Accountant salary in Jackson, TN
Hiring an accountant costs less in Jackson than in Tennessee or the country as a whole. The median is $71,980 a year1: 6.3% below the Tennessee statewide median of $76,840 and 14.0% below the US median of $83,680. That is in the bottom quarter of US areas (#408 of 521). BLS counts about 520 people in this job here, 2% of the Tennessee total.
BLS occupation 13-2011, area Jackson, TN. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Jackson against Tennessee and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jackson, TN | $49,360 | $71,980 | $115,210 | |
| Tennessee | $49,920 | $76,840 | $122,160 | |
| United States | $56,020 | $83,680 | $144,090 |
The middle half of accountants in Jackson earns $59,190–$86,600. The top tenth earns $115,210 or more, 2.3 times the bottom tenth, close to the US pattern of 2.6 times. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $27,410 wide, against $32,360 across Tennessee and $42,790 nationally: employers in Jackson pay within a narrower band.
What to budget for an accountant here
| Point in the local range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $49,360 | $4,113 | $23.73 | $63,690 |
| 25th percentile | $59,190 | $4,932 | $28.46 | $76,374 |
| Median | $71,980 | $5,998 | $34.61 | $92,877 |
| 75th percentile | $86,600 | $7,217 | $41.63 | $111,742 |
| 90th percentile | $115,210 | $9,601 | $55.39 | $148,658 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $14,620 a year in pay and about $18,865 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $12,790 in pay. These percentiles describe what people in the job earn locally, not experience levels, so place your offer by the tasks and seniority you need.
For scale, the US median of $83,680 falls between the median and the 75th percentile in Jackson, and the Tennessee statewide median of $76,840 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Jackson
Pay is only part of it. Benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, which adds about $20,897 to the $71,980 median and brings it to $92,877 a year. Recruiting, equipment and office space come on top. Benefit levels vary by employer, so treat this as an estimate.
We place executive assistants, customer support and e-commerce staff today; for accountants we answer within one business day whether we can help. Enter the monthly pay you have in mind to compare it with a local hire. The fee field shows our standard fee3; Deel's contractor plan is the default payroll tool4.
Other roles in Jackson
Of the 17 roles we track in Jackson, this one ranks #2 by median pay, after project coordinators ($81,450); recruiters come next at $63,430.
| Role | Median | vs accountant | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project Coordinator | +13.2% | 330 | |
| Accountant | this role | 520 | |
| Recruiter | -11.9% | 370 | |
| Office Manager | -14.9% | 1,040 | |
| Marketing Specialist | -19.7% | 140 |
Measured against the US median, accountants rank #7 of the 17 roles we track in Jackson (-14.0%), between customer support specialists (-13.6%) and administrative assistants (-14.3%). The typical role here is at -16.5%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Accountants hold 7.2% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Jackson, 7.5% across Tennessee and 9.1% nationally. The job is a smaller part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Tennessee
Across the 14 areas of Tennessee with data for this job, the median runs from $64,710 in Johnson City to $78,080 in Nashville-Murfreesboro, a gap of $13,370 a year. Of the 8 areas in Tennessee with more accountants than Jackson, 1 pays less: the East Tennessee nonmetro area ($68,780).
| Area | Median | vs Jackson | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Knoxville, TN | +4.7% | 3,240 | |
| Morristown, TN | +1.2% | 240 | |
| Clarksville, TN-KY | +1.1% | 510 | |
| Jackson, TN | this area | 520 | |
| Cleveland, TN | -0.2% | 180 | |
| West Tennessee (Nonmetro) | -0.9% | 510 | |
| East Tennessee (Nonmetro) | -4.4% | 600 |
Jackson against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Jackson is #340 of 521 US areas for this job. It is a mid-sized market, and its pay is in the bottom quarter of US areas. Outside Tennessee, Logan and Decatur pay just above Jackson and San Angelo and Muncie just below. All four are within $160 a year of the median in Jackson. Of the three markets with about as many accountants, two pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Jackson | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Napa, CA | +38.4% | 520 | jobs | |
| Sioux City, IA-NE | +9.3% | 520 | jobs | |
| Decatur, AL | +0.1% | 530 | pay | |
| Logan, UT-ID | +0.0% | 520 | pay | |
| Jackson, TN | this area | 520 | ||
| San Angelo, TX | -0.0% | 360 | pay | |
| Muncie, IN | -0.2% | 270 | pay | |
| Fort Smith, AR-OK | -12.5% | 520 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an accountant in Jackson, TN?
About $92,877 a year at the median, or $7,740 a month: $71,980 in pay plus about $20,897 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do accountants earn in Jackson?
Pay here is lower than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $71,980 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $49,360, the 90th $115,210, and the middle half earned $59,190 to $86,600.
Is Jackson cheaper than the rest of Tennessee for accountants?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $71,980 against $76,840 statewide. The next area up in Tennessee is Clarksville at $72,760, the next down Cleveland at $71,840.
How many accountants work in Jackson?
BLS counts about 520 in the May 2025 survey. That is 2% of the Tennessee total of 27,340. 8 areas in Tennessee have more; the closest in size is the South Central Tennessee nonmetro area, with about 530.
Does an accountant cost more than a recruiter in Jackson?
Yes: $8,550 a year more at the median. The medians are $71,980 and $63,430.
Sources
4 sources, with links
- BLS OEWS May 2025, 13-2011: bls.gov
- BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, private industry, June 2026: bls.gov
- Stafka pricing: stafka.com
- Deel pricing, contractor management: deel.com
How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-12.