Tennessee (TN)
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H1BIndex State Grade
i
A
FY 2026
2023
A+
2024
A+
2025
A+
Total State Visa Volume i
896
Filings in FY 2026
Median State Salary i
$109,500
Standard yearly salary
True Purchasing Power i
$104,025
Adjusted for Cost of Living
USCIS Approval Rate i
99.3%
Official Adjudication
State Economic & Immigration Overview
An automated macro-level review of Tennessee's tech ecosystem.Overall Tennessee Rating
Federal records show 896 total work visa filings for Tennessee. When we look at local wages and job availability, the region gets an official H1B Index Rating of "A".
High Talent Transfers
The job market in Tennessee is highly competitive. Approximately 52.3% of filings aggressively recruit professionals who already hold visas at rival companies.
Actual Take-Home Value
While the $109,500 median pay is competitive, local deductions apply. Factoring in the 5.0% state income tax and regional pricing, professionals realize a true spending power of about $104,025.
Secure Job Market
Working in Tennessee offers great peace of mind. The government clears 99.3% of the work visas filed here, while local businesses process 212 Green Cards for their current teams.
Seniority Focused
This state strongly utilizes seasoned expertise. Federal tracking confirms that 43.9% of the labor market here operates strictly at higher, senior wage tiers.
Regional Hiring Trends
Most of the work visa opportunities in Tennessee are located in Nashville. Across the entire state, companies in the Professional, Scientific, and Tech Services sector lead the job market.
Layoff Radar & Risk Indicators
Clean Layoff Record
Stable Employment: None of the businesses sponsoring workers in Tennessee have reported cutting any staff recently.
Top Metro Hubs in Tennessee
Hiring volume across major cities mapped against the state baseline compensation rate of $109,500.Talent Sourcing Pipeline
Are companies hiring fresh talent or poaching from competitors?Fresh Hires (47.7%)Corporate Poaching (52.3%)
State Wage Premium
$14,388
Above Legal Minimum
On average, employers in Tennessee offer salaries that are $14,388 higher than the baseline prevailing wage required by the Department of Labor.
10-Year Salary Trends
Comparing state-level base compensation growth for temporary H-1B visas versus permanent Green Cards (PERM). Decade Salary Rise: +55.9%. Base wages in this state show a steady upward trend.
Lower Wage: -$11,665. Surprisingly, permanent jobs in 2026 actually pay 10.9% less than temporary contracts in this state.
Top Hiring Employers
Companies sponsoring the most visas in this state.
Company & Median Pay
Total Approvals
O*NET Wage Level Distribution
Experience requirements matched against pay tiers across the state.| Experience Level | Total Filings | Cohort Size | Minimum Base | Median Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entry Level (Level I) | 129 | 14.4% | $34,403 | $78,000 |
| Qualified (Level II) | 333 | 37.2% | $41,303 | $103,334 |
| Experienced (Level III) | 228 | 25.4% | $56,846 | $117,603 |
| Fully Competent (Level IV) | 165 | 18.4% | $86,320 | $138,320 |
| Not Disclosed (Blank) | 41 | 4.6% | $64,168 | $128,547 |
Geographic Deployment & Worksites
The top locations where state employers place their workers.| City/Metro Area | Workforce % | City Median Pay | Wage (Level IV) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nashville, TN | 27.1% (243 Filings) | $112,923 | 11.9% |
| Memphis, TN | 19.9% (178 Filings) | $100,440 | 24.7% |
| Franklin, TN | 8.1% (73 Filings) | $113,353 | 15.1% |
| Collierville, TN | 6.4% (57 Filings) | $110,003 | 12.3% |
| Knoxville, TN | 5.0% (45 Filings) | $91,768 | 22.2% |
| Oak Ridge, TN | 4.8% (43 Filings) | $121,608 | 2.3% |
| Brentwood, TN | 3.9% (35 Filings) | $104,998 | 31.4% |
| Chattanooga, TN | 2.7% (24 Filings) | $98,944 | 12.5% |
| Spring Hill, TN | 1.6% (14 Filings) | $106,700 | 42.9% |
| Mount Juliet, TN | 1.3% (12 Filings) | $139,086 | 16.7% |
| Mt. Juliet, TN | 1.3% (12 Filings) | $140,920 | 41.7% |
| Smyrna, TN | 1.2% (11 Filings) | $115,000 | 36.4% |
| Hermitage, TN | 1.1% (10 Filings) | $109,250 | 40.0% |
| Johnson City, TN | 1.0% (9 Filings) | $76,636 | 0.0% |
| Murfreesboro, TN | 1.0% (9 Filings) | $128,211 | 33.3% |
| Arlington, TN | 0.9% (8 Filings) | $105,706 | 50.0% |
| Clarksville, TN | 0.8% (7 Filings) | $75,000 | 14.3% |
| Antioch, TN | 0.8% (7 Filings) | $101,815 | 14.3% |
| Lebanon, TN | 0.7% (6 Filings) | $95,687 | 0.0% |
| Columbia, TN | 0.6% (5 Filings) | $140,000 | 20.0% |
| Gallatin, TN | 0.6% (5 Filings) | $118,227 | 60.0% |
| La Vergne, TN | 0.6% (5 Filings) | $94,000 | 0.0% |
| Jackson, TN | 0.6% (5 Filings) | $194,085 | 20.0% |
| Cordova, TN | 0.6% (5 Filings) | $121,746 | 20.0% |
| Thompsons Station, TN | 0.4% (4 Filings) | $96,106 | 25.0% |
| Apison, TN | 0.4% (4 Filings) | $120,252 | 0.0% |
| Nolensville, TN | 0.4% (4 Filings) | $158,356 | 0.0% |
| Mt Juliet, TN | 0.3% (3 Filings) | $139,200 | 33.3% |
| Ooltewah, TN | 0.3% (3 Filings) | $109,678 | 33.3% |
| Germantown, TN | 0.3% (3 Filings) | $157,000 | 0.0% |
| Sewanee, TN | 0.2% (2 Filings) | $46,000 | 0.0% |
| Alcoa, TN | 0.2% (2 Filings) | $100,000 | 0.0% |
| Alamo, TN | 0.2% (2 Filings) | $128,210 | 50.0% |
| Byrdstown, TN | 0.2% (2 Filings) | $102,500 | 50.0% |
| Portland, TN | 0.2% (2 Filings) | $89,545 | 0.0% |
| Bristol, TN | 0.2% (2 Filings) | $231,379 | 0.0% |
| Kingsport, TN | 0.2% (2 Filings) | $144,861 | 0.0% |
| Cookeville, TN | 0.2% (2 Filings) | $96,127 | 0.0% |
| Goodlettsville, TN | 0.2% (2 Filings) | $87,994 | 0.0% |
| Springhill, TN | 0.2% (2 Filings) | $123,262 | 0.0% |
| Sparta, TN | 0.2% (2 Filings) | $114,878 | 0.0% |
| Arrington, TN | 0.2% (2 Filings) | $88,462 | 0.0% |
| 126 Joyner Court, TN | 0.1% (1 Filings) | $107,432 | 0.0% |
| Cookville, TN | 0.1% (1 Filings) | $149,074 | 100.0% |
| Athens, TN | 0.1% (1 Filings) | $55,000 | 0.0% |
| Charleston, TN | 0.1% (1 Filings) | $119,059 | 100.0% |
| Christiana, TN | 0.1% (1 Filings) | $210,000 | 0.0% |
| College Grove, TN | 0.1% (1 Filings) | $134,014 | 100.0% |
| Colliervielle, TN | 0.1% (1 Filings) | $131,841 | 100.0% |
| Greeneville, TN | 0.1% (1 Filings) | $115,000 | 0.0% |
Most Poached Roles
Roles with the highest volume of H-1B transfers, indicating aggressive headhunting.
Role & Transfer Pay
Total Transferred
Dominant Industries
Distribution of cases by broad industry sector.39.7%
14.3%
12.1%
7.7%
7.7%
Historical Retention Rate
Year-over-year percentage of successful visa renewals and extensions.Top Third-Party End Clients i
Where consultants are deployed.
End Client & Placement Data
Total Approvals
Highest Compensation Roles i
Top positions ranked by median base pay.
Role & Market Data
Median Base
Law Firms & Third-Party Work i
Leading legal counsel for visas.
Law Firm & Market Data
Total Approvals
Visa Volume & Success
-87.6% YoY Decline
LCA approvals, denials, and overall certification rates.
USCIS Petition Processing
New vs. Renewed approvals and denials in the state.Green Card Sponsorships
PERM residency applications and median GC wages.Noticing a difference in dates? Salary metrics reflect real-time DOL filings, while approval metrics rely on finalized USCIS historical data. View timelines
Complete Employers Matrix
A detailed ledger of all corporate clients operating in Tennessee.| Sponsoring Employer | Market Share | LCA Count | Median Salary | Vs State Avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Jude Children'S Research Hospital | 5.6% | 50 | $82,160 | -25.0% Avg |
| Ut-Battelle, LLC (Oak Ridge National Laboratory) | 4.8% | 43 | $121,608 | +11.1% Avg |
| Amazon.com Services LLC | 3.7% | 33 | $104,100 | -4.9% Avg |
| Federal Express Corporation | 2.8% | 25 | $116,106 | +6.0% Avg |
| Fedex Freight, Inc. | 2.5% | 22 | $113,017 | +3.2% Avg |
| Autozone, Inc. | 1.9% | 17 | $134,805 | +23.1% Avg |
| Vanderbilt University Medical Center | 1.9% | 17 | $86,479 | -21.0% Avg |
| Deloitte Consulting LLP | 1.9% | 17 | $128,300 | +17.2% Avg |
| Wipro Limited | 1.8% | 16 | $105,045 | -4.1% Avg |
| The University Of Tennessee | 1.8% | 16 | $84,566 | -22.8% Avg |
| Vanderbilt University | 1.7% | 15 | $80,327 | -26.6% Avg |
| Mphasis Corporation | 1.6% | 14 | $102,100 | -6.8% Avg |
| Citiustech Inc. | 1.5% | 13 | $103,500 | -5.5% Avg |
| Hca Management Services Lp | 1.5% | 13 | $122,117 | +11.5% Avg |
| Oracle America, Inc. | 1.3% | 12 | $122,117 | +11.5% Avg |
| Ubs Business Solutions Us LLC | 1.2% | 11 | $119,000 | +8.7% Avg |
| Tractor Supply Company | 1.2% | 11 | $122,116 | +11.5% Avg |
| Deloitte Services Lp | 1.1% | 10 | $140,060 | +27.9% Avg |
| The University Of Tennessee Health Science Center | 1.1% | 10 | $58,323 | -46.7% Avg |
| Ernst & Young U.S. LLP | 1.1% | 10 | $181,967 | +66.2% Avg |
| Atos Syntel Inc. | 0.9% | 8 | $120,304 | +9.9% Avg |
| Cummins Filtration Inc. | 0.8% | 7 | $119,101 | +8.8% Avg |
| Accenture LLP | 0.8% | 7 | $109,600 | Market Rate |
| Hca Management Services, Lp | 0.8% | 7 | $122,117 | +11.5% Avg |
| Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare | 0.8% | 7 | $63,981 | -41.6% Avg |
| Cummins Inc. | 0.7% | 6 | $110,400 | Market Rate |
| Asurion, LLC | 0.7% | 6 | $154,181 | +40.8% Avg |
| Bluecross Blueshield Of Tennessee, Inc. | 0.7% | 6 | $116,411 | +6.3% Avg |
| International Paper | 0.6% | 5 | $145,751 | +33.1% Avg |
| Avant Healthcare Professionals, LLC | 0.6% | 5 | $73,403 | -33.0% Avg |
| Infosys Limited | 0.6% | 5 | $62,941 | -42.5% Avg |
| Davita, Inc. | 0.6% | 5 | $103,334 | -5.6% Avg |
| The University Of Memphis | 0.6% | 5 | $57,575 | -47.4% Avg |
| Alliancebernstein L.P. | 0.6% | 5 | $135,000 | +23.3% Avg |
| Slk America Inc. | 0.4% | 4 | $76,409 | -30.2% Avg |
| Stryker Corporation | 0.4% | 4 | $104,218 | -4.8% Avg |
| Cognizant Technology Solutions Us Corp. | 0.4% | 4 | $79,009 | -27.8% Avg |
| Tata Consultancy Services Limited | 0.4% | 4 | $90,511 | -17.3% Avg |
| Cigna-Evernorth Services Inc. | 0.4% | 4 | $129,574 | +18.3% Avg |
| Hexaware Technologies, Inc. | 0.4% | 4 | $87,877 | -19.7% Avg |
Complete Jobs Matrix
The job titles most frequently sponsored in this state.| Job Title in State | LCA Count | Median Pay | Salary Variance | Legal Wage Premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Software Developer | 38 | $103,334 | $73,029 Range | Baseline Pay |
| Software Engineer | 22 | $103,438 | $66,581 Range | +$9,713 Over Min |
| Postdoctoral Research Associate | 15 | $72,529 | $1 Range | +$19,260 Over Min |
| Assistant Professor | 14 | $92,248 | $211,415 Range | +$38,233 Over Min |
| Data Engineer | 7 | $98,805 | $18,803 Range | +$1,419 Over Min |
| Project Delivery Specialist | 7 | $103,334 | $53,060 Range | +$5,948 Over Min |
| Senior Software Engineer | 6 | $120,709 | $25,264 Range | +$4,294 Over Min |
| Scientist | 6 | $86,320 | Fixed Pay | +$22,693 Over Min |
| Program Manager Iii | 6 | $104,100 | $8,191 Range | +$8,191 Over Min |
| Data Analyst | 6 | $94,765 | $16,834 Range | +$3,983 Over Min |
| Clinical Nurse Iii | 5 | $73,403 | Fixed Pay | Baseline Pay |
| Full Stack Developer Iii | 5 | $109,924 | $5,184 Range | Baseline Pay |
| Associate Scientist | 5 | $65,520 | Fixed Pay | +$1,893 Over Min |
| Consulting Application Engineer | 5 | $122,117 | Fixed Pay | Baseline Pay |
| Sales Manager | 5 | $115,232 | Fixed Pay | Baseline Pay |
| Computer Systems Analyst | 4 | $78,042 | $8,903 Range | Baseline Pay |
| Manager | 4 | $158,580 | $92,395 Range | +$46,198 Over Min |
| Postdoctoral Research Scholar | 4 | $66,508 | $4,255 Range | +$6,593 Over Min |
| Medical Laboratory Scientist Ii | 4 | $63,981 | Fixed Pay | +$1,622 Over Min |
| Hospitalist Physician | 4 | $245,690 | $28,621 Range | +$74,963 Over Min |
| Technical Lead L1 | 4 | $107,432 | $2,579 Range | Baseline Pay |
| Supply Chain Manager Iii | 4 | $124,500 | $20,600 Range | +$10,599 Over Min |
| It Project Manager | 4 | $96,100 | $21,226 Range | +$25,452 Over Min |
| Supply Chain Manager Ii | 4 | $77,200 | $20,229 Range | +$20,229 Over Min |
| Staff Scientist | 4 | $73,490 | $2,298 Range | +$7,586 Over Min |
| Software Engineer 3 | 4 | $159,181 | $10,000 Range | +$55,847 Over Min |
| Program Manager L1 | 4 | $119,534 | $43,227 Range | +$42,605 Over Min |
| Software Development Engineer Ii | 4 | $144,500 | Fixed Pay | +$41,166 Over Min |
| Senior Consultant | 3 | $109,845 | $562 Range | +$6,511 Over Min |
| Senior Data Engineer | 3 | $136,810 | $20,399 Range | +$14,693 Over Min |
| Full Stack Software Developer | 3 | $112,923 | Fixed Pay | +$9,589 Over Min |
| Senior Solution Specialist | 3 | $128,300 | $24,966 Range | +$24,966 Over Min |
| Software Engineer Iii | 3 | $102,375 | $2,651 Range | +$4,989 Over Min |
| Sr. Systems Engineer | 3 | $146,009 | $11,204 Range | +$11,204 Over Min |
| Techno Functional Consultant L3 | 3 | $105,146 | $5,146 Range | +$15,956 Over Min |
| Vice President, Marketing | 3 | $157,000 | Fixed Pay | +$82,245 Over Min |
| Associate Director, Ib Operations - Collateral Specialist | 3 | $95,000 | Fixed Pay | +$9,949 Over Min |
| Associate Director, Tech Support Specialist | 3 | $135,000 | $16,000 Range | +$12,883 Over Min |
| Post-Doctoral Research Associate | 3 | $70,656 | $20,656 Range | +$18,906 Over Min |
| Data Architect | 3 | $114,566 | Fixed Pay | Baseline Pay |
Historical Compensation Ledger
Year-over-year salary data comparing historical averages.| Fiscal Year | YoY Growth | Maximum | Median | Top-Heavy Skew i | Minimum |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | In Progress | $400,000 | $106,665 | Balanced | $23.00/hr |
| 2025 | +6.4% | $400,000 | $98,862 | Balanced | $16.00/hr |
| 2024 | +3.2% | $400,000 | $92,900 | +6.5% Skew | $12.00/hr |
| 2023 | +3.1% | $400,000 | $90,000 | +5.7% Skew | $11.00/hr |
| 2022 | +4.5% | $375,000 | $87,254 | +5.6% Skew | $16.00/hr |
| 2021 | +4.1% | $400,000 | $83,470 | Balanced | $10.00/hr |
| 2020 | +5.9% | $400,000 | $80,163 | Balanced | $11.00/hr |
| 2019 | +1.6% | $400,000 | $75,695 | Balanced | $13.00/hr |
| 2018 | +7.7% | $400,000 | $74,514 | Balanced | $10.00/hr |
| 2017 | +1.2% | $400,000 | $69,217 | +6.4% Skew | $1.00/hr |
| 2016 | N/A | $400,000 | $68,411 | +6.2% Skew | $8.00/hr |
Recent Visa Filings (FY 2026)
Raw, unedited federal disclosures processed in this state.State Intelligence (FAQ)
Common questions and insights regarding Tennessee.What is the tax rate on a professional salary in Tennessee?
The state income tax is estimated at 5.0%. Earning the median salary of $109,500 means paying around $5,475 in local taxes.
Which city in Tennessee pays the highest H-1B salaries?
Nashville represents the top-paying metro area in the state, where H-1B salaries reach a local median of $112,923.
Is it easy to get Green Card sponsorship in Tennessee?
There is an active pathway to permanent residency here. Employers recently submitted 212 PERM applications, establishing a 23.7% Green Card rate.