Tax year 2026 · Single filer · $100kRank #6No state income tax

Tennessee Effective Tax Rate 2026

Employee effective tax rate in Tennessee on a fixed $100,000 single-filer salary — about 20.8% ($79,180 take-home). Federal and FICA only (no state wage income tax); sales and property tax excluded.

By Sammy S. · Founder · AuthorUpdated for 2026

20.8%

Effective rate @ $100k

National rank

$79,180

Take-home

$20,820

Est. tax

Calculate your rate Full ranking

Tennessee effective tax rate snapshot

Tennessee ranks #6 of 50 for effective employee tax rate on a fixed $100,000 single-filer salary in 2026. Modeled effective levy is about 20.8% after federal income tax, employee payroll (FICA and any modeled state premiums). Take-home ≈ $79,180. Sales and property taxes are excluded.

Effective @ $100k

20.8%

Rank #6 of 50

Take-home

$79,180

$20,820 total tax

At $50k

15.3%

$42,355 net

At $250k

26.7%

No state income tax

Key takeaways for Tennessee

Tennessee’s effective employee levy at $100,000 is about 20.8% (rank #6).
Modeled take-home ≈ $79,180 after about $20,820 in federal and payroll — paycheck-only.
Across bands: 15.3% at $50k → 26.7% at $250k.
Tennessee has no state wage income tax; federal tax and FICA still apply.
For context: Texas ≈ 20.8%; California ≈ 27.2% at $100k.

Effective rate by income in Tennessee

Same single-filer engine at four gross salaries. Rankings use the $100,000 column.

Gross	Effective rate	Take-home	Est. tax
$50k	15.3%	$42,355	$7,645
$100krank key	20.8%	$79,180	$20,820
$150k	24.1%	$113,791	$36,209
$250k	26.7%	$183,182	$66,818

How Tennessee compares on effective rate

Gap vs the lowest and highest rates at $100k, plus nearby peers by effective rate.

vs #1 (Alaska)

Tied at the lowest effective rate

vs last (Hawaii)

7.5 pp lower than last place

vs Texas

Same effective rate on this vignette

vs California

6.4 pp lower than California

Take-home $6,386 more

#1 · 20.8%

#2 · 20.8%

#3 · 20.8%

#4 · 20.8%

#5 · 20.8%

#7 · 20.8%

Effective rate compares involving Tennessee

Tennessee vs Georgia

How we calculate the effective tax rate in Tennessee

We run fixed gross salaries through our US paycheck engine for a single filer in tax year 2026, with Tennessee selected. Modeled withholdings include federal income tax, state income tax (when applicable), and employee payroll (FICA plus any modeled state disability / paid family leave premiums). Effective rate = total modeled tax ÷ gross.

Results are educational estimates for comparing jurisdictions — not a substitute for your W-2 stub or a filed return. Local city taxes, benefits deductions, and non-paycheck levies (sales, property) are excluded.

Effective tax rate FAQ — Tennessee

In this 2026 single-filer model, Tennessee’s effective employee levy at $100,000 is about 20.8% — roughly $20,820 combined federal income tax, employee payroll on $100,000 gross, leaving about $79,180 take-home. Rank #6 of 50 (lowest rate = #1).

Tennessee ranks #6 of 50 states at the $100,000 band. #1 (Alaska) is about 20.8%; last place (Hawaii) is about 28.3%. 8 states tie at the lowest rate in this model.

About $79,180 after roughly $20,820 in modeled levies (20.8% effective) on a $100,000 single-filer salary.

Tennessee has no state wage income tax in this model. The effective rate still includes federal income tax and FICA (plus any modeled state payroll premiums) — about 20.8% at $100k.

Four fixed bands: $50k, $100k, $150k, $250k. Rankings use the $100,000 band. At $50k Tennessee is about 15.3%; at $250k about 26.7%.

No. Effective rate is total modeled tax ÷ gross. Marginal rate is the tax on the next dollar of income. This page publishes effective employee levies (income tax + payroll), not top marginal brackets alone.

No — paycheck-only. Sales tax, property tax, and most benefit deductions are excluded. For broader burden and COL context, see salary comparison by state and household tax by state.

This page models a single filer with standard defaults. Married filing jointly, head of household, dependents, and pre-tax deductions change results. Use the US paycheck calculator with Tennessee selected to personalize.

Tennessee ties Texas at about 20.8% effective (and about $79,180 take-home) on this $100,000 single-filer vignette.

Tennessee’s effective rate is about 6.4 percentage points lower than California (20.8% vs 27.2%), so take-home is about $6,386 higher.

Even without state wage income tax, federal tax and FICA apply everywhere. Some no-income-tax states (notably Washington) can trail peers when employee state payroll premiums are modeled.

Use the band ladder on this page ($50k–$250k), open the Tennessee salary comparison profile for more incomes, or run the US paycheck calculator with Tennessee selected for your filing status and deductions.

Tax Freedom Day turns a similar paycheck levy rate into a calendar date. This profile focuses on percentage and dollar take-home at fixed incomes; see Tax Freedom Day for the calendar framing.