HR Manager Salary in Tennessee (2026)
The average HR Manager in Tennessee earns around $100,000/year. After taxes, your estimated take-home is $79,180/year ($6,598/month).
Take-Home Pay Breakdown
| Category | Amount |
|---|---|
Annual Take-Home Pay | $79,180 |
Monthly Take-Home Pay | $6,598 |
Biweekly Take-Home Pay | $3,045 |
Hourly Take-Home Pay based on 2,080 hrs/year | $38/hr |
Federal Tax | $13,170 |
State Tax | $0 |
FICA Taxes | $7,650 |
Effective Tax Rate total taxes ÷ gross salary | 20.82% |
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HR Manager Salary Ranges in Tennessee
Not all HR Managers earn the same — not even close
TN HR splits across four coherent tracks. Healthcare HR (HCA + Brookdale + Community Health Systems + Ardent + Lifepoint + Vanderbilt UMC) is the TN-distinctive specialty no other US market matches. Consumer brand HQ HR (Bridgestone + Nissan + Dollar General + Tractor Supply + Cracker Barrel) is its own distinct economy. Tech / corporate HR (Asurion + Oracle Nashville + AllianceBernstein + Amazon HQ East) drives senior comp tier. Memphis logistics + retail HR (FedEx + AutoZone + International Paper) plus music industry HR niche (Music Row labels) round out the senior tracks.
CHRO / VP HR (HCA / Bridgestone / Nissan / FedEx)
$385,000–$885,000+ cash + RSU
HCA · Bridgestone · Nissan · Dollar General · Tractor Supply · FedEx · AutoZone · RSU heavy at publicly-traded HQs
Senior Director HR / HR Strategy
$215,000–$385,000 + RSU
HCA · Asurion · Oracle · AllianceBernstein · 12-18 yrs · multi-org HR ownership · TC $485-585K with vesting RSU
Director HR / Senior HRBP
$155,000–$265,000 + RSU
8-12 yrs · division HR leadership · org-design ownership · domain specialty (TA / TR / DEI / ER / OD)
Senior HRBP / HR Manager
$125,000–$185,000 + RSU
5-8 yrs · org HRBP + complex employee relations + comp + manager coaching
Talent Acquisition Director
$145,000–$265,000 + RSU
HCA TA · FedEx TA · Bridgestone TA · Dollar General + Tractor Supply retail TA volume · senior recruiter premium
Healthcare HR Specialist (HCA / Vanderbilt UMC)
$95,000–$185,000
HCA hospitals HR · Vanderbilt UMC · Methodist Le Bonheur · clinical staffing + nursing retention specialty
HR Generalist / Mid-Career HRBP
$95,000–$135,000
3-6 yrs · domain HR specialty deepening (TA / TR / DEI / ER / OD)
Compensation Director (Corporate)
$185,000–$345,000 + RSU
HCA comp · Bridgestone comp · Nissan comp · executive comp design + equity plan management + benchmarking
Music Industry HR (Labels / Publishing)
$95,000–$215,000
Big Machine · UMG Nashville · Sony · Warner Music Nashville · BMI / ASCAP / SESAC · creative + artist staff
HR Coordinator / Specialist
$58,000–$78,000
New-grad track · UW Foster equivalents — Vanderbilt + UT Knoxville + Belmont · feeds Generalist 18-24 months
Worth knowing: TN's HR compliance landscape is materially simpler than WA / CA / NY / IL — an underrated advantage. TN is right-to-work (Tennessee Constitution Article XI §13) + at-will employment defaults. No state PFML (unlike WA RCW 50A), no state long-term-care payroll (unlike WA Cares Fund), no state Equal Pay Act with disclosure (unlike WA RCW 49.58), no pay transparency mandate (unlike WA HB 1795), no state non-compete reform (unlike WA RCW 49.62 or CA Labor Code §16600). Federal + ADA + Title VII + FMLA + EEOC apply but state-layer compliance is among the lightest in the country. TN-based HR managers spend less time on state-specific compliance and more on talent acquisition, retention, employee relations, organizational development. The TN at-will simplicity attracts HQ relocation — wave drivers cited it. Healthcare HR remains complex (Joint Commission + CMS + HIPAA + state CON) but employment-law layer is simpler.
The TN HR market — HCA + Bridgestone + Nissan + Dollar General HQs, FedEx Memphis, simpler compliance landscape, corporate-relocation wave
0%
TN state income tax — RSU vests + cash + bonus all tax-free at state level
Light
TN state compliance load — no PFML, no Cares Fund, no EPOA, no pay transparency mandate
~250+
HCA Nashville corporate HR roles — largest US healthcare HR concentration
~9K
FedEx Memphis HQ HR + corporate employees — among largest US logistics HR operations
HR managers are exempt under the Executive or Administrative 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. SHRM-CP / SHRM-SCP + HRCI PHR / SPHR are standard credentials.
HCA Healthcare Nashville is the largest TN HR concentration — ~250+ corporate HR roles supporting ~93K global employees across ~190 hospitals + ~50 surgery centers. HCA HR specialty depth in clinical staffing, nursing retention, physician acquisition, plus regulatory compliance (Joint Commission + CMS + HIPAA + state CON) is unmatched. Senior HCA HR directors clear $215-385K cash + . Brookdale + Community Health Systems + Ardent + Lifepoint + Vanderbilt UMC fill out the Nashville healthcare HR ecosystem.
Consumer brand HQ HR density at Bridgestone Americas (~700 corporate, $50B+ global), Nissan Franklin (~1,400 corporate, manufacturing + dealer HR), Dollar General Goodlettsville (~180K associates across ~20,000 stores — among the largest US retail HR organizations), Tractor Supply Brentwood (~2,600 stores), Cracker Barrel Lebanon (~660 stores, 70K employees), Pilot Flying J Knoxville. TN consumer brand HQ density is comparable to WA scale.
Tech / corporate HR at Asurion (~5K global, Nashville HR bench), Oracle Nashville (~9K jobs by 2031, scaling tech HR), AllianceBernstein (~1,250 employees, post-2018 institutional-investment HR), Amazon HQ East ($230M, ~5K jobs). Career mobility between these tech HQs + HCA + Bridgestone + Nissan is unusually high — senior HR talent flows freely.
Memphis HR carries logistics + retail HQ density. FedEx (~9K HQ + ~530K global — among the largest US private-sector HR operations). AutoZone (~6K corporate, ~7,100 stores). International Paper (~36K global). ServiceMaster. Methodist Le Bonheur + UTHSC adds healthcare HR. Memphis is distinct from Nashville's healthcare + corporate pull.
Music industry HR specialty centers on Music Row. Big Machine + UMG + Sony Music Nashville + Warner Music Nashville + BMI + ASCAP + SESAC headquarters maintain dedicated HR + talent management benches. Music industry HR is fundamentally different from corporate HR — creative + performing artist + tour + production staff with project-based patterns. Senior music industry HR directors clear $145-215K cash + performance + artist-success bonuses.
Tennessee as an HR manager — HCA + Bridgestone + Nissan + Dollar General HQs, FedEx Memphis logistics, simpler compliance landscape, Music Row creative HR
HCA Healthcare HR runs ~250+ corporate HR roles across HRBP + TA + Compensation + DEI + Employee Relations + Workplace Investigations + L&D plus the clinical-staffing + nursing-retention specialty no other US market matches at this scale. HCA's One Park Plaza is the senior HR center for ~93K global + ~190 hospitals + ~50 surgery centers. Senior healthcare HR directors clear $215-385K cash + .
Nashville consumer brand HR HQ concentration is unusually distinctive. Bridgestone Americas Tower (~700 corporate), Nissan Franklin (~1,400 corporate), Dollar General (~180K associates, ~20K stores), Tractor Supply (~2,600 stores), Cracker Barrel Lebanon (~660 stores, 70K employees). Plus Asurion + Oracle + AllianceBernstein + Amazon HQ East tech HR. Career mobility between these HQs is unusually high.
Memphis HR corridor is FedEx + AutoZone + International Paper. FedEx World HQ (~9K HQ + ~530K global — among the largest US private-sector HR organizations). AutoZone (~6K corporate, ~7,100 stores). International Paper (~36K global). ServiceMaster Brands HQ. Methodist Le Bonheur + UTHSC adds healthcare HR. Memphis HR is focused on logistics + retail + manufacturing operations rather than healthcare + tech HQ.
TN's compliance landscape is materially simpler than WA / CA / NY / IL peers. Right-to-work + at-will + no PFML + no Cares Fund + no EPOA disclosure + no pay transparency mandate + no non-compete reform. Federal + ADA + Title VII + FMLA + EEOC apply but state-layer compliance is among the lightest in the country. Multi-state HR teams find TN-based HR managers spend less time on state-specific compliance and more time on talent + retention + ER + OD. This was a cited driver of the corporate-relocation wave.
How TN taxes work for HR managers — 0% income tax, RSU-heavy comp tax efficiency, lighter compliance landscape
TN charges 0% state income tax — substantial advantage at every HR comp tier. At Director HR $185K cash + $80K annual vest, TN saves $19,000+ versus CA's 8.0% blended or NY's 7.5%. At Senior Director $345K cash + $150K RSU, TN saves $30K+ versus CA. Over 20-25 years, TN-vs-CA compounds to $500K+.
TN federal- conformity is clean. No add-back of federal pre-tax , , FSA, or IRA contributions. Mega Backdoor Roth at HCA, Asurion, AllianceBernstein, Oracle, Bridgestone, FedEx flows through at federal-only level. Senior CHRO 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 Senior Director HR at $345K owning a $1.2M Belle Meade home pays ~$8,500/yr property tax vs $19,200-30,000 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 coordinator + new-manager tiers. At Senior Director + CHRO 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%), Dollar General (50% on first 5%), Tractor Supply (50% on first 6%), Asurion (75% on first 6% = 4.5%), FedEx (3.5% Profit Sharing + Pension), AutoZone (50% on first 8%), International Paper (50% on first 6%).
- →Max your ($24,500 in 2026). At TN 0% state plus federal 22-32% brackets, every $1,000 deferred saves $220-$320. At Senior Director HR $345K+ 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.
- → at HCA (15% discount + 6-month lookback), Bridgestone (15% with lookback), Tractor Supply (15% with lookback), FedEx (10% discount with lookback), AutoZone (15% with lookback). ESPP gains stay below 1-year threshold if sold quickly — convert discount to liquid cash without holding for cap gains. Materially affects total comp at the 5-10K/yr range.
- →TN compliance simplicity is a career advantage for HR managers. Multi-state HR roles cite TN compliance simplicity as a hiring factor — less compliance complexity means more strategic + people-development time. Senior multi-state HR generalists who pivot to/from TN frame are in demand.
- →Music Row + entertainment HR specialty: dedicated label HR at Big Machine + UMG + Sony + Warner Nashville earn $145-215K cash + performance bonuses. Music industry HR is creative + project-based + relationship-driven — distinct from corporate HR. Belmont University Mike Curb College pipeline is the dominant entry path.
Three TN metros for HR managers — Nashville HCA + Corporate, Memphis FedEx + AutoZone, Knoxville Pilot + TVA
TN HR splits by region + industry. Nashville is HCA + Bridgestone + Nissan + Dollar General + Tractor Supply + Cracker Barrel + Asurion + Oracle + AllianceBernstein + Amazon HQ East. Memphis is FedEx + AutoZone + International Paper + ServiceMaster. Knoxville is Pilot Flying J + Discovery + TVA + Eastman + UT.
Nashville (HCA / Bridgestone / Nissan / Dollar General / Corporate HQ Cluster)
Coordinator $58-78K · Manager $95-135K · Sr HRBP $125-185K · Director $155-265K · Sr Director $215-385K · CHRO $385-885K+ RSUTN's HR core. HCA Healthcare (~250+ corporate HR), Bridgestone Americas (~700 corporate), Nissan Franklin, Dollar General Goodlettsville (~180K associates), Tractor Supply Brentwood, Cracker Barrel Lebanon, Asurion, Oracle Nashville (scaling through 2031), AllianceBernstein, Amazon HQ East. Music Row HR specialty (Big Machine + UMG + Sony + Warner Nashville). Career mobility between these HQs is unusually high.
Belle Meade / Forest Hills ($1.4-3.5M+ Senior Director / CHRO), Green Hills / Oak Hill ($875K-$2.4M Director + Sr HRBP), Hillsboro Village / Germantown ($550K-$1.2M urban townhomes), Brentwood / Franklin ($750K-$2.5M family-stage corporate). Davidson County 0.71% property tax effective.
Memphis (FedEx / AutoZone / International Paper / ServiceMaster)
Coordinator $52-72K · Manager $85-115K · Sr HRBP $115-175K · Director $145-235K · Sr Director $185-345K · CHRO $345-685K + RSUTN's logistics + retail + manufacturing HR corridor. FedEx Memphis (~9K HQ employees + ~530K global — among the largest US private-sector HR operations). AutoZone (~6K corporate, ~7,100 stores). International Paper (~36K global). ServiceMaster Brands HQ. Methodist Le Bonheur + UTHSC Med District. Memphis MSA HR is operationally distinct from Nashville's healthcare + tech HQ pull.
East Memphis ($550-1,100K SF Sr HRBP / Director), Germantown / Collierville ($650-1,400K family senior + Director), Midtown ($375-750K urban), Bartlett ($425-825K family). Shelby County 1.31% property tax effective — higher than Davidson.
Knoxville / Oak Ridge (Pilot / Discovery / TVA / Eastman / UT)
Coordinator $52-72K · Manager $85-115K · Sr HRBP $115-165K · Director $135-225K · Sr Director $175-285KEast TN's HR corridor. Pilot Flying J HQ (~750 travel centers, Berkshire Hathaway-owned). Scripps Networks / Discovery (Knoxville HQ remained post-2018 merger). TVA HQ (federal corporation, ~10K employees — federal HR plus FERS + ). Eastman Chemical Kingsport (~14K global) B2B chemical-industry HR. UT Knoxville HR. Smaller bench than Nashville / Memphis.
Sequoyah Hills / Westmoreland ($650K-$1.6M senior), West Knoxville ($425-825K family), Bearden ($385-685K established), Farragut suburb ($425-725K). Knox County 0.85% property tax.
The TN HR manager career arc — coordinator through CHRO
TN HR careers typically start with Vanderbilt Owen Graduate School of Management, UT Knoxville Haslam College of Business, Belmont University Mike Curb College, MTSU Jones College of Business, or out-of-state (Cornell ILR, Penn State HR, Michigan Ross). New-grad HR Coordinator $58-78K cash at HCA / Asurion / Bridgestone / Nissan / Dollar General / FedEx / AutoZone. SHRM-CP cert typically within year 1-2. Years 1-2 establish specialty (TA / TR / DEI / ER / OD / Comp / Benefits / L&D).
HR Generalist / HRBP (years 3-7): comp $95-185K cash + . Specialty fork between business-partner (HRBP) versus center-of-excellence (TA, Comp, DEI, L&D, ER). SHRM-SCP / HRCI SPHR typically year 4-5. Healthcare HR specialty at HCA + Vanderbilt UMC commands 15-25% premium — clinical staffing + nursing retention + regulatory depth is scarce.
Senior HRBP / Director (years 7-12): comp $155-265K cash + . Division HR leadership. Multi-team HRBP + complex ER + comp + manager coaching. Director HR at HCA + Bridgestone + Nissan routinely clears $315-385K TC with vesting RSU by year 12. In-house pivot between Nashville HQs is the dominant lateral.
Senior Director / VP / CHRO (years 12+): Senior Director HR at HCA / Asurion / Oracle / AllianceBernstein $215-485K cash + . VP HR at Bridgestone / Nissan / Dollar General $385-685K cash + RSU. CHRO at HCA / FedEx / AutoZone / Bridgestone $585K-$1.4M+ cash + RSU. TN's 0% income + 0.71% property + lighter compliance landscape produce favorable senior wealth accumulation vs CA / NY / OR peers.
Where TN HR managers live — Belle Meade, Green Hills, Brentwood, East Memphis, Sequoyah Hills
TN HR managers cluster by region + corporate HQ. Nashville HCA + Bridgestone + Nissan + Dollar General gravitate to downtown townhomes (Coordinator / Manager), Hillsboro Village / Germantown (Sr HRBP), Green Hills (Director), Belle Meade / Forest Hills (Senior Director / CHRO). Brentwood / Franklin attracts the Tractor Supply + Cracker Barrel cluster. Memphis senior to East Memphis / Germantown / Collierville. Knoxville senior to Sequoyah Hills.
Belle Meade / Forest Hills (Nashville Senior Director / CHRO)
5-15 min downtown · top-tier · $1.4-3.5M+ SF · CHRO + Senior Director residential · country club density
Green Hills / Oak Hill (Nashville Director)
10-20 min downtown · $875K-$2.4M SF · mid-career Director + Sr HRBP standard
Hillsboro Village / Germantown (Nashville Sr HRBP walkable)
5-15 min downtown · $550K-$1.2M SF · Sr HRBP / Sr HR Manager walkable urban
Brentwood / Franklin (Williamson Co Tractor Supply + Cracker Barrel)
20-30 min downtown · $750K-$2.5M family · top schools · in-house corporate
East Memphis (Memphis Sr Director)
10-15 min downtown · $550-1,100K SF · senior FedEx + AutoZone + International Paper director
Germantown / Collierville (Memphis family senior)
20-30 min downtown · $650-1,400K SF · top schools · in-house corporate senior
Sequoyah Hills (Knoxville senior)
5-10 min downtown · $650K-$1.6M SF · top-tier Knoxville · Pilot + Discovery + TVA + UT
Goodlettsville (Dollar General HQ proximity)
15-25 min downtown Nashville · $385-685K SF · Dollar General HR + corporate residential
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 HR managers anchor to one corridor — career mobility between Nashville HQs is high but cross-state pivots (Nashville-Memphis) require relocation.
Is this the right move?
TN for HR managers — 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 $19-35K+ annually at $250K-$500K Director / Senior Director tier vs CA / NY
- +HCA (~250+ corporate HR) + Bridgestone + Nissan + Dollar General + Tractor Supply + Cracker Barrel + Asurion + Oracle + AllianceBernstein + Amazon HQ East is the deepest non-coastal HR HQ concentration
- +TN compliance landscape is materially simpler than WA / CA / NY / IL — right-to-work + at-will + no PFML + no Cares Fund + no EPOA + no pay transparency mandate + no non-compete reform
- +Memphis FedEx (~9K HQ + ~530K global) + AutoZone + International Paper + ServiceMaster is among the largest US private-sector HR concentrations
- +Career mobility between HCA / Bridgestone / Nissan / Asurion / Dollar General / Tractor Supply / FedEx is unusually high
Worth knowing before you sign
- −TN combined sales tax averages 9.55% (highest alongside LA) — regressive offset at coordinator + new-manager tiers
- −Nashville CHRO comp ($885K top-end) trails NYC + Bay Area at the very top — career-cap matters for senior directors
- −Healthcare HR remains complex (Joint Commission + CMS + HIPAA + state CON) — TN simplicity doesn't extend to clinical-staffing
- −TN does not exempt groceries from sales tax (one of 13 states fully taxing food) — meaningful tax burden at lower tiers
- −Memphis MSA HR bench is smaller than Nashville — career-trajectory ceiling trails Nashville HQ corporate peers
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