Tennessee · CFO Salary
CFO Salary in Tennessee
What CFOs earn in Tennessee — an estimated median and range built on the verified BLS OEWS May 2025 wage for accountants and auditors in the state.
Estimate · verified BLS Tennessee wage ($76,840) → CFO role multiplier · updated June 2026
How much does a CFO make in Tennessee?
Verified: the BLS OEWS May 2025 Tennessee wage for Accountants & Auditors (SOC 13-2011). The CFO figure is a modeled Estimate layered on it — BLS publishes no role-specific wage.
CFO · estimated median
$299,700
Modeled median for a CFO in Tennessee, scaled from the verified BLS state wage.
Model your payTennessee · verified BLS median
$76,840
The measured OEWS May 2025 median for accountants & auditors in Tennessee — the base every estimate here is built on.
All Tennessee payState rank (verified)
#38 of 51
Where Tennessee ranks on the BLS-measured median for accountants & auditors.
Compare statesVerified baseline
The BLS measurement behind this page
BLS OEWS May 2025 reports wages for the broad occupation "Accountants and Auditors" (SOC 13-2011) in Tennessee — not for CFOs, and not for CPAs. These percentiles are direct measurements.
| Percentile | Annual | Hourly | What it means |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $49,920 | $24.00/hr | Entry-level / lower pay |
| 25th percentile | $62,430 | $30.01/hr | Below median |
| Median (50th) | $76,840 | $36.94/hr | Typical pay |
| 75th percentile | $94,790 | $45.57/hr | Experienced / senior |
| 90th percentile | $122,160 | $58.73/hr | Top earners |
The Tennessee figures above, straight from the OEWS May 2025 release: a $76,840 median across 27,340 accountants and auditors employed in Tennessee.
Every CFO figure on this page — $299,700 median included. It is the verified state median scaled by this role’s multiplier (3.9×), because BLS publishes no CFO-specific wage.
Comparison
CFO pay in Tennessee vs. national
Tennessee's measured accountant median runs -8.2% versus the U.S. figure. The role rows are estimates built on those two verified benchmarks.
CFO — Tennessee
estimated median
$299,700
+290.0%CFO — national
estimated median
$326,400
+324.8%All accountants — Tennessee
BLS OEWS May 2025 · verified
$76,840
baseAll accountants — national
BLS OEWS May 2025 · verified
$83,680
+8.9%
The CFO estimate sits +290.0% above the verified Tennessee accountant median and -8.2% versus the national CFO estimate. Verified rows are BLS measurements; role rows are modeled.
Tennessee market
What shapes CFO pay in Tennessee
Tennessee levies no tax on earned wages, and its economy spans healthcare (Nashville is a national hub anchored by HCA), logistics (FedEx in Memphis), and auto manufacturing. Fast growth around Nashville, plus the tax advantage, supports competitive take-home pay.
The CFO owns capital, strategy, and reporting — fundraising or capital allocation, forecasting, investor and board relations, and ultimate responsibility for the financial statements. Accounting operations usually sit under a controller reporting to the CFO.
CFO is a title rather than a level, and company size drives the range harder than location does: a small-business CFO and a large-cap CFO share little but the name. These are base-pay estimates — at larger and venture-backed companies, bonus and equity frequently exceed base salary and are not captured by a wage benchmark.
Role ladder
CFO vs. other roles in Tennessee
Each level's multiplier applied to Tennessee's verified BLS median. Estimates — the comparison is consistent because every row shares one measured base.
Estimated pay by role · Tennessee
On Tennessee's verified pay base, estimated pay spans $109,100 (Accounting Manager) to $299,700 (Chief Financial Officer). CFO sits at $299,700.
| Role / level | Low | Est. median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chief Financial Officer | $299,700 | ||
| Director of Finance | $188,300 | ||
| Controller | $149,800 | ||
| Accounting Manager | $109,100 |
Role multipliers applied to the BLS national median for Accountants & Auditors. The low–high band is a modeled typical range, not a guaranteed offer.
By experience
CFO pay by experience in Tennessee
Tennessee's verified pay base scaled across experience bands at the CFO level. Estimate.
| Experience | Est. median | CPA-licensed (est.) |
|---|---|---|
| 0–1 years | $257,700 | $288,600 |
| 2–4 years | $287,700 | $322,200 |
| 5–7 years | $323,700 | $362,500 |
| 8–12 years | $359,600 | $402,800 |
| 13–20 years | $395,600 | $443,100 |
| 20+ years | $425,500 | $476,600 |
Experience multipliers on the area median; CPA column adds a modeled +12% credential premium.
By employer
CFO pay by employer type in Tennessee
Big 4, national, regional, and local firms vs. industry — at this role's level on the verified state pay base. Estimate.
| Employer type | Est. manager-level pay | vs. industry |
|---|---|---|
| Big 4 firm | $335,600 | +7.7% |
| National firm | $314,700 | +1.0% |
| Regional firm | $293,700 | -5.8% |
| Local firm | $275,700 | -11.5% |
| Industry / corporate | $311,700 | — |
Employer-type multipliers applied at a manager-level base on the BLS national median.
By metro
CFO pay across Tennessee metros
BLS measures 10 metro areas for accountants and auditors in Tennessee. The measured median is verified; the CFO column applies this role's multiplier to it.
| Metro area | Accountants medianBLS verified | CFO medianEstimate |
|---|---|---|
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin | $78,080 | $304,500 |
| Memphis | $76,960 | $300,100 |
| Chattanooga | $76,680 | $299,100 |
| Kingsport-Bristol | $75,940 | $296,200 |
| Knoxville | $75,380 | $294,000 |
| Morristown | $72,810 | $284,000 |
| Clarksville | $72,760 | $283,800 |
| Jackson | $71,980 | $280,700 |
Metro medians are direct BLS OEWS May 2025 measurements. The CFO column is modeled from them.
Peer markets
States that pay like Tennessee
Ranked immediately around Tennessee (#38 of 51) on the verified BLS accountant median — the closest comparables for a CFO weighing a move.
Compare states
CFO pay in other states
Where CFOs are estimated to earn the most, built on each state's verified BLS median — Tennessee ranks #38 of 51.
CFO salary in Tennessee — FAQ
- How much does a CFO make in Tennessee?
- A CFO in Tennessee earns an estimated $299,700 per year, typically ranging from $243,500 to $369,700+. That is -8.2% versus the national CFO estimate of $326,400. The figure is a modeled estimate: BLS publishes no CFO-specific wage, so we scale the BLS OEWS May 2025 verified Tennessee median for accountants and auditors ($76,840) by this role's multiplier.
- What do BLS figures actually say about Tennessee?
- BLS measures the broad occupation "Accountants and Auditors" (SOC 13-2011), not CPAs or CFOs specifically. For Tennessee, the verified OEWS May 2025 median is $76,840, with a 25th–75th percentile band of $62,430–$94,790 and 27,340 accountants and auditors employed in Tennessee. Everything role-specific on this page is layered on top of that measurement and labeled Estimate.
- Is Tennessee a good state to work as a CFO?
- Tennessee ranks #38 of 51 on the verified BLS median for accountants and auditors, running -8.2% versus the national median. CFOs are estimated to track that same gap. Weigh it against cost of living, the local mix of firms and industry employers, and remote roles that may pay to a national band.
- Does a CFO in Tennessee earn more than the average accountant?
- Yes — the CFO estimate of $299,700 runs +290.0% versus the verified Tennessee median for all accountants and auditors ($76,840). That gap is the modeled role premium, not a measured one: BLS reports one wage for the whole occupation, and senior and specialized roles sit above that broad-occupation midpoint.
- Which Tennessee metro pays CFOs the most?
- On the verified BLS metro medians for accountants and auditors, Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin leads Tennessee at $78,080 — about +8.5% versus Jackson ($71,980). CFO pay is estimated to follow the same metro ordering, since the role multiplier applies on top of each metro's measured base.
How to read these numbers
National, state, and metro pay comes straight from the federal wage measurement for accountants & auditors — direct and source-backed, not scaled from anything.
Role, experience, CPA-license, and employer figures are modeled on top of that measurement and labeled Estimate — the federal data does not break those out, so we never present them as measurements.
Add your Tennessee CFO salary
Verified local submissions are how the modeled role premium becomes measured data. Anonymous, two minutes.