Project Manager Salary in Tennessee (2026)
The average Project Manager in Tennessee earns around $95,000/year. After taxes, your estimated take-home is $75,663/year ($6,305/month).
Take-Home Pay Breakdown
| Category | Amount |
|---|---|
Annual Take-Home Pay | $75,663 |
Monthly Take-Home Pay | $6,305 |
Biweekly Take-Home Pay | $2,910 |
Hourly Take-Home Pay based on 2,080 hrs/year | $36/hr |
Federal Tax | $12,070 |
State Tax | $0 |
FICA Taxes | $7,268 |
Effective Tax Rate total taxes ÷ gross salary | 20.36% |
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Project Manager Salary Ranges in Tennessee
Not all Project Managers earn the same — not even close
TN project-management splits across four coherent tracks. Healthcare PM (HCA capital + Epic + Vanderbilt UMC + Methodist Le Bonheur) is the TN-distinctive specialty no other US market matches. Tech TPM (Asurion + Oracle Nashville + AllianceBernstein + Amazon HQ East) drives the senior comp tier. Construction PM (Nashville construction boom + BNA + Oracle Cumberland) carries sustained demand. Memphis logistics PM (FedEx + AutoZone + IP) + Knoxville federal-research (ORNL + TVA + Eastman) round out the senior tracks.
Senior Director / VP Programs (HCA / Asurion / Oracle)
$215,000–$585,000 cash + RSU
HCA · Asurion · Oracle · AllianceBernstein · Bridgestone · Nissan · cross-functional program ownership
Principal TPM (Asurion / Oracle Nashville)
$185,000–$315,000 + RSU
Asurion · Oracle · AllianceBernstein · 10-15 yrs · multi-org program ownership · TC $385-585K with vesting RSU
Senior TPM / Sr Healthcare Project Director
$135,000–$215,000 + RSU
Asurion · Oracle · HCA capital + Epic implementation directors · 7-12 yrs · TPM premium 20-35% over generalist PM
TPM (Asurion / Oracle / AllianceBernstein)
$115,000–$185,000 + RSU
Asurion · Oracle · AllianceBernstein · 4-7 yrs · technical depth + cross-team execution required
Senior Construction PM (Nashville / BNA / Oracle)
$155,000–$285,000
Skanska · Hoel · Hoar · Turner · JE Dunn · DPR · Oracle Cumberland + Nashville Yards + BNA + HCA capital
Construction PM (Commercial)
$95,000–$165,000
Skanska · Hoel · Hoar · Turner · JE Dunn · DPR · CMM + CCM cert premium · prevailing wage on public works
Healthcare Project Manager (HCA / Vanderbilt UMC)
$95,000–$185,000
HCA capital · Vanderbilt UMC · Methodist Le Bonheur · Ardent Health · Epic implementation specialty
Logistics / Supply Chain PM (FedEx / AutoZone)
$95,000–$175,000
FedEx Memphis · AutoZone Memphis · International Paper · Tractor Supply DCs · supply chain optimization
PM / Mid-Career
$85,000–$125,000
Cross-industry · 3-6 yrs · PMP / Agile certifications expected · domain depth pays premium
Project Coordinator / Junior PM
$58,000–$82,000
New-grad · Vanderbilt + UT Knoxville + Belmont · CAPM cert typical · feeds Manager pipeline 18-24 mo
Worth knowing: HCA Healthcare capital + Epic implementation PM is the TN-distinctive specialty. HCA Healthcare ($1B+ annual capital spend across ~190 hospitals) runs sustained capital-project PM at scale. Epic implementation + EHR migrations across HCA + Vanderbilt UMC + Methodist Le Bonheur + Ardent + Lifepoint employ ~600+ healthcare PMs across Nashville + Memphis. Healthcare PM is fundamentally different from corporate or tech PM — it requires clinical-workflow understanding, regulatory compliance (HIPAA + HITECH + Joint Commission + CMS + state CON), plus the political reality that hospital operations can't pause for IT migrations. Senior healthcare PMs at HCA capital clear $185-285K cash; Epic-certified senior implementation directors clear $215-325K. PMI Middle Tennessee Chapter (~2,500 members) is among the largest US chapters with heavy healthcare specialty.
The TN PM market — HCA capital + Epic specialty, Asurion + Oracle TPM, Nashville construction boom, Memphis logistics, Knoxville federal research
0%
TN state income tax — RSU vests + cash + bonus all tax-free at state level
$1B+
HCA Healthcare annual capital spend — sustained largest TN PM specialty pipeline
~600+
TN healthcare PM bench (HCA + Vanderbilt UMC + Methodist Le Bonheur + Ardent + Lifepoint)
~2,500
PMI Middle Tennessee Chapter members — among largest US chapters with healthcare specialty
Project managers are exempt under the Administrative exemption (managing scope / schedule / budget / cross-functional teams with discretion). Salaried with bonus + at publicly-traded HQs — RSU at HCA, Bridgestone, Asurion (private but cash-equivalent equity), Oracle, Dollar General, Tractor Supply, Nissan. PMP + PMI-ACP + SAFe certifications drive PM premiums (PMI 2024 Survey: PMP earns 16-25% more).
HCA Healthcare capital + Epic PM is the largest TN PM concentration — ~600+ healthcare PMs across HCA + Vanderbilt UMC + Methodist Le Bonheur + Ardent + Lifepoint. HCA's $1B+ annual capital spend (new hospital construction, expansion, ambulatory care, oncology, surgery centers) drives sustained capital-project PM hiring. Epic implementation + EHR migration + post-go-live optimization is a parallel specialty bench. Senior healthcare PMs at HCA capital clear $185-285K cash.
Asurion + Oracle Nashville + AllianceBernstein + Amazon HQ East drive the TN tech TPM corridor. Asurion Nashville HQ (~5K global, tech-insurance brand) maintains a deep TPM bench across mobile-protection + tech-insurance + claims-processing. Oracle Nashville (~9K jobs by 2031) is scaling cloud + database TPM — Oracle's leveling + 4-year vesting transferred from Austin TX. AllianceBernstein adds institutional-investment TPM since 2018 NYC HQ relocation.
Nashville construction-PM pipeline is sustained through 2030+. Oracle Cumberland campus $1.2B, Nashville Yards $2.5B (Amazon HQ East + AllianceBernstein + hotel + residential), Music City Center expansion, BNA Nashville airport $1.4B (BNA Vision program), plus multifamily + commercial high-rise on the Cumberland riverfront. Skanska, Hoar, Turner, JE Dunn, DPR maintain dedicated Nashville offices with senior PM teams at $185-285K cash.
Memphis carries logistics + retail + supply chain PM HQ density. FedEx World HQ ($90B+ global logistics) maintains the largest logistics-PM bench in the country — ~400+ supply-chain + operations + sortation + air-cargo PMs at World HQ + FedEx SuperHub Memphis (largest US air cargo facility). AutoZone HQ (~6K corporate) retail + distribution PM bench. International Paper Memphis HQ packaging + manufacturing operations PM. ServiceMaster + Lifepoint round out senior tier.
Knoxville + East TN federal-research PM is the TN-distinctive specialty no other state offers at this depth. Oak Ridge National Lab ($2B/yr DOE research) drives nuclear + energy + IP + classified-research PM. TVA HQ (federal corporation, ~10K employees) maintains hydropower + nuclear + transmission PM bench. Eastman Chemical Kingsport B2B chemical-operations PM. Pilot Flying J Knoxville logistics PM. UT Knoxville research PM. Federal-research PM at ORNL + TVA carries clearance premium + FERS + eligibility.
Tennessee as a project manager — Nashville HCA capital + Asurion + Oracle, Memphis FedEx logistics, Knoxville ORNL + TVA
Nashville healthcare PM is the largest TN PM bench. HCA Healthcare campus (One Park Plaza, ~3M sq ft corporate plus capital-projects HQ for ~190 hospitals). Vanderbilt UMC Epic implementation + capital-projects PM. Methodist Le Bonheur (Memphis-based but cross-TN). Ardent Health + Lifepoint healthcare-system PM. Epic-certified senior PMs at HCA + Vanderbilt UMC clear $215-325K cash. Healthcare PM is its own career — clinical-workflow understanding plus HIPAA + HITECH + Joint Commission + CMS regulatory depth.
Nashville tech TPM concentrates downtown + the Cool Springs / Brentwood corridor. Asurion HQ Charlotte Avenue (~5K global, substantial Nashville TPM bench). Oracle Cumberland (under construction through 2031, ~9K jobs eventually). AllianceBernstein Nashville Yards (~1,250 employees, institutional-investment TPM). Amazon HQ East at Nashville Yards (~5K jobs scaling). Bridgestone Americas Tower. Nissan North America Franklin auto-industry TPM.
Nashville construction PM is sustained through 2030+. Music City Center expansion, Oracle Cumberland $1.2B (highest-profile TN construction), Nashville Yards $2.5B mixed-use, BNA airport $1.4B expansion, plus multifamily + high-rise pipeline. Skanska, Hoar (Birmingham AL-anchored but heavy TN), Turner, JE Dunn, DPR, Brasfield & Gorrie all maintain dedicated Nashville offices. Senior construction PMs running Oracle Cumberland or Nashville Yards clear $215-325K cash.
Memphis logistics + supply-chain PM is its own corridor. FedEx World HQ (~9K employees) plus FedEx SuperHub Memphis (largest US air cargo, ~600K packages / day peak). AutoZone HQ + ~7,100 stores distribution-network PM. International Paper Memphis (~36K global). Lifepoint Health (~1,600 facilities). Memphis Med District (Methodist Le Bonheur + UTHSC + Regional One) adds healthcare-PM depth. Memphis MSA smaller PM market than Nashville but logistics specialty depth is unmatched.
How TN taxes work for project managers — 0% income tax, RSU-heavy comp tax efficiency, federal-AGI conformity
TN charges 0% state income tax — Article II §28 + Hall Tax fully repealed Jan 1 2021. At Sr TPM $185K cash + $80K annual vest, TN saves $19,000+ versus CA's 8.0% blended or NY's 7.5%. At Principal TPM $315K cash + $150K RSU, TN saves $28K+ versus CA. Over 20-25 years, TN-vs-CA compounds to $500K+.
TN federal- conformity is clean. No state tax means no add-back of federal pre-tax , , FSA, or IRA contributions. Mega Backdoor Roth at Asurion, Oracle Nashville, AllianceBernstein, HCA flows through cleanly at federal-only level. Senior TPM equity events (RSU sales) 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 Sr TPM at $215K cash + $90K owning a $850K Green Hills home pays ~$6,000/yr property tax versus $13,600-21,200 on Austin equivalent. Property tax doesn't offset the 'no state income tax' savings the way TX does.
The regressive offset is sales tax — TN combined averages 9.55% (highest alongside LA). For Sr TPMs at $185K+ small relative to comp; for PM coordinators at $58-82K meaningful effective tax tier. TN doesn't exempt groceries from sales tax.
- →Capture employer match before anything else. HCA (50% up to 9% = 4.5% effective — most generous), Asurion (75% on first 6% = 4.5%), Oracle (50% on first 6% = 3%), AllianceBernstein (50% on first 6%), Bridgestone (50% on first 6%), Nissan (50% on first 6%). Federal PM at TVA + ORNL combine FERS pension + match up to 5% + locality.
- →Max your ($24,500 in 2026). At TN 0% state plus federal 22-32% brackets, every $1,000 deferred saves $220-$320. At Principal TPM $315K+ in the 32-35% bracket, $320-$350. PMP / PMI-PgMP / SAFe certifications drive 16-25% comp premium per PMI 2024 Salary Survey.
- → at Asurion, Oracle, AllianceBernstein, HCA, Bridgestone offer after-tax with in-plan Roth conversion. §415(c) cap $72,000 (2026). After $24,500 employee + $15-22K match, $25-35K room. At TN 0% plus federal 32-35%, MBR converts $30K of after-tax space into perpetual Roth tax-free growth.
- →Healthcare PM specialty (Epic certification + HCA capital + Vanderbilt UMC track) commands 20-30% premium over generalist corporate PM. Epic implementation + EHR migration + healthcare regulatory compliance (HIPAA + HITECH + Joint Commission + CMS) is scarce specialty talent. Senior healthcare PMs at HCA capital clear $215-325K cash.
- →Tech TPM at Asurion + Oracle + AllianceBernstein commands 20-35% premium over non-technical PM. Asurion's TPM leveling + Oracle's Austin-pattern comp transferred to Nashville — Sr TPM TC routinely $285-485K with vesting streams by year 10. ORNL + TVA federal-research PM adds clearance premium + FERS + .
- →Section 199A applies only to non- income — PMs at HCA, Asurion, Oracle are W-2 and not eligible. Senior independent PM consultants below $201,775 single / $403,550 MAGI can claim QBI on consulting income.
Three TN metros for project managers — Nashville HCA + Asurion + Oracle, Memphis FedEx logistics, Knoxville ORNL + TVA
TN PM splits by region + industry. Nashville is HCA capital + Asurion + Oracle Nashville + AllianceBernstein + Amazon HQ East + construction boom. Memphis is FedEx + AutoZone + International Paper logistics. Knoxville is ORNL + TVA + Eastman federal-research.
Nashville (HCA Capital / Asurion + Oracle TPM / Construction Boom)
Coordinator $58-82K · PM $95-135K · Sr PM $135-215K · Director $165-285K · Sr Director $215-585K + RSUTN's PM core. HCA Healthcare capital PM bench (~250+ across ~190 hospitals). Asurion HQ TPM (~150+ across mobile + tech insurance). Oracle Nashville TPM (scaling through 2031). AllianceBernstein institutional-investment TPM. Amazon HQ East logistics + retail TPM. Nashville construction boom (Oracle Cumberland $1.2B + Nashville Yards $2.5B + BNA $1.4B + Music City Center). PMI Middle Tennessee Chapter (~2,500 members).
Belle Meade / Forest Hills ($1.4-3.5M+ Sr Director / VP residential), Green Hills / Oak Hill ($875K-$2.4M Director), Hillsboro Village / Germantown ($550K-$1.2M urban Sr TPM walkable), Brentwood / Franklin ($750K-$2.5M family-stage TPM). Davidson County 0.71% property tax effective.
Memphis (FedEx World HQ / AutoZone / International Paper / Med District)
Coordinator $52-72K · PM $85-115K · Sr PM $115-175K · Director $145-225K · Sr Director $185-385KTN's logistics + supply-chain PM corridor. FedEx World HQ (~9K employees + FedEx SuperHub Memphis = largest US air cargo facility). AutoZone HQ (~6K corporate, ~7,100 stores). International Paper (~36K global). Lifepoint Health (~1,600 facilities). Methodist Le Bonheur Med District + UTHSC + Regional One. ServiceMaster. Memphis logistics-PM specialty depth is unmatched — FedEx alone employs ~400+ supply-chain PMs.
East Memphis ($550-1,100K SF mid-career Sr PM), Germantown / Collierville ($650-1,400K family-stage senior), Midtown / Cooper Young ($375-750K historic urban), Bartlett ($425-825K family). Shelby County 1.31% property tax.
Knoxville (ORNL / TVA / Eastman / Pilot / UT Research)
Coordinator $52-72K · PM $85-115K · Sr PM $115-165K · Director $145-235K · ORNL clearance + locality premium $15-30KEast TN's federal-research PM corridor. Oak Ridge National Lab Knoxville ($2B/yr DOE research) drives nuclear + energy + IP + classified-research PM. TVA HQ (federal corporation, ~10K employees) hydropower + nuclear + transmission PM. Eastman Chemical Kingsport (~14K global) B2B chemical-operations PM. Pilot Flying J HQ. UT Knoxville research PM. Federal-research PM adds clearance + FERS + eligibility.
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 effective.
The TN project manager career arc — coordinator through Senior Director / VP Programs
TN PM careers typically start with Vanderbilt Owen Graduate School of Management, UT Knoxville Haslam College of Business, Belmont University Massey Graduate School of Business, Tennessee State University, MTSU, or out-of-state CS / engineering / MBA programs. New-grad coordinator $58-82K cash at HCA / Asurion / Oracle / AllianceBernstein / Bridgestone / Nissan. CAPM cert typical at hire; PMP within 18-24 months. Years 1-2 establish specialty (healthcare / tech / construction / logistics / federal).
PM / Sr PM (years 3-7): comp $95-215K cash + . PMP cert at year 3-4. Specialty fork between healthcare (HCA + Vanderbilt UMC + Epic), tech TPM (Asurion + Oracle Nashville), construction PM (Skanska + Hoar + Turner + JE Dunn), or logistics PM (FedEx + AutoZone + IP). Healthcare PM specialty commands 20-30% premium; tech TPM commands 20-35% premium.
Sr TPM / Director (years 7-12): comp $135-285K cash + . Asurion L6 Sr TPM / Oracle IC-T4 typical. Multi-org program ownership. RSU vest streams compound — Sr TPM TC routinely exceeds $315K at Asurion + Oracle by year 12. Healthcare PM Director at HCA capital clears $215-325K. Construction PM Director at Skanska / Hoar runs $185-285K cash. In-house pivot between Nashville HQs is the dominant lateral.
Senior Director / VP Programs (years 12+): Senior Director TPM at Asurion / Oracle / AllianceBernstein $215-485K cash + . VP Programs at HCA / Bridgestone / Nissan $385-685K cash + RSU. Senior Director Construction PM at Skanska / Hoar / Turner $285-585K. Federal-research senior PM at ORNL + TVA $185-285K + clearance + FERS. TN's 0% income + 0.71% property + 0% municipal produce favorable senior wealth accumulation vs CA / NY / OR peers.
Where TN project managers live — Belle Meade, Green Hills, Brentwood, East Memphis, Sequoyah Hills
TN project managers cluster by region + industry. Nashville HCA + Asurion + Oracle + AllianceBernstein head to downtown townhomes (Coordinator / PM), Hillsboro Village / Germantown (Sr PM), Green Hills (Director), Belle Meade / Forest Hills (Senior Director / VP). Brentwood / Franklin attracts the Nissan + Tractor Supply cluster. Memphis senior to East Memphis / Germantown / Collierville. Knoxville senior to Sequoyah Hills / Westmoreland near ORNL + TVA + UT.
Belle Meade / Forest Hills (Nashville Sr Director / VP)
5-15 min downtown · top-tier · $1.4-3.5M+ SF · VP Programs + Sr Director residential
Green Hills / Oak Hill (Nashville Director)
10-20 min downtown · $875K-$2.4M SF · mid-career Director + Sr TPM standard
Hillsboro Village / Germantown (Nashville Sr TPM walkable)
5-15 min downtown · $550K-$1.2M SF · Sr TPM / Sr PM walkable urban
Brentwood / Franklin (Williamson Co Nissan + Tractor Supply)
20-30 min downtown · $750K-$2.5M family · top schools · in-house corporate
The Nations / 12 South (Nashville urban)
Walkable · $650K-$1.4M townhomes · senior PM / Sr TPM standard · downtown proximity
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
Sequoyah Hills (Knoxville senior + ORNL)
5-10 min downtown · $650K-$1.6M SF · top-tier Knoxville · ORNL + TVA + UT proximity
TN public transit is minimal — Nashville WeGo bus serves downtown but doesn't reach Belle Meade or Brentwood. Memphis MATA serves downtown + Med District. Knoxville KAT serves downtown + UT. I-65 Nashville-Franklin and I-40 Nashville-Memphis are intercity arteries. Most senior PMs commute via personal vehicle plus occasional Uber for downtown meetings.
Is this the right move?
TN for project 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 $200K-$500K Sr PM / Director tier vs CA / NY
- +HCA Healthcare capital + Epic implementation specialty (~600+ healthcare PMs across HCA + Vanderbilt UMC + Methodist Le Bonheur + Ardent + Lifepoint) is TN-distinctive 20-30% premium career track
- +Asurion + Oracle + AllianceBernstein tech TPM bench is the deepest non-coastal US TPM concentration — 20-35% premium over generalist PM
- +Nashville construction boom (Oracle Cumberland $1.2B + Nashville Yards $2.5B + BNA $1.4B) + FedEx Memphis logistics + ORNL + TVA federal-research multi-decade pipeline
- +PMI Middle Tennessee Chapter (~2,500 members) — among largest US chapters with healthcare specialty + cross-industry networking
Worth knowing before you sign
- −TN combined sales tax averages 9.55% (highest alongside LA) — regressive offset at coordinator / PM tiers
- −Nashville VP Programs comp ($585K top-end) trails NYC + Bay Area at top end — career-cap matters for senior directors
- −TN does not exempt groceries from sales tax (one of 13 states fully taxing food) — meaningful tax burden at lower tiers
- −Memphis logistics PM bench at FedEx + AutoZone is large but trajectory ceiling trails Nashville HQ corporate PM peers
- −Federal-research PM at ORNL + TVA requires 12-24 month clearance investigation — career pivot slow from corporate
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