Accountants and Auditors in Tennessee. BLS OES + DOL OFLC + reader-reported submissions. How this is built →
What the numbers say
The median wage for Accountants and Auditors in Tennessee was $75,500 in 2024, about 10.5% below the US median of $84,407. That gap is real, but it does not tell the whole story.
Tennessee's cost of living runs roughly 7.5% below the national average. After adjusting for what the money actually buys, the effective gap between Tennessee and the national figure closes to around 3%. A $75,500 paycheck in Nashville or Knoxville stretches further than the same number suggests on paper.
The spread within the state is wide. The bottom 10% of earners took in $50,400 in 2024. The top 10% reached $125,280. Top earners made about 2.5 times what those at the low end did. That gap reflects real differences in seniority, specialization, and the type of employer. A staff accountant at a regional firm and a senior auditor at a corporate finance department occupy the same occupation code but very different pay grades.
The mean wage of $82,310 sits well above the median of $75,500. A smaller group of higher-paid roles pulls the average up, which means the middle of the distribution is lower than the mean implies. For anyone benchmarking their own pay, the median is the more useful number.
BLS projects employment in this occupation to grow 4.6% from 2024 to 2034, in line with the average rate across all occupations. Tennessee employed about 26,890 Accountants and Auditors in 2024, a large base that supports steady turnover-driven openings even without outsized growth.
Salary distribution
Where Tennessee accountants and auditors fall on the wage curve.
Shaded band = interquartile range (where most full-time workers fall)
The middle 50% of workers earn between $62,430 and $94,790, with a median of $76,840.
Accountants and Auditors in Tennessee: actual employer-disclosed pay
Public records from 69 certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications filed with the U.S. Department of Labor. Median offered wage: $84,000. Every figure below is an actual offered salary an employer attested to under federal law.
By DOL wage level
DOL classifies every offer into one of four wage levels based on the role's experience and skill requirements.
| Level | Filings | Median offer |
|---|---|---|
| Level I — entry | 14 | $58,589 |
| Level II — qualified | 24 | $78,000 |
| Level III — experienced | 16 | $115,854 |
| Level IV — fully competent | 9 | $112,000 |
Top employers filing for this role
Companies with the most certified filings for Accountants and Auditors in Tennessee. Median offer is across all of that employer's filings.
| Employer | Most-filed title | Filings | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ernst & Young U.S. LLP | Accountants and Auditors - KBGFJG180206-7 | 27 | $86,596 |
| Deloitte & Touche LLP | Audit & Assurance In-Charge | 6 | $80,750 |
| Deloitte Tax LLP | Tax Manager | 4 | $85,315 |
| Cummins Inc. | Accountant | 3 | $71,635 |
| Amazon.com Services LLC | Financial Analyst III | 2 | $99,550 |
| AutoZone, Inc. | Accountant (Store Inventory) | 2 | $83,528 |
| Federal Express Corporation | Accounting Advisor | 2 | $87,755 |
| American Residential Services, LLC | Staff Accountant | 1 | $57,179 |
| Ayaan, Inc. | Group Accountant | 1 | $52,000 |
| Califa Group | Accountant | 1 | $90,000 |
Recent sample filings
A snapshot of recent certified offers. Each line is a real, public, verifiable record.
- Manager at PwC US Tax LLP$159,000NashvilleWage Level IIIDecided Mar 20, 2026I-200-26072-703040
- Accountants and Auditors - KBGFJG87167-19 at Ernst & Young U.S. LLP$120,850NashvilleWage Level IIIDecided Mar 9, 2026I-200-26061-671991
- Staff Accountant at Diksha & Harshil Drugs, LLC$80,000ChattanoogaWage Level IDecided Feb 12, 2026I-200-26036-623574
- Accountant at Cummins Inc.$80,194NashvilleDecided Feb 9, 2026I-200-26033-612518
- Tax Manager at White Olive CPA LLC$720,000FranklinWage Level IDecided Jan 14, 2026I-200-26008-543070
- Senior Accountant at Vanderbilt University$77,500NashvilleWage Level IIDecided Jan 13, 2026I-200-26006-536835
- Senior Accountant at K.S. Nagesh, CPA, P.C.$112,000NashvilleWage Level IVDecided Dec 23, 2025I-200-25350-488434
- Audit & Assurance Manager at Deloitte & Touche LLP$115,500NashvilleWage Level IVDecided Sep 3, 2025I-200-25238-268089
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor Certification. Disclosed wages reflect what employers attested to pay; actual paid wages may differ. Only certified filings are shown — denied and withdrawn cases are excluded.
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Accountants and Auditors pay by experience level in Tennessee
Each band reflects DOL Wage Levels I-IV mapped onto a four-step ladder. Click a level to see the disclosed-wage range for that segment.
Accountants and Auditors specialties in Tennessee
Real specialty titles employers file for, clustered from 45 certified offers. The most common variant is Accountants and Auditors - KBGFJG180206-7 at a median of $86,596.
| Specialty | Top employer | Filings | Median offer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accountants and Auditors - KBGFJG180206-7 | Ernst & Young U.S. LLP | 27 | $86,596 |
| Accountant | Cummins Inc. | 12 | $71,068 |
| Financial Analyst | Amazon.com Services LLC | 3 | $94,300 |
| Tax Manager | Deloitte Tax LLP | 3 | $116,000 |
Specialties with 10 or more filings link to a dedicated breakdown.
Accountants and Auditors in Tennessee, by industry
Median offered wage across 67 certified filings, grouped by NAICS industry sector. Professional services leads with a median of $84,196.
| Industry | Largest employer | Filings | Median offer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Professional services | Ernst & Young U.S. LLP | 45 | $84,196 |
| Retail and wholesale | Amazon.com Services LLC | 8 | $87,150 |
| Manufacturing | Cummins Inc. | 7 | $69,094 |
| Transportation and logistics | Federal Express Corporation | 2 | $87,755 |
| Technology and software | Califa Group | 2 | $100,000 |
| Finance and insurance | MASC Inc | 1 | $60,000 |
| Education | Vanderbilt University | 1 | $77,500 |
| Government and public sector | Shelby County Government | 1 | $82,680 |
Sectors with at least 25 filings link to a dedicated page with full distribution and sample employer breakdown.
Wage trend
Median annual wage in Tennessee over the past 3 BLS OES releases. Real values are CPI-adjusted to 2025 dollars.
Typical entry
Education
Bachelor's degree
Experience
None
On-the-job training
None
Top skills (O*NET)
- 4.7 / 5
Economics and Accounting
Knowledge
- 4.0 / 5
English Language
Knowledge
- 3.9 / 5
Deductive Reasoning
Ability
- 3.9 / 5
Active Listening
Basic skill
- 3.9 / 5
Reading Comprehension
Basic skill
- 3.9 / 5
Oral Expression
Ability
- 3.9 / 5
Written Comprehension
Ability
- 3.9 / 5
Mathematical Reasoning
Ability
Common tasks (O*NET)
- 01
Prepare detailed reports on audit findings.
- 02
Report to management about asset utilization and audit results, and recommend changes in operations and financial activities.
- 03
Collect and analyze data to detect deficient controls, duplicated effort, extravagance, fraud, or non-compliance with laws, regulations, and management policies.
- 04
Supervise auditing of establishments, and determine scope of investigation required.
- 05
Inspect account books and accounting systems for efficiency, effectiveness, and use of accepted accounting procedures to record transactions.
- 06
Examine and evaluate financial and information systems, recommending controls to ensure system reliability and data integrity.
- 07
Confer with company officials about financial and regulatory matters.
- 08
Inspect cash on hand, notes receivable and payable, negotiable securities, and canceled checks to confirm records are accurate.
10-year outlook
Growth 2024 → 2034
+4.6%
Projected annual openings
—
BLS outlook
Average growth
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034 cycle.
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Frequently asked questions
- What is the median salary for Accountants and Auditors in Tennessee?
- According to BLS Occupational Employment Statistics, the median annual wage for Accountants and Auditors in Tennessee is $76,840.
- How does Tennessee compare to the national median for Accountants and Auditors?
- The Tennessee median is -11.1% versus the BLS national figure of $86,427.
- What is the salary range for Accountants and Auditors in Tennessee?
- BLS reports the 10th-percentile annual wage at $49,920 and the 90th-percentile at $122,160, which captures most full-time workers in the role.
- Is Accountants and Auditors a growing field?
- BLS Employment Projections show employment growing by 4.6% over the projection cycle. See the 10-year outlook section above for details.
- What education is required for Accountants and Auditors?
- BLS lists the typical entry-level education as Bachelor's degree. Many employers also weigh prior experience and credentials.
Information on this page is for general educational purposes only. It is not career, financial, or tax advice. Wage data reflects BLS estimates for the reference year shown and may not match individual offers, employer-specific ranges, or current market conditions. Confirm with a licensed professional before making career or compensation decisions.