Accountant salary in Memphis, TN-MS
Memphis pays accountants close to the Tennessee norm. The median is $76,960 a year1, about level with the Tennessee statewide median of $76,840 and 8.0% below the US median of $83,680. Nationally it ranks #242 of 521 areas. BLS counts about 4,390 people in this job here.
BLS occupation 13-2011, area Memphis, TN-MS-AR. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Memphis against Tennessee and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Memphis, TN-MS | $49,580 | $76,960 | $122,830 | |
| Tennessee | $49,920 | $76,840 | $122,160 | |
| United States | $56,020 | $83,680 | $144,090 |
Accountants at the 90th percentile earn $122,830, 2.5 times the 10th percentile; the US ratio is 2.6. The middle half of accountants in Memphis earns $62,860–$95,210. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $32,350 wide, against $32,360 across Tennessee and $42,790 nationally: employers in Memphis 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 | $49,580 | $4,132 | $23.84 | $63,974 |
| 25th percentile | $62,860 | $5,238 | $30.22 | $81,110 |
| Median | $76,960 | $6,413 | $37.00 | $99,303 |
| 75th percentile | $95,210 | $7,934 | $45.77 | $122,852 |
| 90th percentile | $122,830 | $10,236 | $59.05 | $158,490 |
The step from the 25th percentile to the median is $14,100 a year; from the median to the 75th it is $18,250, or about $23,548 once benefits are added. 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 Memphis, and the Tennessee statewide median of $76,840 falls between the 25th percentile and the median.
What a hire really costs in Memphis
At the $76,960 median, a local hire costs about $99,303 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $22,343 here. 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 Memphis
Of the 17 roles we track in Memphis, this one ranks #2 by median pay, after project coordinators ($85,130); marketing specialists come next at $71,600.
| Role | Median | vs accountant | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project Coordinator | +10.6% | 2,960 | |
| Accountant | this role | 4,390 | |
| Marketing Specialist | -7.0% | 1,880 | |
| Office Manager | -7.3% | 8,710 | |
| Recruiter | -10.1% | 3,650 |
Measured against the US median, accountants rank #7 of the 17 roles we track in Memphis (-8.0%), between bookkeepers (-4.5%) and payroll specialists (-8.3%). The typical role here is at -8.9%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Accountants hold 7.3% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Memphis, 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. The one area in Tennessee with more accountants, Nashville-Murfreesboro, TN ($78,080), also pays more.
| Area | Median | vs Memphis | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nashville-Murfreesboro, TN | +1.5% | 11,290 | |
| Memphis, TN-MS | this area | 4,390 | |
| Chattanooga, TN-GA | -0.4% | 1,940 | |
| Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA | -1.3% | 780 | |
| North Central Tennessee (Nonmetro) | -1.7% | 640 | |
| South Central Tennessee (Nonmetro) | -1.8% | 530 | |
| Knoxville, TN | -2.1% | 3,240 |
Memphis against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Memphis is #56 of 521 US areas for this job. It is one of the larger markets for this job, with pay near the middle of the US range. Outside Tennessee, Omaha and Spartanburg pay just above Memphis and Rocky Mount and Pittsburgh just below. All four are within $120 a year of the median in Memphis. Of the three markets with about as many accountants, two pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Memphis | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Madison, WI | +5.4% | 4,440 | jobs | |
| Rochester, NY | +5.1% | 4,370 | jobs | |
| Spartanburg, SC | +0.2% | 800 | pay | |
| Omaha, NE-IA | +0.1% | 5,170 | pay | |
| Memphis, TN-MS | this area | 4,390 | ||
| Rocky Mount, NC | +0.0% | 360 | pay | |
| Pittsburgh, PA | -0.0% | 10,430 | pay | |
| Louisville, KY-IN | -0.8% | 4,590 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an accountant in Memphis, TN-MS?
About $99,303 a year at the median, or $8,275 a month: $76,960 in pay plus about $22,343 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do accountants earn in Memphis?
The median was $76,960 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $49,580, the 90th $122,830, and the middle half earned $62,860 to $95,210.
Is Memphis cheaper than the rest of Tennessee for accountants?
About the same: a median of $76,960 against $76,840 statewide. The next area up in Tennessee is Nashville-Murfreesboro at $78,080, the next down Chattanooga at $76,680.
How many accountants work in Memphis?
BLS counts about 4,390 in the May 2025 survey. Only Nashville-Murfreesboro has more in Tennessee.
Does an accountant cost more than a marketing specialist in Memphis?
Yes: $5,360 a year more at the median. The medians are $76,960 and $71,600.
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.