How Tennessee taxes your paycheck
Tennessee does not tax wages and salaries at the state level, so the only income-related taxes on your paycheck are federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare.
Tennessee does not tax wages, and since 2021 has no tax on interest and dividends either. The state sales tax is 7% with local rates added, so Tennessee has one of the highest combined sales tax rates.
Take-home pay in Tennessee at common salaries
The table shows a single filer with no pre-tax deductions, paid biweekly, using 2026 federal rules and the Tennessee rules described above.
| Salary | Federal tax | FICA | Tennessee tax | Annual take-home | Per biweekly check | Share kept |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $30,000 | $1,420 | $2,295 | $0 | $26,285 | $1,010.96 | 87.6% |
| $50,000 | $3,820 | $3,825 | $0 | $42,355 | $1,629.04 | 84.7% |
| $75,000 | $7,670 | $5,738 | $0 | $61,593 | $2,368.94 | 82.1% |
| $100,000 | $13,170 | $7,650 | $0 | $79,180 | $3,045.38 | 79.2% |
| $150,000 | $24,734 | $11,475 | $0 | $113,791 | $4,376.58 | 75.9% |
Married filing jointly
| Household wages | Federal tax | FICA | Tennessee tax | Annual take-home | Per biweekly check | Share kept |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $60,000 | $2,840 | $4,590 | $0 | $52,570 | $2,021.92 | 87.6% |
| $100,000 | $7,640 | $7,650 | $0 | $84,710 | $3,258.08 | 84.7% |
| $150,000 | $15,340 | $11,475 | $0 | $123,185 | $4,737.88 | 82.1% |
| $200,000 | $26,340 | $14,339 | $0 | $159,321 | $6,127.73 | 79.7% |
Joint filers use a standard deduction of $32,200 and wider federal brackets. For one-earner households, the numbers above assume all wages belong to one spouse; if both spouses work, each pays Social Security and Medicare on their own wages.
How Tennessee ranks for take-home pay
At a $75,000 salary and single filing status, Tennessee ranks #6 of 51 (50 states plus DC) for annual take-home pay at $61,593. The highest in this ranking is Alaska at $61,593. Because there is no wage income tax, the difference from lower-ranked states is mostly the state tax they collect. You can rank all states for any salary with the state comparison tool.
Compare Tennessee with other states
Sales tax in Tennessee
Tennessee’s state sales tax rate is 7.00%. Local governments add an average of 2.61%, for a combined average of about 9.61% (Tax Foundation, midyear 2026). The highest local rate in the state is 2.75%. Income tax and sales tax together set how far your money goes, so compare both when you consider a move.
What this estimate leaves out
Your actual paycheck can differ because of health insurance premiums, local taxes, employer-specific deductions and your Form W-4. See the paycheck withholding guide for how employers calculate withholding, and our methodology page for the list of simplifications.