Accountant Salary in Tennessee (2026)
The average Accountant in Tennessee earns around $78,000/year. After taxes, your estimated take-home is $63,703/year ($5,309/month).
Take-Home Pay Breakdown
| Category | Amount |
|---|---|
Annual Take-Home Pay | $63,703 |
Monthly Take-Home Pay | $5,309 |
Biweekly Take-Home Pay | $2,450 |
Hourly Take-Home Pay based on 2,080 hrs/year | $31/hr |
Federal Tax | $8,330 |
State Tax | $0 |
FICA Taxes | $5,967 |
Effective Tax Rate total taxes ÷ gross salary | 18.33% |
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Accountant Salary Ranges in Tennessee
Not all Accountants earn the same — not even close
TN accounting splits across four coherent tracks. Healthcare finance (HCA + Vanderbilt UMC + Methodist + Brookdale + Ardent + Lifepoint) is the TN-distinctive specialty no other US market matches. Public accounting (Big 4 + LBMC + BDO + Grant Thornton + RSM) drives partnership-track. Corporate / HQ accounting (Bridgestone + Nissan + Dollar General + Tractor Supply + Asurion + Oracle + AllianceBernstein) carries volume bench. Memphis logistics + retail finance (FedEx + AutoZone + IP) + music industry accounting (royalty + sync licensing) round out senior tracks.
CFO / VP Finance (HCA / Bridgestone / Nissan / FedEx)
$385,000–$885,000+ cash + RSU
HCA · Bridgestone · Nissan · Dollar General · Tractor Supply · FedEx · AutoZone · RSU heavy
Big 4 Partner (Deloitte / KPMG / EY / PwC)
$485,000–$1,500,000+
Big 4 audit + tax + advisory · 12-15 yr partner-track · equity partner buy-in
LBMC Partner / TN-Anchored CPA Sr Partner
$385,000–$885,000+
LBMC Brentwood + Memphis + Knoxville (~750 employees, largest TN-anchored CPA) · senior partner equity
Senior Director Finance / Tax
$215,000–$385,000 + RSU
HCA · Asurion · Oracle · AllianceBernstein · 12-18 yrs · TC $385-585K
Healthcare CFO / Finance Director (HCA Subsidiary)
$245,000–$485,000 + RSU
HCA TriStar CFO · subsidiary hospital CFO · Vanderbilt UMC · 10-15 yrs healthcare finance
Director Finance / Controller
$155,000–$265,000 + RSU
8-12 yrs · FP&A / Controllership / Tax / IA / Treasury
Senior Manager / Senior Accountant
$105,000–$155,000
5-8 yrs · CPA + 5+ yrs · supervisory + audit / tax / consulting senior
Manager Finance / Tax
$85,000–$125,000
3-6 yrs · CPA + 3+ yrs · public + corporate accounting + Big 4 + LBMC
Senior Accountant
$72,000–$98,000
3-5 yrs · CPA in progress / completed · staff senior · Vanderbilt / UT / Belmont feeders
Staff Accountant / Associate
$55,000–$78,000
New-grad · Big 4 + LBMC + BDO + GT + RSM · CPA exam track · Vanderbilt + UT + Belmont feeders
Worth knowing: Healthcare finance is the TN-distinctive accounting specialty no other US market matches at this depth. HCA Healthcare HQ Nashville (largest US hospital operator, ~190 hospitals + $65B revenue) drives the largest US healthcare-finance + tax + treasury bench — ~750+ corporate finance + accounting roles. HCA's tax structure (substantial REIT-related entity work + complex multi-state hospital chain compliance) is scarce specialty depth. Brookdale + Community Health Systems + Ardent + Lifepoint + Vanderbilt UMC + Methodist fill out the Nashville + Memphis healthcare finance ecosystem (~3,500+ healthcare finance professionals statewide). Senior HCA finance directors clear $385-585K cash + . LBMC (Brentwood-anchored, ~750 employees including ~200 healthcare-specialty CPAs) is the dominant TN-anchored healthcare-CPA firm — healthcare-specialty senior partners clear $485-785K cash + practice equity.
The TN accounting market — HCA healthcare finance, Big 4 + LBMC partner-track, corporate HQ + Music Row royalty accounting
0%
TN state income tax — partner distributions + RSU vests + cash all tax-free at state
~750+
HCA Healthcare corporate finance + accounting roles — largest US healthcare-finance bench
~750
LBMC employees (Brentwood + Memphis + Knoxville) — largest TN-anchored CPA firm
~3K
Big 4 combined TN headcount (Deloitte + KPMG + EY + PwC) — substantial public accounting depth
Accountants are exempt under the Learned Professional exemption. Salaried with bonus + equity — heavy at publicly-traded HCA, Bridgestone, Nissan (Tokyo-listed), Dollar General, Tractor Supply, FedEx, AutoZone, Asurion (private but cash-equivalent equity), Oracle Nashville. CPA license is the standard senior career credential.
HCA Healthcare HQ Nashville is the largest TN accounting concentration — ~750+ corporate finance + accounting + tax + treasury + internal audit roles supporting ~190 hospitals + ~50 surgery centers + $65B revenue + complex multi-state tax compliance + REIT-related entity work. Senior HCA finance directors clear $385-585K cash + . HCA's CFO-track is a major Southeast finance pipeline.
Big 4 Nashville + Memphis (Deloitte + KPMG + EY + PwC) maintain ~3K combined headcount across Nashville + Memphis + Knoxville. Audit + tax + advisory. Entry-level Big 4 ($55-78K staff) with ~5% TN market discount vs NY / SF. Senior managers clear $135-195K; senior directors $215-385K; equity partners $485K-$1.5M+. Post-2018 corporate-relocation wave brought substantial new Big 4 client work — HCA + Oracle + AllianceBernstein + Amazon HQ East tax + advisory engagements.
LBMC (Brentwood + Memphis + Knoxville, ~750 employees) is the largest TN-anchored CPA firm. LBMC's healthcare-specialty practice (~200 CPAs) anchors the dominant TN-anchored healthcare accounting bench. Other TN-anchored: HORNE LLP, Carr Riggs & Ingram Memphis, Crowe LLP Nashville. LBMC senior partners clear $385-885K + practice equity buy-in.
Corporate HQ accounting at Bridgestone (~700 corporate, $50B+ global), Nissan Franklin (~1,400 corporate), Dollar General (~18K + ~20K stores), Tractor Supply (~2,600 stores), Cracker Barrel Lebanon (~660 stores), Asurion (~5K global), Oracle Nashville (~9K by 2031), AllianceBernstein (~1,250 employees) all maintain substantial in-house finance + accounting + tax + treasury benches. Career mobility between these HQs is unusually high.
Memphis logistics + retail HQ accounting carries the second corridor. FedEx Memphis (~9K HQ + $90B+ global — among the largest US private-sector finance organizations). AutoZone (~6K corporate, ~7,100 stores). International Paper (~36K global). ServiceMaster Brands. Methodist Le Bonheur + UTHSC adds healthcare finance. Memphis is distinct from Nashville's healthcare + corporate pull.
Music industry accounting on Nashville Music Row is the TN-distinctive niche. Label royalty accounting at Big Machine + UMG + Sony + Warner Music Nashville. Performing rights accounting at BMI + ASCAP + SESAC. Artist royalty + sync licensing + tour accounting + publishing. Senior music industry CPAs at boutique firms (DPN + Provident Financial + Flood Bumstead McCready & McCarthy) clear $185-285K cash. Music industry accounting is project-based + relationship-driven — different from corporate career patterns.
Tennessee as an accountant — HCA + Vanderbilt UMC healthcare finance, Big 4 + LBMC partnership track, corporate HQ + Music Row royalty
Nashville accounting concentrates downtown + Cool Springs / Brentwood corridor. HCA One Park Plaza (~750+ finance / accounting). Bridgestone Americas Tower. AllianceBernstein Nashville Yards. Oracle Cumberland (under construction). Asurion HQ. Big 4 downtown — Deloitte + KPMG + EY + PwC. LBMC HQ Brentwood (largest TN-anchored CPA, ~750 employees). Senior corporate finance concentrates in downtown high-rise corridor.
Memphis accounting centers on FedEx + AutoZone + International Paper corporate cluster. FedEx World HQ (~9K HQ + $90B+ global). AutoZone HQ at One AutoZone Park. International Paper HQ. ServiceMaster Brands. Methodist Le Bonheur adds healthcare finance depth. Big 4 Memphis offices serve the corporate HQ cluster.
Music Row accounting is its own niche. Label royalty + sync licensing + tour accounting at Big Machine + UMG + Sony + Warner Music Nashville. BMI + ASCAP + SESAC performing rights organization accounting. Boutique music-industry CPA firms (DPN, Provident Financial, Flood Bumstead McCready & McCarthy) anchor the dedicated bench. Senior music industry CPAs clear $185-285K cash + relationship-based bonuses.
Knoxville + East TN accounting rounds out the corridor. LBMC Knoxville office. Pilot Flying J HQ (~750 travel centers, Berkshire Hathaway). Scripps / Discovery (Knoxville HQ remained). TVA HQ (federal corp, ~10K employees). Eastman Chemical Kingsport (~14K global). UT Knoxville Haslam CPA pipeline. Smaller bench than Nashville / Memphis but distinct East TN regional depth.
How TN taxes work for accountants — 0% income tax, partner distributions tax-free, federal-AGI conformity
TN charges 0% state income tax — substantial advantage at every accounting comp tier. At Senior Manager $145K cash, TN saves ~$10,400 vs CA's 8.0% blended. At Director $225K, $16,500+ vs CA. At Big 4 partner $685K cash + , TN saves $54,800+ vs CA. Over 25-30 years, TN-vs-CA compounds to $1-2M+ for senior partners.
TN federal- conformity is clean. No add-back of federal pre-tax , , FSA, or IRA contributions. Mega Backdoor Roth at HCA, Asurion, Oracle, AllianceBernstein, Bridgestone flows through at federal-only level. Big 4 + LBMC partner equity events face only federal LTCG (15-20%) plus NIIT (3.8%) — no state CGT pickup like WA's 7% above $270K.
TN property tax ~0.71% effective — well below TX 1.6-2.5% peers. A Big 4 senior partner at $785K cash owning a $2M Belle Meade home pays ~$14,200/yr property tax vs $32,000-50,000 on Austin equivalent. Property tax doesn't offset the 'no state income tax' savings.
TN combined sales tax averages 9.55% (highest alongside LA) — regressive offset at staff + senior accountant + manager tiers. At Director + Big 4 partner levels small relative to comp. TN doesn't exempt groceries from sales tax.
- →Capture employer match before anything else. HCA (50% up to 9% = 4.5% effective — most generous), Bridgestone (50% on first 6% = 3%), Nissan (50% on first 6% = 3%), Asurion (75% on first 6% = 4.5%), Oracle (50% on first 6%), FedEx (3.5% Profit Sharing + Pension), AutoZone (50% on first 8%). Big 4 firms vary (50-100% match on first 4-6%).
- →Max your ($24,500 in 2026). At TN 0% + federal 22-32%, every $1,000 deferred saves $220-$320. At Director $225K+ in the 32-35% bracket, $320-$350.
- → at large-employer plans. §415(c) cap $72,000 (2026). HCA, Asurion, Oracle, AllianceBernstein, Bridgestone, FedEx, AutoZone offer after-tax with in-plan Roth conversion. After $24,500 employee + match, $25-35K room. At TN 0% plus federal 32-35%, MBR converts $30K into perpetual Roth tax-free growth.
- →CPA license is the single highest-ROI move for TN accountants. CPA comp runs 25-40% above non-CPA at equivalent experience. CPA requires 150 credit hours + 1-2 yr supervised public accounting experience + passing Uniform CPA Exam (4 sections). Most TN CPA-track sit for exam between years 2-4.
- →Healthcare finance specialty (HCA + Vanderbilt UMC + Methodist + LBMC healthcare) commands 15-25% premium over generalist corporate accounting. Healthcare regulatory compliance (CMS + HIPAA + Joint Commission + state CON + Medicare reimbursement + 340B + REIT structure work) is scarce specialty talent.
- →Big 4 + LBMC partner equity track. Big 4 partner buy-in $400-600K via firm bank loans. LBMC partner equity buy-in $250-450K. Partner-track typically 10-12 years post-entry. Retirement equity events face federal only — TN 0% state tax keeps the math favorable vs CA / NY peers.
Three TN metros for accountants — Nashville HCA + Big 4 + LBMC, Memphis FedEx + AutoZone + International Paper, Knoxville Pilot + TVA + LBMC
TN accounting splits by region + industry. Nashville is HCA + Bridgestone + Nissan + Dollar General + Tractor Supply + Asurion + Oracle + AllianceBernstein + Big 4 + LBMC Brentwood + Music Row. Memphis is FedEx + AutoZone + International Paper + LBMC Memphis + Big 4. Knoxville is Pilot + Discovery + TVA + Eastman + LBMC Knoxville + UT.
Nashville (HCA Healthcare Finance + Big 4 + LBMC Brentwood + Corporate HQ Cluster)
Staff $55-78K · Senior $72-115K · Manager $85-145K · Sr Manager / Director $135-265K · Sr Director $215-385K · CFO $385-885K+ RSUTN's accounting core. HCA Healthcare HQ (~750+ finance / accounting). Big 4 Nashville offices (Deloitte + KPMG + EY + PwC, ~2K combined). LBMC Brentwood HQ (~750 employees, largest TN-anchored CPA with ~200 healthcare specialty CPAs). Bridgestone + Nissan + Dollar General + Tractor Supply + Cracker Barrel + Asurion + Oracle + AllianceBernstein + Amazon HQ East. Music Row royalty accounting (DPN + Provident Financial + Flood Bumstead McCready & McCarthy).
Belle Meade / Forest Hills ($1.4-3.5M+ Sr Director / Big 4 Partner), Green Hills / Oak Hill ($875K-$2.4M Sr Manager / Director), Hillsboro Village / Germantown ($550K-$1.2M Sr Accountant / Manager walkable), Brentwood / Franklin ($750K-$2.5M family-stage corporate + Big 4 senior). Davidson County 0.71% effective.
Memphis (FedEx World HQ + AutoZone + International Paper + LBMC Memphis)
Staff $52-72K · Senior $68-105K · Manager $80-135K · Sr Manager / Director $125-235K · Sr Director $185-345K · CFO $345-685K + RSUTN's logistics + retail finance corridor. FedEx World Headquarters (~9K HQ + $90B+ global — among largest US private-sector finance orgs). AutoZone HQ. International Paper HQ. ServiceMaster Brands. LBMC Memphis office. Big 4 Memphis offices. Methodist Le Bonheur + UTHSC Med District adds healthcare finance. Memphis is operationally distinct from Nashville — logistics + retail rather than healthcare + tech HQ.
East Memphis ($425-825K SF mid-career), Germantown / Collierville ($550-1,150K family senior + Big 4 senior), Midtown ($325-625K urban Staff + Senior), Bartlett ($350-650K family). Shelby County 1.31% property tax effective — higher than Davidson.
Knoxville / East TN (LBMC Knoxville + Pilot Flying J + Discovery + TVA + Eastman)
Staff $50-70K · Senior $65-95K · Manager $80-125K · Sr Manager / Director $115-205K · Sr Director $165-285KEast TN's accounting corridor. LBMC Knoxville office. Pilot Flying J HQ (~750 travel centers, Berkshire Hathaway). Discovery (Scripps Networks) finance. TVA HQ (federal corp, ~10K employees + federal accounting + FERS pension). Eastman Chemical Kingsport finance (~14K global). UT Knoxville Haslam College of Business CPA pipeline. Smaller bench than Nashville / Memphis but distinct East TN regional depth.
Sequoyah Hills / Westmoreland ($550-950K SF senior + LBMC partner), West Knoxville ($385-725K family + Manager / Sr Manager), Bearden ($325-625K established), Farragut ($425-725K family). Knox County 0.85% property tax effective.
The TN accountant career arc — staff through CFO / Big 4 + LBMC partner
TN accounting careers typically start with Vanderbilt Owen, UT Knoxville Haslam, Belmont Massey, Tennessee State, MTSU Jones, or out-of-state programs. New-grad staff accountant $55-78K cash at Big 4 (Deloitte + KPMG + EY + PwC) / LBMC / BDO / Grant Thornton / RSM / HCA / Asurion / Bridgestone / Nissan. CPA exam between years 2-4. Years 1-2 establish specialty (audit / tax / advisory / FP&A / Controllership / Internal Audit / Treasury).
Senior Accountant / Manager (years 3-7): comp $72-145K cash + at corporate. CPA cert by year 3-4 drives 25-40% premium. Specialty fork between public accounting partner-track (Big 4 + LBMC + BDO) versus corporate management-track versus healthcare finance specialty (HCA + Vanderbilt UMC + LBMC healthcare). Healthcare finance specialty opens 15-25% premium.
Senior Manager / Director (years 7-12): comp $135-265K cash + . Domain ownership in FP&A / Controllership / Tax / Internal Audit / Treasury. Public accounting senior managers run client portfolios + start partner-track conversations. Corporate Directors at HCA + Bridgestone + Nissan routinely clear $245-345K TC with vesting RSU by year 12. LBMC Senior Manager $185-265K + practice equity discussions.
Senior Director / VP Finance / CFO / Big 4 Partner (years 12+): Sr Director Finance at HCA / Asurion / Oracle / AllianceBernstein $215-485K cash + . VP Finance at Bridgestone / Nissan / Dollar General / Tractor Supply $385-685K + RSU. CFO at HCA / FedEx / AutoZone / Bridgestone $585K-$1.4M+. Big 4 partner $485K-$1.5M+ cash + practice equity. LBMC senior partner $385-885K + practice equity. TN's 0% income tax + lighter compliance produce favorable senior career math vs CA / NY / OR peers.
Where TN accountants live — Belle Meade, Green Hills, Brentwood, East Memphis, Sequoyah Hills
TN accountants cluster by region + employer. Nashville HCA + Big 4 + LBMC + corporate HQ to Belle Meade / Forest Hills (Sr Director / Big 4 Partner), Green Hills (Director / Sr Manager), Hillsboro Village (Sr Accountant / Manager), Brentwood / Franklin (LBMC HQ + corporate). Memphis senior to East Memphis / Germantown. Knoxville senior to Sequoyah Hills + Farragut.
Belle Meade / Forest Hills (Nashville Senior Director / Partner)
5-15 min downtown · top-tier · $1.4-3.5M+ SF · Big 4 Partner + Sr Director + CFO residential
Green Hills / Oak Hill (Nashville Director / Sr Manager)
10-20 min downtown · $875K-$2.4M SF · mid-career Director + Sr Manager standard
Hillsboro Village / Germantown (Nashville Sr Accountant walkable)
5-15 min downtown · $550K-$1.2M SF · Sr Accountant / Manager walkable urban
Brentwood / Franklin (LBMC + Nissan + corporate)
20-30 min downtown · $750K-$2.5M family · top schools · LBMC HQ + corporate
East Memphis (Memphis Sr Manager / Director)
10-15 min downtown · $425-825K SF · FedEx + AutoZone + IP Sr Manager / Director
Germantown / Collierville (Memphis family senior + Big 4 senior)
20-30 min downtown · $550-1,150K SF · top schools · Sr Director + Big 4 Partner residential
Sequoyah Hills (Knoxville senior + LBMC)
5-10 min downtown · $550-950K SF · senior Knoxville accounting + LBMC partner
Farragut (Knoxville family)
$425-725K SF · 10-20 min downtown · family-stage Knoxville accounting
TN public transit is minimal — Nashville WeGo, Memphis MATA, Knoxville KAT serve downtown. I-65 Nashville-Franklin + I-40 Nashville-Memphis intercity arteries. Most senior accountants anchor to one corridor — Nashville HQ mobility is high but cross-state pivots require relocation.
Is this the right move?
TN for accountants — who it actually works for
Working in your favor
- +TN 0% state income tax (Article II §28 + Hall Tax fully repealed 2021) + 0.71% property tax — saves $10-55K+ annually at $145K-$685K Sr Manager / Big 4 Partner tier vs CA / NY
- +HCA (~750+ corporate finance) + Bridgestone + Nissan + Dollar General + Tractor Supply + Asurion + Oracle + AllianceBernstein + Amazon HQ East — deepest non-coastal corporate HQ accounting concentration
- +LBMC Brentwood (~750 employees) is the largest TN-anchored CPA — healthcare specialty practice (~200 CPAs) is TN-distinctive partnership track
- +Big 4 Nashville + Memphis (~3K combined) plus post-2018 corporate-relocation wave (Oracle + AllianceBernstein + Amazon HQ East) drive sustained partner-track engagement pipeline
- +Memphis FedEx + AutoZone + International Paper finance is among the largest US private-sector finance organizations — TN-distinctive logistics depth
Worth knowing before you sign
- −TN combined sales tax averages 9.55% (highest alongside LA) — regressive offset at staff + senior accountant tiers
- −Nashville Big 4 Partner comp ($1.5M top-end) trails NY + Bay Area — career-cap matters for senior managers weighing relocation
- −TN does not exempt groceries from sales tax (one of 13 states fully taxing food) — meaningful tax burden at lower tiers
- −Memphis accounting bench is smaller than Nashville — career-trajectory ceiling for senior Memphis accountants trails Nashville peers
- −Music industry accounting requires deep music-industry relationships — not credential-driven; hard to break in without Belmont pipeline or prior label experience
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