Lawyers salary in Nashville, TN

Median pay for lawyers in Nashville, TN: $134,380/yr

Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $77,240 – $239,200 · about 4,180 employed locally

Above the typical metro median ($119,840) by +$14,540 (+12%).

What it's really worth in Nashville

With Nashville's cost of living at 97 (US=100), that $134,380 has the buying power of about $138,502 in an average-cost US metro.

Local context: median household income $79,020 · median home $455,958 · median rent $1,798/mo.

Full Nashville cost of living & taxes →

How Nashville ranks for this job

On raw pay, Nashville, TN is 43rd of the 183 metros we hold lawyers wages for. Once Nashville's cost of living is applied, it ranks 47th.

Pay and living costs are roughly in step here, so Nashville sits in much the same place whether you look at raw salary or spending power.

What that salary buys in Nashville

A median home in Nashville, TN costs $455,958 — about 3.4× this salary, against a typical US metro figure of 4.7×. Buying is more attainable here than in the average metro on this income.

Median rent of $1,798/mo works out at 16% of gross pay — inside the conventional 30% affordability ceiling.

Where lawyers earn more

Pay on its own is only half the picture, so each row shows what rent costs there relative to Nashville.

Metro	Median pay	vs Nashville	Rent vs Nashville
San Jose, CA	$239,200	+78%	2×
San Francisco, CA	$217,340	+62%	1.8×
Los Angeles, CA	$194,020	+44%	1.6×
New York, NY	$185,790	+38%	1.9×

Same job elsewhere in TN

Metro	Median pay	vs Nashville	Rent vs Nashville
Chattanooga, TN	$130,420	−3%	0.9×
Memphis, TN	$121,550	−10%	0.8×
Knoxville, TN	$113,510	−16%	1×
Kingsport, TN	$110,930	−17%	0.8×

Staying in TN keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.

Who hires lawyers around Nashville

Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.

• State of Tennessee · Government
• Metro Nashville Government · Government

Other jobs in Nashville