Lowest published bachelor’s starting pay → highest published maximum across degree lanes in the districts below. Years and eligibility vary.
Average salary
$61,222NEA 2024-25
Starting salary
$47,230NEA 2024-25
State minimum
$50,000See state terms
Districts sourced
8Official schedules
Tennessee teachers averaged $61,222 in 2024-25 per NEA, and the average starting salary was $47,230.
Tennessee teachers averaged $61,222 in 2024-25 per NEA, and the average starting salary was $47,230. The State Board of Education raised the state minimum salary for 2026-27 to $50,000 for a new teacher with a bachelor's degree, up from $47,000. Among the eight largest districts with posted 2026-27 schedules, bachelor's starting pay runs from $50,003.78 in Hamilton County to $54,521.41 in Metro Nashville, and top base salaries in the highest lanes reach about $97,000.
Clarksville-Montgomery County School System · 2026-27 · Annual base salary by published step. Darker cells indicate higher pay; every cell shows its amount. Doctorate pay not published in this schedule.
Knox County Schools · 2026-27 · Annual base salary by published step. Darker cells indicate higher pay; every cell shows its amount. Doctorate pay not published in this schedule.
Step
Bachelor’s
Master’s
0
$50,090
$54,031
1
$50,942
$54,883
2
$51,795
$55,736
3
$52,647
$56,588
4
$53,500
$57,441
5
$56,987
$60,928
6
$57,840
$61,781
7
$58,692
$62,633
8
$59,545
$63,486
9
$60,397
$64,338
10
$63,885
$67,826
11
$64,737
$68,678
12
$65,590
$69,531
13
$66,442
$70,383
14
$67,295
$71,236
15
$70,782
$74,723
16
$71,635
$75,576
17
$72,487
$76,428
18
$73,340
$77,281
19
$74,115
$78,056
20
$77,602
$81,543
District pay rankings.
Ranked by highest published maximum across degree lanes. Annual base pay, by education level. Years and contract terms can differ; open each schedule before comparing.
Select a column heading to sort. Scroll the table horizontally for more columns. Missing values are marked “Not published”.
Largest districts included in this guide, sorted by published top pay. Starting pay is the bachelor’s entry rate; top pay is the highest published maximum across degree lanes.
━ Bachelor’s start▨ Top pay · all degree lanes
Metro Nashville Public Schools2026-27
BA start $54,521
Top $96,981
Williamson County Schools2026-27
BA start $52,124
Top $93,510
Hamilton County Schools2026-27
BA start $50,004
Top $92,606
Memphis-Shelby County Schools2026-27
BA start $51,828
Top $90,575
Clarksville-Montgomery County School System2026-27
BA start $51,000
Top $87,134
Sumner County Schools2026-27
BA start $50,500
Top $84,761
Wilson County Schools2026-27
BA start $50,016
Top $84,643
Knox County Schools2026-27
BA start $50,090
Top $81,543
Rutherford County SchoolsYear not published
Schedule not published
Sevier County SchoolsYear not published
Schedule not published
Annual base salary on a shared zero-based scale. Top pay can require advanced qualifications and many years of service. Missing values are not zero.View district chart data
Published district pay
District
Year
BA start
Top pay
Metro Nashville Public Schools
2026-27
$54,521
$96,981
Williamson County Schools
2026-27
$52,124
$93,510
Hamilton County Schools
2026-27
$50,004
$92,606
Memphis-Shelby County Schools
2026-27
$51,828
$90,575
Clarksville-Montgomery County School System
2026-27
$51,000
$87,134
Sumner County Schools
2026-27
$50,500
$84,761
Wilson County Schools
2026-27
$50,016
$84,643
Knox County Schools
2026-27
$50,090
$81,543
Rutherford County Schools
Not published
Not published
Not published
Sevier County Schools
Not published
Not published
Not published
Experience & progression
How pay grows by step
Bachelor’s lane · 5 districts with numeric step data
Memphis-Shelby County Schools2026-27
Metro Nashville Public Schools2026-27
Knox County Schools2026-27
Hamilton County Schools2026-27
Williamson County Schools2026-27
Lines connect published observations, not estimated salaries for missing steps. A step is not always a year of service. District placement rules and schedule years vary.View step progression data
Average pay describes the workforce; a minimum is a floor subject to state rules. These measures can cover different years and are not equivalent starting offers.View salary context data
State and national salary measures
Measure
Amount
Context
Tennessee average
$61,222
NEA 2024-25
State minimum
$50,000
See state minimum terms below
National average
$74,495
Reporting year not published
State minimum salary
$50,000
The State Board of Education's State Minimum Salary Schedule for FY 2026-27 (final reading July 31, 2026, under T.C.A. 49-3-306(a)(1)) sets $50,000 as the base for a bachelor's degree with zero years of experience, up $3,000 from $47,000; the step-by-step attachment was not read. NEA average salary is FY 2024-25 (Rankings & Estimates, August 2026); starting salary is the NEA Teacher Salary Benchmark, FY 2024-25. District enrollment is the TDOE 2024-25 School Profile file, summed by district.
Match the school year, degree lane and credited experience. The published maximum is not a promise of starting placement. Confirm contract days, supplements and eligibility in each district’s official schedule.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I find Tennessee district salary schedules?
Use the district comparison table on this page to open a district guide and its official salary schedule. Each source is linked with a verification date.
Does a master’s degree change the salary?
Check the master’s lane in the district’s published schedule. Degree supplements and placement rules vary; a missing value here does not mean there is no additional pay.