Firefighter Salary in Tennessee (2026)
The average Firefighter in Tennessee earns around $52,000/year. After taxes, your estimated take-home is $43,962/year ($3,664/month).
Take-Home Pay Breakdown
| Category | Amount |
|---|---|
Annual Take-Home Pay | $43,962 |
Monthly Take-Home Pay | $3,664 |
Biweekly Take-Home Pay | $1,691 |
Hourly Take-Home Pay based on 2,080 hrs/year | $21/hr |
Federal Tax | $4,060 |
State Tax | $0 |
FICA Taxes | $3,978 |
Effective Tax Rate total taxes ÷ gross salary | 15.46% |
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Working overtime? The 2025 OBBBA deduction may save you up to $12,500 on federal tax. Open the No Tax on Overtime calculator →
1099 contract work or side gigs? Self-employment tax adds 15.3% on top. Open the 1099 tax calculator →
Firefighter Salary Ranges in Tennessee
Not all Firefighters earn the same — not even close
Tennessee firefighter specialties: (1) Nashville Fire Department (NFD) — 1,000+ sworn FFs serving 700K+ residents (post-2020 boom drove tax-base growth + sustained hiring); (2) Memphis Fire Department (MFD) — 1,500+ sworn FFs, FedEx Express SuperHub adjacent + commercial fleet response; (3) Williamson County family-luxury fire districts (Brentwood Fire, Franklin Fire, Cool Springs — Nissan / Mars Petcare / Tractor Supply HQ corporate exec response); (4) Knoxville Fire Dept + TVA + ORNL adjacency; (5) Chattanooga Fire Dept + VW Chattanooga manufacturing plant; (6) Smoky Mountain area + tourism response. Pension structure: most TN municipal FFs participate in TCRS (Tennessee Consolidated Retirement System) — defined-benefit pension. TN Hybrid Plan (post-2014 hires) — partial DC component. TN 0% state income tax + Hall Tax repealed 2021 + lowest-in-nation property tax (0.48%) makes TN one of the best US FF retirement states.
NFD/MFD/Knoxville Captain (with OT)
$72,000–$105,000
Base + OT + EMT/paramedic premium
Williamson County Family-Luxury Fire
$70,000–$100,000
Brentwood/Franklin · corporate exec service
MFD FedEx Adjacent / Commercial Fleet
$65,000–$95,000
World's largest cargo airport · sustained demand
Music Row / Industry Specialist (Nashville)
$70,000–$100,000
Country music industry response
Engineer / Paramedic-Firefighter
$58,000–$85,000
Dual cert FF + EMT-P premium
Established FF (5-10 years)
$48,000–$72,000
Base + standard OT · TN median ~$52K
Probationary FF (year 1-2)
$34,000–$46,000
Academy + station rotation
Battalion Chief / Deputy Chief
$95,000–$145,000
Top TN municipal FF tier
Smoky Mountain / Tourism Response
$50,000–$78,000
Pigeon Forge / Gatlinburg seasonal
Worth knowing: TN firefighters operate on 24/48 schedules. TN 0% state income tax + Hall Tax repealed 2021 + 0.48% lowest-in-nation property tax + TCRS pension. TCRS Hybrid Plan (post-2014 hires) — partial defined-benefit + partial defined-contribution. Pre-2014 TCRS Legacy Plan — defined-benefit only at 1.575% × FAS for first 5 years + 1.6% thereafter. With $80K FAS + 25-year service, TCRS pension projects ~$32K/year — meaningfully lower than CA/NY/IL/CO peers. The structural TN advantage is post-tax compounding + retirement-tax-free pension + lowest-in-nation property tax.
Tennessee firefighter market — Nashville post-2020 boom, Memphis FedEx, no-tax compound, lowest property tax
0%
TN state income tax + Hall Tax repealed 2021 — no personal income tax of any kind
$12.5K
OBBBA 2025 no-tax-on-overtime federal deduction cap (single, $25K MFJ) — pure stack on no-state-tax
0.48%
TN effective property tax — lowest in nation
Nashville Fire Department (NFD) is one of the largest TN FF employers with 1,000+ sworn FFs. Post-2020 boom drove tax-base growth + sustained hiring. Base captain salary $70K-$95K; with overtime + paramedic premium + acting-supervisor pay, total compensation $85K-$120K. Williamson County (Brentwood Fire, Franklin Fire, Cool Springs Fire) family-luxury serving Nissan / Mars Petcare / Tractor Supply HQ corporate exec families.
The 2025 law (the One Big Beautiful Bill Act) created a brand-new federal deduction on the premium portion of overtime pay. For tax years 2025 through 2028, you can deduct up to $12,500/year (single) or $25,000 () of qualifying OT premium from your federal taxable income. What 'premium portion' means: if your hourly is $32, OT pays $48 ($32 × 1.5). Only the extra $16/hour counts toward the deduction — the half, not the whole.
Real numbers for a TN firefighter: an NFD engineer at $30/hour base, working 75 OT hours a month for 12 months. Premium portion = $30 × 0.5 × 75 × 12 = $13,500. Capped at $12,500 single / $25,000 . Single filer at 22% federal → about $2,750 back. TN has no state income tax so the federal stack is pure savings on top of the no-state-tax structure. Two catches: only (IRS guidance for FLSA 207(k) departments expected mid-2026), and MAGI phaseout above $150K single / $300K MFJ. Most TN captains stay well under both.
Memphis Fire Department (MFD) is the largest TN FF employer with 1,500+ sworn. FedEx Express SuperHub at Memphis International (largest cargo airport in world by tonnage) drives extraordinary commercial fleet + airport response specialty. Knoxville Fire Dept + TVA + Oak Ridge National Laboratory adjacency. Chattanooga Fire Dept + VW Chattanooga manufacturing.
TN 0% state income tax + Hall Tax repealed 2021 = no personal income tax of any kind. A $80K NFD captain nets ~$64K post-tax (federal + only) vs $56K equivalent in CA — $8K/year delta. At $115K NFD captain with significant OT, $11K-$13K/year delta. Over 25-year career, $200K-$330K cumulative state tax savings.
TN property tax 0.48% effective — lowest in nation. On a $300K Nashville FF home: $1,440/year property tax. Dramatic compound for homeowner FFs — meaningfully more take-home wealth retention vs peer states.
TCRS pension formula less generous than CA/NY/IL but combined with 0% state tax + 0.48% property tax + IRA-rollover + side-business income, total TN FF wealth-building math is favorable.
Tennessee for firefighters — Nashville post-2020 boom, no-tax + retirement-favorable
TN firefighters cluster in Nashville metro post-2020 (Davidson + Williamson counties), Memphis (FedEx + commercial), Knoxville (TVA + ORNL), Chattanooga (VW + regional). Smaller cities + Smoky Mountain tourism areas.
Nashville FF lifestyle profile: workforce housing in Madison / Hermitage / Antioch / Donelson ($300K-$450K modest homes feasible — though post-2020 boom drove appreciation). Williamson County FFs commute from Spring Hill / Columbia / La Vergne ($350K-$500K). Memphis FFs in East Memphis / Bartlett / Cordova ($200K-$350K most affordable major TN). Knoxville / Chattanooga affordable.
Most TN FFs are with TCRS pension + deferred comp + health insurance. The 24/48 shift + 96-hour off-period side-job tradition real (real estate, contracting).
TN no-tax structure means more retained income → more retirement contributions → more long-term wealth. Combined with TN's lowest-in-nation property tax + TCRS pension + side-business income, TN FFs at retirement age have meaningfully larger portfolios at same career income trajectory than peer-state mechanics.
How Tennessee taxes work for firefighters (and how to keep more)
TN 0% state income tax + Hall Tax repealed 2021 = no personal income tax of any kind. A $55K TN FF wage nets ~$45K post-tax (federal + only). At $90K NFD captain: ~$72K. Structural compound across career.
TN property tax 0.48% effective — lowest in nation. On $300K Nashville FF home: $1,440/year.
TCRS pension formula 1.575-1.6% × FAS. With $80K FAS + 25-year service, pension ~$32K/year. Combined with + Solo on side-income + 0% state tax retirement = favorable retirement structure.
Deferred Compensation Plan offered at most TN municipal departments. $24,500 limit. Pre-tax federal — every $1,000 deferred saves $240+ at FF marginal rate (no state tax to add). Maxing limit saves $5,600/year.
special catch-up: 3 years before retirement, $47K limit. $141K window in final 3 years.
TN sales tax 9.55-9.75% combined — among highest in country. Real cost on tools / equipment / vehicles for personal use.
Side-income Solo — TN FFs running side businesses shelter $35K-$72K/year on top of .
- →Max your — $5,600/year tax savings federal (no state to add).
- →Use special catch-up in final 3 years — $141K window.
- →Property tax appeal — Davidson / Williamson / Shelby / Knox counties have appeal processes (lower absolute savings vs CA/IL because base rate is already lowest in nation).
- →Sales tax planning — neighboring states (KY 6%, MS 7%) have lower sales tax. Out-of-state purchase consideration for major equipment.
- →If you relocated to TN from CA / NY / IL — keep meticulous residency-establishing records.
- →Side-income Solo — TN FFs running side businesses (real estate, contracting) shelter $35K-$72K/year on top of .
- →Workers' comp + line-of-duty — TN has First Responder Heart and Lung Bill — presumptive coverage for cardiovascular / lung disease.
Three TN submarkets for firefighters — what each one looks like
Nashville post-2020 boom, Memphis FedEx adjacency, and Williamson County family-luxury are three different TN FF careers.
Nashville Fire Department (NFD) — Post-2020 Boom
Base $50K-$95K + OT · captain total $85K-$120K1,000+ sworn FFs. Post-2020 boom drove tax-base growth + sustained hiring. Music Row industry response unique. Workforce housing in Madison / Hermitage / Antioch / Donelson.
Nashville post-2020 boom was structural — TN 0% income tax + Hall Tax repealed + post-California migration. Belle Meade / Forest Hills appreciated 40-60% 2020-2022.
Memphis Fire Department (MFD) + FedEx Adjacency
Base $42K-$85K + OT · captain total $75K-$110K1,500+ sworn FFs (largest TN). FedEx Express SuperHub (world's largest cargo airport) drives commercial fleet + airport response specialty. AutoZone HQ + International Paper HQ adjacency. Workforce housing in East Memphis / Bartlett / Cordova ($200K-$350K most affordable).
Memphis crime / public safety narrative affects neighborhood selection. East Memphis / Germantown / Collierville ($400K-$700K) preferred for established families.
Williamson County Family-Luxury (Brentwood / Franklin)
Base $48K-$90K + OT · captain total $80K-$115KBrentwood Fire, Franklin Fire, Cool Springs Fire serving wealthy Williamson County demographic — Nissan North America HQ, Mars Petcare HQ, Tractor Supply HQ corporate exec families. Top TN public schools.
Williamson County pre-2020 boom + post-2020 boom drove sustained growth. Property values appreciated 50-100%. Top TN demographic.
The career arc — from probationary FF to Battalion Chief, TCRS retirement
Year 1-2 (probationary): $34K-$46K. Nashville State CC, Pellissippi State CC Knoxville, Southwest TN CC Memphis firefighter programs. EMT-Basic at hire.
Year 3-7 (FF / FF-Paramedic): $48K-$72K base + OT.
Year 8-15 (Captain): $70K-$105K base + OT total $85K-$120K.
Year 15-25 (Battalion Chief / Deputy Chief): $95K-$145K base + OT $115K-$165K. Top TN municipal FF tier. TCRS projection at 25-year retirement: 1.6% × FAS × 25 = 40% × $80K = ~$32K/year for life.
Retirement (age 50-60 with 25-30 year service): TCRS pension (TN 0% tax means no state tax on pension) + IRA-rollover + side-business equity. TN one of the best US FF retirement states. Most TN FFs stay in-state through retirement.
Where Tennessee firefighters actually live
Nashville FFs in Madison / Hermitage / Antioch / Donelson ($300K-$450K). Williamson County FFs commute from Spring Hill / Columbia ($350K-$500K). Memphis FFs in East Memphis / Bartlett / Cordova ($200K-$350K). Knoxville / Chattanooga affordable.
Madison / Hermitage (East Nashville)
NFD workforce housing · $300K-$400K · I-40 corridor
Spring Hill / Columbia (South Nashville)
Williamson commute · GM Spring Hill plant · $350K-$500K
Bartlett / Cordova (East Memphis)
MFD affordable · $200K-$300K most affordable major TN
Powell / Halls (North Knoxville)
Knoxville FD workforce · $250K-$350K
Hixson / Red Bank (North Chattanooga)
Chattanooga FD affordable · $250K-$350K · VW plant
East Memphis / Germantown
Mid-tier Memphis luxury · $400K-$700K · top schools
TN 0% state tax + 0.48% lowest-in-nation property tax + TCRS pension + shelter = favorable FF wealth-building. Most senior TN FFs retire in-state.
Is this the right move?
Tennessee for firefighters — Nashville post-2020, Memphis FedEx, no-tax + lowest property tax
Working in your favor
- +0% state income tax + Hall Tax repealed 2021 — no personal income tax of any kind
- +TN property tax 0.48% effective — lowest in nation
- +Nashville post-2020 luxury boom + sustained corporate-relocation demand
- +Memphis FedEx Express SuperHub commercial fleet specialty
- +Williamson County family-luxury (Brentwood/Franklin)
- +Music Row industry buyer service unique Nashville niche
- +Most affordable major-metro housing in TN (Memphis $200K-$300K)
- +Structurally one of the best US FF retirement states
Worth knowing before you sign
- −9.55-9.75% combined sales tax — among highest in country
- −TCRS pension less generous than CA/NY/IL pensions
- −Memphis crime narrative affects neighborhood selection
- −Nashville post-2022 partially corrected from boom peaks
- −Probationary year 1-2 grind real
- −Climate (heat, humidity) affects shift conditions May-September
- −Tornado risk
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Salaries by profession, top-paying roles by industry, and an economic breakdown for Tennessee in 2026.
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