
TN civil engineering splits across five coherent tracks. Transportation (TDOT + Nashville WeGo + BNA + Memphis I-55 + I-40) carries the largest dollar pipeline. Healthcare facility engineering (HCA + Vanderbilt UMC + Methodist Le Bonheur) is the TN-distinctive specialty. Federal infrastructure (TVA hydropower + nuclear + transmission + ORNL classified-research) is the second specialty parallel. Karst geology (TN limestone bedrock sinkholes + caves) + New Madrid seismic (West TN especially Memphis) round out senior tiers. Smith Seckman Reid Nashville (~600 employees) is the largest TN-anchored healthcare engineering firm.
Chief Engineer / VP Engineering
$285,000–$485,000+
HDR / AECOM / Stantec / Jacobs / WSP / Smith Seckman Reid TN leadership · TDOT + TVA mega-program directors
Principal Engineer / Project Director
$165,000–$285,000
$50M-$500M+ project ownership · Oracle Cumberland / Nashville Yards / BNA Vision · HCA capital directors
Senior Engineer / Project Manager
$125,000–$195,000
10-15 yrs · PE plus 5+ yrs post-license · domain depth (transportation / structural / geotech / water)
Civil Engineer PE
$78,000–$115,000
TN PE license · 4-7 yrs · 4 yrs experience + NCEES PE exam · prevailing wage on public projects
Engineer-in-Training (EIT)
$58,000–$78,000
Entry · FE exam · NON-EXEMPT typical for first 2-3 years until PE supervision shift · OBBBA-eligible
Structural / Karst Specialist
$115,000–$215,000
Vanderbilt structural · Smith Seckman Reid · TN limestone karst-specialty sinkhole + seismic depth
Geotechnical Engineer (Karst + New Madrid)
$95,000–$185,000
TN karst + West TN New Madrid Seismic Zone specialty · sinkhole + liquefaction + foundation
Construction Inspector / Field Engineer
$58,000–$95,000
TDOT-certified + state prevailing wage on public works · NON-EXEMPT · OBBBA-eligible · field-OT typical
TVA / ORNL Federal-Cleared Engineer
$95,000–$175,000 + federal locality
TVA hydropower + nuclear + transmission · ORNL classified-research · clearance premium $15-30K
Healthcare Facility Engineer (HCA / Vanderbilt UMC)
$85,000–$155,000
HCA capital · Vanderbilt UMC · Methodist Le Bonheur · MEP-integrated · TJC compliance + 6 Faces of Care framework
Vale la pena saber: Karst geology is the TN civil engineering niche no neighboring state matches. Tennessee's limestone bedrock plateau (~70% of state) creates sinkhole risk + cave-formation challenges that drive specialized geotechnical practice. Nashville and Memphis sit on karst terrain — Nashville Yards $2.5B, Oracle Cumberland $1.2B, plus BNA airport expansion all required extensive karst-engineering studies for foundation work, stormwater management, plus sinkhole-mitigation design. Smith Seckman Reid Nashville (~600 employees), Wright Brothers Construction, plus HDR + AECOM + Stantec TN offices maintain dedicated karst-geotechnical practice groups. Senior karst specialty engineers clear $145-215K cash. New Madrid Seismic Zone risk in West TN (especially Memphis) drives parallel seismic specialty — 1811-1812 New Madrid earthquakes (magnitude 7.5-7.9) plus USGS modeled 7-10% probability of similar event in next 50 years sustain Memphis seismic-retrofit work.
Civil engineers, OBBBA OT, TN labor law, and the Nashville construction boom + TVA federal infrastructure cycle
$12,500
OBBBA OT deduction cap (single, 2025-2028) — applies to EIT + inspector + field engineer roles
0%
TN state income tax — OBBBA flows through cleanly; no state add-back
40/wk
TN OT trigger — federal FLSA 40/week (no state daily-OT rule like CA or CO)
~70%
TN area on karst limestone bedrock — sinkhole + seismic specialty depth no neighbor state matches
Civil engineering in TN splits -exempt and non-exempt by role tier. Licensed PEs running design + project management + senior consultancy are typically FLSA exempt under the Learned Professional exemption. Salaried with bonus.
EITs in first 2-4 years post-graduation, construction inspectors, plus field engineers on public works projects are typically NON-EXEMPT and -eligible. TDOT-certified inspectors + state prevailing wage on public works (TN Code Title 12 Chapter 4) drive substantial OT cash. OBBBA No-Tax-on-Overtime federal deduction (2025-2028) applies to qualifying -required OT premium — cap $12,500 single / $25,000 .
For an EIT at $32/hour running 50-hour weeks × 48 weeks during construction-busy season, OT totals ~480 hours/year at $48/hour. The premium portion (the 'half') is $7,680/year — under the $12,500 single cap. At the 22% federal bracket plus TN 0% income tax, that's roughly $1,690 federal savings/yr through 2028. Construction inspector at $38/hour with comparable hours saves $2,100+ via .
TN does NOT have a daily OT trigger (unlike CA's 8-hr or CO's 12-hr rules). Federal 40/week threshold applies. Tennessee prevailing wage on public works contracts (TN Code Title 12 Chapter 4) sets minimum wage and benefits for state-funded projects — typically 1.5× regular rate for OT plus apprentice ratios. TDOT, TVA, ORNL, plus federal facilities (Joint Base Lewis-McChord parallel facilities don't exist in TN — but Y-12 National Security Complex Oak Ridge does) all carry prevailing wage requirements.
phaseout starts at $150K single / $300K at $100 per $1,000, fully phased out at $275K / $550K. Most EITs and inspectors fall below the threshold and capture the full deduction. Senior PEs and project managers above the threshold lose the deduction entirely. TN's 0% state income tax means OBBBA flows through with no state add-back or pickup — mechanically cleaner than CA, NY, or other state-income-tax states.
Nashville construction boom drives the largest TN pipeline. Oracle Cumberland $1.2B (under construction through 2031), Nashville Yards $2.5B (Amazon HQ East + AllianceBernstein + hotel + residential), Music City Center, BNA Vision $1.4B airport. HCA's $1B+ annual capital across ~190 hospitals drives sustained healthcare-facility civil. TDOT I-440 reconstruction + I-65 South + I-40 cross-state add transportation depth.
TVA federal infrastructure is the TN-distinctive specialty no other state matches. TVA HQ Knoxville (federal corporation, $13B revenue) operates 29 hydroelectric dams + 3 nuclear plants (Sequoyah + Watts Bar + Browns Ferry) + 8 coal/natural gas plants + 1,500 miles of transmission + reservoir management across the seven-state TVA territory. Senior TVA civils clear $115-175K cash + FERS pension + . ORNL Oak Ridge ($2B/yr DOE) adds classified-research civil.
Tennessee as a civil engineer — Nashville construction boom, TVA Knoxville, karst + New Madrid seismic, HCA capital + Vanderbilt UMC facility
Nashville construction is the TN civil engineering pipeline of the decade. Oracle Cumberland $1.2B (highest-profile TN construction), Nashville Yards $2.5B mixed-use, Music City Center expansion, BNA Vision $1.4B. HCA's $1B+ annual capital across ~190 hospitals + ~50 surgery centers drives sustained healthcare-facility civil engineering through 2030+. Each major project supports 40-120 civil engineers across design, geotechnical, structural, and construction management.
Karst geology is the TN-distinctive niche. Limestone bedrock plateau across ~70% of the state creates sinkhole + cave-formation challenges requiring specialized geotechnical practice. Smith Seckman Reid Nashville (~600 employees), Wright Brothers Construction, plus HDR + AECOM + Stantec Nashville maintain dedicated karst-geotechnical practice groups. Nashville construction boom drives sustained karst-specialty hiring — Oracle Cumberland's foundation work alone required extensive sinkhole mitigation across the riverfront.
TVA federal infrastructure (Knoxville HQ, ~10K employees) operates 29 hydroelectric dams + 3 nuclear plants + 8 coal/natural gas + 1,500 miles transmission across the seven-state TVA territory. TVA engineering jobs combine federal pay scales + FERS pension + eligibility plus engineering specialty depth from operating one of the largest US public power utilities. Senior TVA civils clear $115-175K cash + benefits + clearance.
Memphis civil engineering carries Mississippi River + New Madrid Seismic Zone work. 1811-1812 New Madrid earthquakes (magnitude 7.5-7.9) drive sustained seismic-retrofit + new-construction seismic specialty. Memphis bridges (M-Bridge / Hernando de Soto / Tom Lee Park), Port of Memphis Mississippi River work, MSA seismic upgrades. Smaller bench than Nashville but distinct West TN specialty depth.
How TN taxes work for civil engineers — 0% income, OBBBA OT deduction flow-through, federal-AGI conformity
TN charges 0% state income tax — substantial advantage at every civil-engineering comp tier. At Senior PE $145K, TN saves ~$10,400 versus CA's 8.0% blended or NY's 7.5%. At Principal Engineer $225K, $16,500+ versus CA. EITs and inspectors at $65-85K save $4,500-6,500/yr. Over a 25-30 year career, the TN-vs-CA delta compounds to $300-500K+.
No-Tax-on-Overtime (2025-2028) flows through cleanly at TN's 0% state tax — the deduction applies only at federal level since TN has no state income tax to offset against. Non-exempt civils (EITs, inspectors, field engineers) capture the full $12,500 single / $25,000 cap if their qualifying OT premium meets the threshold. Mechanically cleaner than CA / NY / OR where OBBBA conformity must be tracked.
TN property tax ~0.71% effective — well below TX 1.6-2.5% peers. A senior PE at $145K cash owning a $550K Green Hills home pays ~$3,900/yr property tax versus $8,800-13,750 on Austin equivalent. The 'no state income tax' framing is genuinely favorable in TN versus TX — property tax doesn't offset the savings.
TN combined sales tax averages 9.55% (highest alongside LA) — regressive offset at EIT + inspector + new-PE tiers ($58-115K). At Senior PE + Principal levels small relative to comp. TN doesn't exempt groceries from sales tax (one of 13 states fully taxing food).
- →Capture employer match before anything else. HDR (4% match, profit-sharing typical), AECOM (50% match up to 8%), Stantec (50% on first 6%), Jacobs (varies by entity), Smith Seckman Reid (employee-owned firm — buy-in path to ownership). TVA + ORNL (FERS pension + match up to 5% — most generous federal option).
- →Max your ($24,500 in 2026). At TN 0% state plus federal 22-32% brackets, every $1,000 deferred saves $220-$320. EITs at the 12-22% bracket save $120-$220 — still worth maxing for compound growth at TN 0%.
- → at large-employer plans. §415(c) total cap $72,000 (2026). AECOM, Stantec, HDR, Jacobs all offer after-tax with in-plan Roth conversion. After $24,500 employee + match, $30-40K room remains. At TN 0% plus federal 32-35%, MBR converts $35K of after-tax space into perpetual Roth tax-free growth.
- →PE license is the single highest-ROI move in civil engineering. TN PE comp typically runs 25-40% above EIT at equivalent experience level. PE requires 4 years of qualifying experience under PE supervision plus passing the NCEES PE exam (8 hours, ~70% national pass rate). Most TN EITs sit for the PE exam between years 4-5.
- →TN karst-geology specialty premium: dedicated karst-geotechnical practice at Smith Seckman Reid + Wright Brothers + HDR Nashville commands 15-25% premium over generalist civil. The Nashville construction boom plus the parallel New Madrid seismic specialty in West TN make karst + seismic depth genuinely scarce talent.
- →TVA + ORNL federal-research path. Federal positions at TVA + ORNL combine FERS pension + locality + 4-day workweek + + clearance premium ($15-30K for TS/SCI). Senior TVA civils clear $115-175K cash + benefits — genuinely favorable for early-career civils carrying doctoral or master's debt.
- →Employee ownership at Smith Seckman Reid (employee-owned firm). ESOP + buy-in partnership tracks produce 6-7 figure liquidity events over 15-25 year careers — TN 0% income tax keeps the math favorable vs CA or NY peers.
Three TN metros for civil engineers — Nashville construction + healthcare, Memphis Mississippi River + seismic, Knoxville TVA + ORNL
TN civil-engineering splits by region + specialty. Nashville is TDOT + construction boom + HCA capital + karst-specialty. Memphis is Mississippi River + New Madrid seismic + bridges. Knoxville is TVA + ORNL + UT research.
Nashville (Construction Boom + HCA Capital + Karst Specialty)
EIT $58-78K · Civil PE $78-115K · Senior PE $115-175K · Principal $165-285K · Chief Engineer $285-485K+TN's civil-engineering core. Oracle Cumberland $1.2B + Nashville Yards $2.5B + BNA Vision $1.4B + Music City Center expansion drive sustained construction-PM demand. HCA Healthcare $1B+ annual capital across ~190 hospitals. Smith Seckman Reid Nashville (~600 employees, largest TN-anchored healthcare-engineering firm). HDR Nashville, AECOM Nashville, Stantec Nashville, Jacobs Nashville plus Wright Brothers Construction maintain dedicated Nashville offices.
Most Nashville civil engineers live in mid-priced suburbs — Brentwood ($750K-$2.5M family Sr PE / Principal), Franklin ($650K-$2.1M Sr PE family), Bellevue / Hermitage ($425-725K mid-career PE), Hendersonville ($475-825K family). Davidson County 0.71% property tax effective.
Memphis (Mississippi River + New Madrid Seismic + Bridges)
EIT $52-72K · Civil PE $78-105K · Senior PE $105-165K · Principal $145-235KTN's West TN civil-engineering corridor. Mississippi River infrastructure (M-Bridge / Hernando de Soto bridge + Port of Memphis). New Madrid Seismic Zone specialty (1811-1812 earthquakes drive sustained seismic-retrofit + new-construction work). Smith Seckman Reid Memphis office plus HDR + AECOM + Stantec Memphis. FedEx-driven logistics + airport civil engineering.
East Memphis ($425-825K SF mid-career), Germantown / Collierville ($550-1,150K family-stage senior), Midtown ($325-625K historic urban), Bartlett ($350-650K family). Shelby County 1.31% property tax — higher than Davidson.
Knoxville / Oak Ridge (TVA + ORNL + UT Research)
EIT $52-72K · Civil PE $78-115K · Senior PE $115-165K · TVA / ORNL cleared $115-175K + federal localityEast TN's federal-infrastructure + research civil-engineering corridor. TVA HQ Knoxville (federal corporation, ~10K employees, 29 hydroelectric dams + 3 nuclear plants + 8 coal/natural gas + 1,500 miles transmission). ORNL Oak Ridge ($2B/yr DOE research) + Y-12 National Security Complex Oak Ridge. UT Knoxville research. Federal-pension + clearance + eligibility genuinely favorable.
Sequoyah Hills / Westmoreland ($550-950K senior PE), West Knoxville ($385-725K family), Bearden ($325-625K established), Farragut ($425-725K Oak Ridge commute), Oak Ridge ($325-585K ORNL + Y-12 proximity). Knox County 0.85% property tax effective.
The TN civil engineer career arc — EIT through Chief Engineer or principal-firm partner
TN civil-engineering careers typically start with Vanderbilt School of Engineering, UT Knoxville Tickle College of Engineering (~400 BSCE/year), Tennessee Technological University Cookeville (~300 BSCE/year), Tennessee State University, or out-of-state programs (Georgia Tech, Auburn, Vanderbilt). EIT entry $58-78K cash at HDR / AECOM / Stantec / Jacobs / Smith Seckman Reid. FE exam typically passed senior year of college; first PE-supervised job sets the path.
PE-track (years 1-5): EIT $58-78K rising to $78-95K at PE eligibility (year 4). NCEES PE exam at year 4-5. Civil PE post-license $78-115K cash. Karst-geotechnical specialty (Smith Seckman Reid + Wright Brothers + HDR Nashville) adds 15-25% premium. West TN New Madrid seismic specialty (Memphis-anchored) parallel premium path. TVA + ORNL federal-cleared route adds clearance premium + FERS + .
Senior PE / Project Manager (years 7-15): comp $125-195K cash. PMP certification at this stage drives consulting-firm advancement. Discipline depth (transportation / structural / geotechnical / water / environmental + healthcare facility specialty) plus project-manager track adds responsibility. HDR + AECOM + Stantec + Jacobs senior engineers running $20M-$100M projects clear $165-225K. TVA senior + ORNL senior at this stage combine $145-185K + federal benefits + clearance + .
Principal / Chief Engineer (years 15+): Principal at HDR + AECOM + Stantec + Jacobs $185-285K cash. Chief Engineer / VP Engineering tier $285-485K. Senior partner at employee-owned firms (Smith Seckman Reid) routinely $285-485K + equity buy-in / ownership distributions. TVA + ORNL senior executive engineer $185-285K + federal benefits + clearance. TN's 0% income tax + 0.71% property tax + 0% municipal produce favorable senior-civil wealth accumulation vs CA / NY / OR peers.
Where TN civil engineers live — Brentwood, Franklin, East Memphis, Sequoyah Hills, Oak Ridge
TN civil engineers cluster by region + project type. Nashville civils at HDR / AECOM / Stantec head to Brentwood / Franklin (Senior PE / Principal), Bellevue / Hermitage (mid-career PE), Hendersonville (family). Memphis civils to Germantown / Collierville (senior), East Memphis (mid-career). Knoxville civils at TVA / ORNL to Sequoyah Hills (senior) or Farragut / Oak Ridge (federal-cleared commute).
Brentwood / Franklin (Williamson Co Nashville)
$750K-$2.5M family-stage Sr PE / Principal · top schools · 20-30 min downtown · Nashville construction boom proximity
Bellevue / Hermitage (Nashville mid-career)
$425-725K mid-career PE · 15-25 min downtown · solid family residential
Hendersonville / Mt Juliet (Nashville commute)
$475-825K family · 25-40 min downtown · top schools · Sumner / Wilson County
The Nations / 12 South (Nashville urban EIT)
Walkable · $550K-$1.4M townhomes · new-grad EIT + Sr PE walkable urban · WeGo bus
East Memphis (Memphis mid-career)
$425-825K SF · 10-15 min downtown · solid Sr PE + Principal residential
Germantown / Collierville (Memphis family senior)
$550-1,150K SF · top schools · 20-30 min downtown · Senior PE + Principal residential
Sequoyah Hills (Knoxville senior)
$550-950K SF · 5-10 min downtown · senior Knoxville civil + TVA residential
Farragut / Oak Ridge (TVA + ORNL cleared)
$325-725K SF · 5-15 min ORNL + Y-12 · federal-cleared engineer + locality premium
TN public transit is minimal — Nashville WeGo, Memphis MATA, Knoxville KAT serve downtown but most civil engineers commute via personal vehicle to construction sites + design offices. I-65 Nashville-Franklin and I-40 Nashville-Memphis are intercity arteries. Field-engineer + inspector commute is project-site-based plus often involves Forester / Tundra-style trucks for jobsite access.
¿Es la decisión correcta?
TN for civil engineers — who it actually works for
A tu favor
- +TN 0% state income tax saves $4,500-$25,000/yr depending on tier — substantial advantage over CA, NC, GA at every comp level
- +Nashville construction boom (Oracle Cumberland $1.2B + Nashville Yards $2.5B + BNA $1.4B + HCA $1B+ annual capital) + TDOT transportation pipeline provide multi-decade civil PE pipeline
- +TN karst geology specialty + New Madrid seismic specialty in West TN are TN-distinctive career tracks — Smith Seckman Reid Nashville (~600 employees) anchors employee-owned partnership path
- +TVA federal corporation + ORNL Oak Ridge classified-research + Y-12 National Security Complex provide federal-engineering career path with FERS pension + PSLF eligibility + clearance premium
- +OBBBA No-Tax-on-Overtime federal deduction flows through TN cleanly with no state add-back — EITs + inspectors + field engineers under $150K MAGI capture full $12,500 single / $25,000 MFJ cap
Vale la pena saber antes de firmar
- −TN does NOT have a daily OT trigger like CA (8 hrs) or CO (12 hrs) — federal FLSA 40/week governs, fewer OT-stacking opportunities than CA peers
- −Senior civil PE comp ceilings ($285K Senior PE / $485K Chief Engineer) trail major coastal specialty markets at the very top end
- −TN combined sales tax averages 9.55% (highest alongside LA) — regressive offset at EIT + new-PE tiers
- −Memphis civil engineering bench is smaller than Nashville — career-trajectory ceiling for senior Memphis civils trails Nashville HQ peers
- −TVA + ORNL clearance pursuit takes 12-24 months investigation — career pivot from corporate to federal-cleared work is slower than reverse direction
Calcula Tu Sueldo Neto Exacto
Agrega contribuciones al 401(k), HSA, dependientes y más para ver tu sueldo neto personalizado.
Abrir Calculadora CompletaFrequently Asked Questions
Find answers to common questions about your taxes and our calculator.
Comparar dos estados
Compara el impuesto sobre la renta, el salario neto y la carga fiscal total entre cualquier par de estados de EE.UU.
Estado 1
Estado 2