Tennessee never taxed wages, even when it had an income tax. The old Hall income tax reached only interest from bonds and notes and dividends from stock, and it has since been repealed entirely, so Tennessee now has no tax on any kind of personal income. For a paycheck, the practical result is that there is no state line, no state withholding certificate and no city or county wage tax anywhere in the state.
What comes out of a Tennessee paycheck is federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare, plus any deductions you choose such as health premiums or retirement savings. There is no state disability or family leave contribution either. So the federal W-4 is the only tax form that changes your take-home pay, and adjusting it is the one lever you have over withholding.
Border commuting is where Tennessee paychecks get more involved. Tennessee shares a border with more states than almost any other, and every one of those neighbors taxes wages. Someone living in Memphis and working in Mississippi or Arkansas, or living near Bristol and working on the Virginia side, has that state’s tax withheld, and there is no Tennessee tax for a credit to reduce. Kentucky residents crossing into Clarksville and Georgia residents working in Chattanooga face the opposite situation: nothing is withheld for Tennessee, but their home states still tax those wages and may expect withholding or estimated payments.
Since no state tax applies, each pre-tax dollar you put into a traditional 401(k) or an HSA saves federal income tax only, and HSA contributions made through payroll also avoid Social Security and Medicare. The 401(k) paycheck impact calculator shows that trade in dollars. Workers in tipped jobs, which are common across Nashville’s hospitality trade, may also want the no tax on tips calculator to see the federal deduction for qualified tips. The calculator below covers salaried and hourly pay at any frequency.
How Tennessee taxes your paycheck
State income tax withholding
Tennessee has no state income tax on wages, so nothing is withheld for it and there is no state withholding certificate to fill in. Federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare are withheld as everywhere else.
City and county taxes
No Tennessee city or county taxes wages either, so a Tennessee pay stub carries only the federal lines.
Living in one state and working in another
With no income tax, Tennessee has nothing to withhold from people who commute in. If you live in Tennessee and work in a state that taxes wages, that state withholds and Tennessee gives nothing back, because there is no Tennessee tax to credit it against.
Tennessee take-home pay by salary
Net pay per paycheck at each salary, single with no 401(k), benefits or extra withholding, living and working in Tennessee. It runs from $1,010.96 every two weeks on $30,000 to $4,376.58 on $150,000. For a 401(k), health premiums or a different filing status, use the calculator above.
| Salary | Weekly | Every two weeks | Twice a month | Monthly | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $30,000 | $505.47 | $1,010.96 | $1,095.20 | $2,190.42 | $26,285 |
| $40,000 | $660.01 | $1,320.00 | $1,430.00 | $2,860.00 | $34,320 |
| $50,000 | $814.52 | $1,629.05 | $1,764.78 | $3,529.59 | $42,355 |
| $60,000 | $969.04 | $1,938.07 | $2,099.58 | $4,199.17 | $50,390 |
| $75,000 | $1,184.48 | $2,368.94 | $2,566.36 | $5,132.70 | $61,592 |
| $90,000 | $1,387.40 | $2,774.81 | $3,006.04 | $6,012.08 | $72,145 |
| $100,000 | $1,522.70 | $3,045.38 | $3,299.17 | $6,598.33 | $79,180 |
| $125,000 | $1,859.68 | $3,719.36 | $4,029.31 | $8,058.63 | $96,703 |
| $150,000 | $2,188.29 | $4,376.58 | $4,741.29 | $9,482.58 | $113,791 |
Hourly pay after tax in Tennessee
At 40 hours a week, $25.00 an hour comes to $845.42 in a weekly paycheck and $43,962 over the year, which is $21.14 for each hour worked. Overtime, tips and a different schedule change these figures: switch the calculator to its Hourly tab to enter them.
| Hourly wage | Weekly paycheck | Year | Per hour after tax |
|---|---|---|---|
| $15.00 | $524.02 | $27,249 | $13.10 |
| $20.00 | $684.72 | $35,606 | $17.12 |
| $25.00 | $845.42 | $43,962 | $21.14 |
| $30.00 | $1,006.12 | $52,319 | $25.15 |
| $40.00 | $1,295.41 | $67,361 | $32.39 |
| $50.00 | $1,576.81 | $81,994 | $39.42 |
Worked example: the median wage in Tennessee
The median annual wage in Tennessee is $47,380: half of all jobs pay more and half pay less, in the Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey for May 2025 (all occupations; survey date May 31, 2025). Paid every two weeks as a single filer, with no 401(k) or benefits, that salary works out like this.
| Line | Each paycheck | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $1,822.31 | $47,380.00 |
| Federal income tax | $134.83 | $3,505.57 |
| Social Security | $112.98 | $2,937.48 |
| Medicare | $26.42 | $686.92 |
| Tennessee income tax | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Take-home pay | $1,548.08 | $40,250.03 |
You keep 85.0% of gross pay. Of the $7,130 withheld, federal income tax is the largest part at $3,506, followed by Social Security at $2,937.
Tennessee paycheck questions
How much is $47,380 a year after taxes in Tennessee?
Paid every two weeks as a single filer with no pre-tax deductions, $47,380 a year in Tennessee leaves $40,250 after tax, or $1,548.08 a paycheck. Federal income tax takes $3,506 and Social Security and Medicare $3,624. $47,380 is the median annual wage for all jobs in Tennessee in the Bureau of Labor Statistics survey for May 2025.
Does Tennessee have a state income tax?
No. Tennessee does not tax wages, and it has no state payroll levy on employees, so a paycheck there loses only federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare.
What is $75,000 a year biweekly in Tennessee?
$2,368.94 a paycheck, single, with no 401(k) or other deductions. Paid twice a month it is $2,566.36, and monthly $5,132.70. Over the year that is $61,592.
Sources
Rules checked . How we calculate.