Tennessee · Occupational wage benchmark
Sales Managers Salary in Tennessee
What Sales Managers actually earn in Tennessee — the published BLS median, what it is worth after local costs, and how it ranks against every other state.
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) (May 2024 estimates (published April 2025)), Tennessee state estimates for SOC 11-2022; cost-of-living adjustment derived from U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis — Regional Price Parities (RPP) (2024). Occupational wage benchmarks across all workers, not MBA-specific outcomes.
- Median annual wage
- $128,040
- Sales Managers in Tennessee
- Adjusted for cost of living
- $139,371
- Tennessee price level 91.9 (U.S. = 100)
- Rank among states
- #37 of 50
- #32 after cost of living
- Workers employed
- 12,270
- in Tennessee
What Sales Managers earn in Tennessee, adjusted for what it costs to live there
A headline wage only means something next to local prices. Once local prices are accounted for, Tennessee moves up 5 places — the paycheck stretches further than the nominal figure suggests.
| State | Median (nominal) | Adjusted for cost of living |
|---|---|---|
| New York | $217,640 | $201,666 |
| Massachusetts | $191,200 | $180,792 |
| Virginia | $191,130 | $189,043 |
| Colorado | $180,850 | $175,494 |
| Washington | $174,000 | $162,597 |
| New Jersey | $173,020 | $159,018 |
| Connecticut | $162,110 | $156,462 |
| Kansas | $159,990 | $177,632 |
| Georgia | $159,890 | $166,045 |
| Maine | $158,660 | $163,483 |
| Oregon | $155,810 | $150,744 |
| Illinois | $155,280 | $155,345 |
| Rhode Island | $154,970 | $151,515 |
| Minnesota | $151,670 | $153,791 |
| North Carolina | $150,470 | $159,521 |
| Arizona | $145,690 | $144,710 |
| New Hampshire | $141,900 | $136,226 |
| District of Columbia | $141,800 | $129,025 |
| Vermont | $138,650 | $141,540 |
| Maryland | $137,150 | $130,670 |
| Michigan | $136,870 | $142,251 |
| Utah | $136,520 | $138,089 |
| South Dakota | $136,360 | $153,930 |
| Texas | $136,020 | $140,144 |
| Ohio | $135,510 | $146,065 |
| Idaho | $135,350 | $141,737 |
| California | $134,910 | $121,848 |
| Wisconsin | $134,870 | $143,334 |
| Iowa | $134,010 | $152,697 |
| Florida | $131,900 | $127,546 |
| Indiana | $131,470 | $140,867 |
| South Carolina | $131,080 | $139,820 |
| Pennsylvania | $130,610 | $133,860 |
| Wyoming | $129,840 | $140,078 |
| Oklahoma | $128,920 | $146,762 |
| Kentucky | $128,650 | $142,692 |
| Tennessee | $128,040 | $139,371 |
| Nebraska | $126,990 | $140,939 |
| Alabama | $124,040 | $139,649 |
| North Dakota | $119,990 | $134,882 |
| Montana | $117,390 | $124,032 |
| Hawaii | $116,340 | $105,811 |
| Missouri | $115,370 | $127,036 |
| New Mexico | $114,080 | $123,715 |
| Louisiana | $110,700 | $125,500 |
| Nevada | $109,790 | $109,813 |
| Mississippi | $108,750 | $125,068 |
| Arkansas | $108,330 | $124,607 |
| Alaska | $98,860 | $96,582 |
| West Virginia | $94,830 | $105,959 |
Nominal medians: BLS OEWS, May 2024 estimates (published April 2025) — occupational wage benchmarks across all workers, not MBA-specific outcomes. Adjusted column: SalaryMBA estimate, computed as nominal ÷ (state RPP ÷ 100) using BEA RPP 2024 all-items regional price parities. An adjusted figure is a purchasing-power comparison, not a wage anyone is paid.
The national pay range for Sales Managers
BLS publishes the full percentile distribution nationally. It shows the spread within the occupation — the gap between the 10th and 90th percentile is usually far wider than the gap between states.
| Percentile (national) | Annual wage | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $73,170 | Entry / early-career end |
| 25th percentile | $100,360 | |
| Median (50th) | $148,270 | |
| 75th percentile | $207,340 | |
| 90th percentile | $290,540 | Senior / top-market end |
Other MBA-relevant roles in Tennessee
How to read the Tennessee number
The $128,040 median means half of Sales Managers in Tennessee earn less and half earn more. It is measured across everyone in the occupation — every level of experience, every industry, and every level of education. It is not the salary of a recent MBA graduate, and it is not a starting salary.
BLS counts roughly 12,270 people in this role in Tennessee. The national percentile spread above is the more useful planning tool: within a single occupation, the distance between the 10th and 90th percentile typically dwarfs the difference between states. Where you land inside that range is driven far more by industry, function, and seniority than by geography.
What this data can and cannot tell you
This page answers “what does this role pay here.” It cannot answer “what will an MBA pay me here.” The BLS surveys establishments about occupations, not degrees, so no MBA premium can be isolated from it. Any site presenting these figures as MBA salaries is overstating what the source supports.
For MBA-specific figures we rely on cited school employment reports and moderated submissions, published only above our sample-size gates — see our methodology. To model your own economics, the MBA ROI calculator turns a target salary, tuition, and debt into a payback estimate.
Frequently asked questions
How much do Sales Managers make in Tennessee?
Sales Managers in Tennessee earn a median of $128,040 per year, according to BLS OEWS May 2024 estimates (published April 2025). That is -13.6% vs national, ranking Tennessee #37 of 50 states with published data for this role. This is an occupational wage benchmark measured across all workers in the occupation, not an MBA-graduate-specific salary.
Is $128,040 a good salary for Sales Managers in Tennessee?
It depends on local prices. Tennessee's overall price level is 91.9 against a U.S. average of 100, so a $128,040 salary there has roughly the purchasing power of $139,371 nationally — about $11,331 more than the headline number implies. Once local prices are accounted for, Tennessee moves up 5 places — the paycheck stretches further than the nominal figure suggests.
Do Sales Managers in Tennessee need an MBA?
These BLS figures cover everyone in the occupation regardless of degree, so they cannot tell you what an MBA specifically adds. Sales Managers is a role MBA graduates commonly target, and an MBA can affect where you land within the range through network, function, and seniority — but any claim of a precise MBA premium for this role in Tennessee would not be supported by this data. Verified MBA-specific outcomes are collected separately and published only once they clear our sample-size gates.
Why is housing cost relevant to Sales Managers pay in Tennessee?
Housing is the single largest driver of geographic cost differences. Tennessee's housing price level is 79.1 against a U.S. average of 100 — well below average, which meaningfully stretches local pay. Overall prices there sit at 91.9.
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