UX Designer Salary in Tennessee (2026)
The average UX Designer in Tennessee earns around $98,000/year. After taxes, your estimated take-home is $77,773/year ($6,481/month).
Take-Home Pay Breakdown
| Category | Amount |
|---|---|
Annual Take-Home Pay | $77,773 |
Monthly Take-Home Pay | $6,481 |
Biweekly Take-Home Pay | $2,991 |
Hourly Take-Home Pay based on 2,080 hrs/year | $37/hr |
Federal Tax | $12,730 |
State Tax | $0 |
FICA Taxes | $7,497 |
Effective Tax Rate total taxes ÷ gross salary | 20.64% |
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UX Designer Salary Ranges in Tennessee
Not all UX Designers earn the same — not even close
TN UX splits across four coherent tracks. Tech corporate (Asurion + Oracle Nashville + AllianceBernstein + Amazon HQ East) drives the senior comp tier. Healthcare digital health (HCA + Vanderbilt UMC + Methodist Le Bonheur + Ardent Health) is the TN-distinctive specialty. Consumer brand digital (Bridgestone + Nissan + Dollar General + Tractor Supply + Cracker Barrel + FedEx app + AutoZone app) carries the volume bench. Music Row digital + Christian music + entertainment app UX (label apps + streaming + tour management) rounds out the niche track.
VP Design / CDO (Asurion / Oracle / HCA Digital)
$385,000–$885,000+ cash + RSU
Asurion · Oracle Nashville · HCA digital health · Bridgestone · executive design tier · RSU heavy at public HQs
Senior Director Design
$285,000–$485,000 + RSU
Asurion · Oracle · AllianceBernstein · HCA digital health · 12-18 yrs · multi-org design ownership
Principal Designer / Design Director
$195,000–$345,000 + RSU
Asurion principal · Oracle · 10-15 yrs · org design leadership · staff IC alternative
Staff / Lead UX Designer
$155,000–$235,000 + RSU
Asurion staff · Oracle · 7-12 yrs · cross-team execution + complex product ownership
Senior UX Designer
$115,000–$175,000 + RSU
Asurion senior · Oracle · 4-7 yrs · interaction + visual + research depth
UX Designer (Mid-Career)
$95,000–$135,000
2-4 yrs · channel or campaign design · Belmont + Vanderbilt + UT Knoxville feeders
Product Marketing Manager Designer
$125,000–$215,000 + RSU
PMM-track designer at Asurion · Oracle · Bridgestone · GTM + competitive positioning specialty
Healthcare Digital Health Designer (HCA / Vanderbilt UMC)
$105,000–$195,000
HCA digital health · Vanderbilt UMC patient portal · Methodist · telemedicine + clinical-staff tools
Music Industry App Designer
$95,000–$215,000
Music Row labels · streaming + tour management + sync platforms · BMI / ASCAP / SESAC digital · Belmont entry path
UX Designer (New-Grad)
$75,000–$105,000
New-grad · Belmont University Mike Curb College + Vanderbilt + UT Knoxville design programs
Worth knowing: Healthcare digital health UX is the TN-distinctive specialty no other US market matches at this depth. HCA Healthcare (~190 hospitals + ~50 surgery centers + ambulatory care) plus Vanderbilt UMC plus Methodist Le Bonheur plus Ardent Health plus Lifepoint health systems together drive the largest US healthcare digital design bench outside Boston (Mass General / Brigham) and Bay Area (Stanford Medicine). Patient portal UX, telemedicine UX, clinical-staff workflow tools (Epic plus Cerner integration), nurse-station tablet UX, physician-facing scheduling + documentation tools all anchor on the Nashville healthcare cluster. Senior healthcare digital UX designers at HCA + Vanderbilt UMC clear $145-235K cash + benefits. Music Row digital (streaming platform UX, tour management apps, label artist-dashboard tools, sync licensing platforms, plus BMI / ASCAP / SESAC digital systems) is a parallel TN-distinctive niche — Belmont University Mike Curb College of Entertainment + Music Business is the dominant entry path.
The TN UX market — Asurion + Oracle Nashville tech, HCA digital health, Bridgestone consumer brand, Music Row apps
0%
TN state income tax — RSU vests + cash + bonus all tax-free at state level
~150+
Asurion Nashville UX bench — largest single TN design concentration
~80+
HCA Healthcare digital health designers — TN-distinctive specialty no inland match
~9K
Oracle Nashville jobs by 2031 — scaling cloud + database + Fusion ERP UX bench
UX designers are exempt under the Learned or Creative Professional exemption (advanced knowledge plus invention / imagination / talent + originality). Salaried with bonus + equity components — heavy at publicly-traded Asurion (private under Madison Dearborn but cash-equivalent equity), Oracle Nashville, AllianceBernstein, HCA Healthcare, Bridgestone, Dollar General, Tractor Supply, FedEx. No professional licensure required.
Asurion Nashville HQ is the largest single TN UX design bench — ~150+ designers across the mobile-protection + tech-insurance + claims-processing platforms supporting ~300M+ end users globally. Asurion's design organization includes consumer-facing app UX (Asurion app + carrier-branded protection apps for AT&T / Verizon / T-Mobile), claims-processing tool UX, plus customer-experience platform design. Senior Asurion staff designers clear $195-285K cash + cash-equivalent equity.
Oracle Nashville UX is the scaling growth area. Oracle's Cumberland riverfront campus (under construction through 2031, ~9K jobs eventually) is bringing senior cloud + database + Fusion ERP UX designers from the Austin TX + Redwood Shores CA Oracle footprint. Oracle's IC-T1 through IC-T6 leveling plus 4-year vesting transferred from Austin pattern. Senior Oracle UX (IC-T4-T5) clears $185-285K TC.
HCA Healthcare digital health UX is the TN-distinctive specialty. HCA's digital transformation push since 2020 (post-pandemic telemedicine acceleration plus EHR consolidation) drives ~80+ HCA designers across patient portal, telemedicine, clinical-staff workflow tools, Epic + Cerner integration UX, nurse-station tablet UX. Vanderbilt UMC adds parallel digital health design. Methodist Le Bonheur + Ardent Health + Lifepoint round out the Nashville healthcare digital design ecosystem.
Consumer brand digital UX is the TN volume bench. Bridgestone Americas (consumer tire app + retailer-facing fleet UX + B2B logistics platform), Dollar General app + retail UX, Tractor Supply digital, Cracker Barrel digital ordering, FedEx Memphis digital logistics UX, AutoZone retail app. Senior consumer brand UX directors at these companies clear $185-285K cash + . The Nashville consumer brand HQ density supports career mobility between these benches.
Music Row digital + entertainment app UX is the TN-distinctive niche. Big Machine + UMG Nashville + Sony Music Nashville + Warner Music Nashville + BMI + ASCAP + SESAC + label-management software + streaming platform UX + tour management apps + sync licensing platforms. Music industry UX is different from corporate UX — relationships + artist-services + project-based work patterns. Belmont University Mike Curb College of Entertainment + Music Business is the dominant entry path.
Tennessee as a UX designer — Asurion + Oracle Nashville tech, HCA digital health, Bridgestone consumer, Music Row + Memphis FedEx
Nashville tech UX concentrates on Asurion HQ (Charlotte Avenue downtown) plus Oracle Cumberland campus (under construction) plus AllianceBernstein Nashville Yards plus Amazon HQ East. Asurion's ~150+ UX bench is the largest single TN concentration. Oracle's scaling tech UX bench transferring from Austin TX patterns. AllianceBernstein institutional-investment dashboard UX. Amazon HQ East scaling logistics + retail UX.
HCA Healthcare digital health UX runs from the One Park Plaza campus across ~80+ designers supporting telemedicine, patient portal, clinical-staff workflow tools, plus Epic + Cerner integration UX. The 2020+ digital transformation push drove sustained healthcare design hiring. Vanderbilt UMC adds parallel digital health design depth + research collaboration with Vanderbilt's School of Engineering + iSchool program.
Consumer brand digital UX is genuinely important in TN. Bridgestone Americas (tire app + fleet UX + B2B logistics), Dollar General (app + retail), Tractor Supply (digital), Cracker Barrel (digital ordering), AutoZone Memphis (retail + app), FedEx Memphis (logistics + tracking + customer app). The Nashville + Memphis consumer brand HQ cluster supports career mobility between these benches.
Music Row + entertainment digital is the TN-distinctive niche. Label artist-dashboard tools at Big Machine + UMG + Sony + Warner Music Nashville. BMI + ASCAP + SESAC digital licensing systems. Streaming platform integration UX (Spotify Nashville office, Apple Music country, Amazon Music country, Pandora). Tour management apps + sync licensing platforms. Belmont University Mike Curb College of Entertainment + Music Business is the dominant entry path.
How TN taxes work for UX designers — 0% income, RSU-heavy comp tax efficiency, federal-AGI conformity
TN charges 0% state income tax — substantial advantage at every UX comp tier. At Senior UX $145K cash + $60K annual vest, TN saves $16,000+ versus CA's 8.0% blended or NY's 7.5%. At Principal Designer $285K cash + $120K RSU, TN saves $32,000+ versus CA. Over a 20-25 year design career, the TN-vs-CA delta 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 CDO / VP Design 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 Principal Designer at $285K cash + $120K 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.
TN combined sales tax averages 9.55% (highest alongside LA) — regressive offset at new-grad + mid-career tiers ($75-135K). At Senior + 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. Asurion (75% match on first 6% = 4.5% effective — most generous in TN tech), Oracle Nashville (50% on first 6% = 3%), AllianceBernstein (50% on first 6%), HCA (50% on first 9% = 4.5%), Bridgestone (50% on first 6% = 3%). Federal positions at TVA + ORNL combine FERS pension + match up to 5%.
- →Max your ($24,500 in 2026). At TN 0% state plus federal 22-32% brackets, every $1,000 deferred saves $220-$320. At Principal Designer $285K+ in the 32-35% bracket, $320-$350.
- → at large-employer plans. §415(c) cap $72,000 (2026). Asurion, Oracle Nashville, AllianceBernstein, HCA all 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 of after-tax space into perpetual Roth tax-free growth.
- →Healthcare digital health UX specialty commands 15-25% premium over generalist UX at equivalent experience. Epic + Cerner integration UX + clinical workflow understanding + HIPAA + HITECH regulatory depth is scarce talent. Senior healthcare digital UX at HCA + Vanderbilt UMC clear $185-285K cash + benefits.
- →Tech UX at Asurion + Oracle Nashville commands 20-30% premium over non-tech UX. Asurion's leveling + Oracle's Austin-pattern comp transferred to Nashville means Senior + Principal Designer TC routinely $245-385K with vesting streams by year 10.
- →Music industry app UX is relationship + project-based. Belmont University Mike Curb College pipeline is the dominant entry path — 5-7 years of label / streaming / tour management UX experience plus established music-industry relationships open Senior Designer roles at $135-215K cash + performance bonuses.
Three TN metros for UX designers — Nashville Asurion + Oracle + HCA, Memphis FedEx + AutoZone, Knoxville UT + smaller bench
TN UX splits sharply by region + industry. Nashville is Asurion + Oracle + HCA + AllianceBernstein + Amazon HQ East + Bridgestone + Dollar General + Tractor Supply + Cracker Barrel + Music Row digital. Memphis is FedEx + AutoZone + International Paper. Knoxville is UT Knoxville iSchool + smaller corporate bench.
Nashville (Asurion / Oracle / HCA Digital Health / Music Row)
New-grad $75-105K · Sr UX $115-175K · Staff $155-235K · Principal $195-345K · Sr Director $285-485K · CDO $385-885K+ RSUTN's UX core. Asurion Nashville (~150+ UX). Oracle Nashville (scaling through 2031). HCA Healthcare digital health (~80+ designers). AllianceBernstein institutional-investment UX. Amazon HQ East. Bridgestone consumer + B2B fleet UX. Dollar General app + retail UX. Tractor Supply digital. Cracker Barrel digital ordering. Music Row digital + label dashboards + streaming platforms. Belmont University Mike Curb College pipeline.
Belle Meade / Forest Hills ($1.4-3.5M+ Senior Director / VP), Green Hills / Oak Hill ($875K-$2.4M Director), Hillsboro Village / Germantown ($550K-$1.2M Senior UX walkable), Brentwood / Franklin ($750K-$2.5M family-stage corporate). Davidson County 0.71% property tax effective.
Memphis (FedEx / AutoZone / International Paper)
New-grad $70-95K · Sr UX $105-155K · Staff $135-205K · Principal $165-285K · Sr Director $245-385KTN's logistics + retail UX corridor. FedEx Memphis digital logistics UX + tracking + customer app + supply chain dashboards. AutoZone retail + commercial customer app. International Paper Memphis enterprise customer dashboards. Methodist Le Bonheur + UTHSC Med District adds healthcare digital. Memphis UX bench is smaller than Nashville but FedEx-anchored logistics UX is distinctive.
East Memphis ($425-825K SF Sr UX / Staff), Germantown / Collierville ($550-1,150K family senior + Principal), Midtown ($375-750K historic urban), Bartlett ($425-825K family). Shelby County 1.31% property tax effective.
Knoxville / East TN (UT + Smaller Corporate Bench)
New-grad $65-90K · Sr UX $95-145K · Staff $125-185K · Principal $155-245KEast TN's UX corridor. UT Knoxville iSchool + UT design programs feed the talent pipeline. Pilot Flying J digital UX (Berkshire-owned). Scripps / Discovery Knoxville digital media UX. TVA digital (federal corp). Eastman Chemical B2B + customer dashboards. UT Knoxville research dashboards. Smaller bench than Nashville / Memphis but growing.
Sequoyah Hills ($550-950K Senior + Principal), West Knoxville ($385-725K family), Bearden ($325-625K established), Farragut ($425-725K family). Knox County 0.85% property tax effective.
The TN UX designer career arc — new-grad through CDO / VP Design
TN UX careers typically start with Belmont University Mike Curb College of Entertainment + Music Business, Vanderbilt School of Engineering + iSchool, UT Knoxville iSchool + Design, Tennessee Tech, MTSU, or out-of-state programs (CMU HCI, RISD, Parsons, ArtCenter, SCAD, Stanford d.school). New-grad UX Designer entry $75-105K cash + at Asurion / Oracle / HCA / AllianceBernstein / Bridgestone. Portfolio + design challenge interviews are the standard pipeline.
Senior UX Designer (years 3-7): comp $115-175K cash + . Asurion senior / Oracle IC-T3-T4. Specialty depth fork between IC excellence (Staff → Principal → Senior Principal) versus management (Design Manager → Director). Healthcare digital health UX specialty (HCA + Vanderbilt UMC) opens 15-25% premium career path. Music Row digital specialty is relationship-driven, slower trajectory but distinctive.
Staff / Lead / Principal Designer (years 7-12): comp $155-345K cash + . Asurion staff + Oracle IC-T4-T5. Cross-team design leadership + complex product ownership + mentoring. RSU vest streams from prior years compound — Principal total comp routinely exceeds $285K at Asurion + Oracle Nashville by year 12. In-house lateral between Asurion + Oracle + HCA + Bridgestone is the dominant career-arc move.
Senior Director / VP Design / CDO (years 12+): Senior Director Design at Asurion / Oracle / AllianceBernstein $285-485K cash + . VP Design at HCA + Bridgestone + Nissan $385-685K cash + RSU. CDO at Asurion / scale-stage Nashville tech $485K-$1.2M cash + RSU. TN's 0% income tax + 0.71% property tax + lighter compliance landscape produce favorable senior-design wealth accumulation versus CA / NY / OR peers.
Where TN UX designers live — Belle Meade, Green Hills, Brentwood, plus East Memphis + Music Row walkable
TN UX designers cluster by region + corridor. Nashville Asurion + Oracle + HCA + Bridgestone gravitate to downtown townhomes (new-grad / Senior UX), Hillsboro Village / Germantown (Staff), Green Hills (Principal), Belle Meade / Forest Hills (Senior Director / VP / CDO). Music Row designers live walkable in The Gulch / 12 South / Wedgewood-Houston. Memphis FedEx + AutoZone to East Memphis / Germantown.
Belle Meade / Forest Hills (Senior Director / VP Design)
5-15 min downtown · top-tier · $1.4-3.5M+ SF · primary CDO / VP Design residential
Green Hills / Oak Hill (Nashville Principal)
10-20 min downtown · $875K-$2.4M SF · mid-career Principal + Staff Designer standard
Hillsboro Village / Germantown (Sr / Staff walkable)
5-15 min downtown · $550K-$1.2M SF · Sr UX + Staff Designer walkable urban
The Gulch / 12 South / Wedgewood-Houston (Music Row walkable)
Walk to Music Row · $650K-$1.4M townhomes · music industry digital UX residential
Brentwood / Franklin (Williamson Co Nissan + Tractor Supply)
20-30 min downtown · $750K-$2.5M family-stage · top schools · in-house corporate
East Memphis (Memphis Sr UX / Staff)
10-15 min downtown · $425-825K SF · FedEx + AutoZone Sr UX + Staff
Germantown / Collierville (Memphis family senior)
20-30 min downtown · $550-1,150K SF · top schools · in-house Principal + Senior Director
Sequoyah Hills (Knoxville UT + tech)
5-10 min downtown · $550-950K SF · senior UT + corporate UX residential
TN public transit is minimal — Nashville WeGo, Memphis MATA, Knoxville KAT serve downtown but most UX designers commute via personal vehicle. The Gulch + 12 South + Wedgewood-Houston are walkable for music industry digital UX professionals — a notable exception. I-65 Nashville-Franklin + I-40 Nashville-Memphis are intercity arteries.
Is this the right move?
TN for UX designers — who it actually works for
Working in your favor
- +TN 0% state income tax — substantial advantage at every comp tier, especially RSU-heavy Senior + Principal tiers at Asurion / Oracle / HCA / AllianceBernstein
- +Asurion Nashville (~150+ UX) + Oracle Nashville (scaling through 2031) + HCA Healthcare digital health (~80+ designers) is the deepest non-coastal TN UX concentration
- +Healthcare digital health UX specialty (HCA + Vanderbilt UMC + Methodist + Ardent + Lifepoint) is TN-distinctive 15-25% premium career track no inland state matches
- +Music Row digital + entertainment app UX (label dashboards + streaming + tour management + sync licensing) is TN-distinctive niche — Belmont University Mike Curb pipeline
- +Career mobility between Asurion / Oracle / HCA / AllianceBernstein / Bridgestone / Dollar General / FedEx is high; senior design talent flows freely between these HQs
Worth knowing before you sign
- −TN combined sales tax averages 9.55% (highest alongside LA) — regressive offset at new-grad + mid-career tiers
- −Nashville CDO / VP Design comp ($885K top-end) trails Bay Area + NYC + Seattle at the very top end — career-cap matters for senior directors weighing relocation
- −TN UX bench is smaller than WA / Bay Area / NYC — fewer lateral options for AI / ML / Design Systems / Accessibility specialty depth than coastal markets
- −Music Row entry requires deep music-industry relationships — not credential-driven; hard to break in without Belmont pipeline or prior label / radio experience
- −Memphis UX bench is smaller than Nashville — career-trajectory ceiling for senior Memphis UX trails Nashville HQ peers
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