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Financial Advisor Salary in Tennessee: Is It a Good Career?

Tennessee · 2026 BLS salary data

a Financial Advisor pay in Tennessee

The median wage is $84,160/yr — 20% below the national median. Among U.S. states, Tennesseeranks #36 of 49 states by median pay.

The numbers in Tennessee

Real BLS state-level figures for Financial Advisor.

Median salary
$84,160/yr
Pay range (25th–75th)
$58,880 – $167,410
National median
$105,070/yr
Employed in Tennessee
3,970

Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS), state estimates, May 2025 release.

What that pay is really worth in Tennessee

Salary alone can mislead — Tennessee costs 8% less than the U.S. average. Here's the median adjusted for local prices (real purchasing power).

Cost of living (US=100)
91.9
Nominal median
$84,160
Adjusted for cost of living
≈ $91,578
State income tax
None

Tennessee levies no state income tax, so more of that pay stays in your pocket than in high-tax states.

Cost of living: BEA Regional Price Parities (all items, US=100), 2024. Adjusted pay = nominal median ÷ (RPP/100) — purchasing power vs the U.S. average. State income tax = top marginal rate on wage income (Tax Foundation, 2025); your effective rate is lower and depends on income and deductions.

FAQ

How much do financial advisor professionals make in Tennessee?

The median annual wage is $84,160 (BLS OEWS, state estimates), with the middle 50% earning between $58,880 and $167,410. That's 20% below the national median.

Is Tennessee a good state for financial advisor?

By raw pay, Tennessee ranks #36 of 49 states by median pay. Adjusted for cost of living (Tennessee costs 8% less than the U.S. average), that median is worth about $91,578. And with no state income tax, more of that pay stays in your pocket.

Are financial advisor professionals in demand in Tennessee?

About 3,970 people work in this field in Tennessee (BLS OEWS). Nationally, BLS projects +9.6% employment growth for this field from 2024 to 2034.

The verdict, pros, and cons below apply to Financial Advisor nationally — Tennessee pay is 20% below the national median. See the full a Financial Advisor career guide →

The verdict

Yes if you're a relationship-builder — financial advising offers strong pay, faster-than-average growth, and no specific degree requirement, but early years are a sales grind to build a client book. Worth it for self-starters; hard for those who dislike sales.

Pros & cons

Pros

  • Strong pay with faster-than-average growth
  • No specific degree required (licensing instead)
  • Uncapped, book-of-business upside
  • Flexible and increasingly hybrid/remote
  • Meaningful impact on clients' financial lives

Cons

  • Early years are a sales/prospecting grind
  • Income unstable until your client book is built
  • High washout rate for new advisors
  • Licensing (SIE, Series 7/66) and compliance burden
  • Market downturns pressure both clients and income

Who it's for

✓ A good fit if…

  • Natural relationship-builders and self-starters
  • People comfortable with sales and prospecting
  • Those with a runway to build a client base

✗ Probably not if…

  • People who dislike sales or cold outreach
  • Those who need a stable salary immediately

What people are actually asking

Real Reddit discussions on whether Financial Advisor is worth it — titles link to the original threads.