Stockers and Order Fillers
Median $17.38 an hour in Tennessee · 60,130 jobs
Tennessee · 2026 take-home pay
$17 an hour after taxes in Tennessee
At $17 an hour in Tennessee you keep about $14.71 of every hour — $588 a week, $2,549 a month or $30,592 a year full time — after 2026 federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare. Tennessee has no income tax on wages, and its minimum wage is $7.25 an hour.
Where $17 an hour goes
| A year | A week | An hour | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $35,360 | $680 | $17.00 |
| Federal income tax | −$2,063 | −$40 | −$0.99 |
| Social Security (6.2%) | −$2,192 | −$42 | −$1.05 |
| Medicare (1.45%+) | −$513 | −$10 | −$0.25 |
| Take-home pay | $30,592 | $588 | $14.71 |
Effective tax rate 13.5% · federal bracket 12% · no state income tax on wages.
Take-home per paycheck
| Paid | Gross | Take-home |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly (52 paychecks) | $680.00 | $588.30 |
| Every two weeks (26) | $1,360.00 | $1,176.61 |
| Twice a month (24) | $1,473.33 | $1,274.66 |
| Monthly (12) | $2,946.67 | $2,549.31 |
$17 an hour at different hours
Take-home in Tennessee for part-time, full-time and overtime weeks. Overtime is paid at 1.5 times $17 an hour for hours over 40, as federal law requires for most hourly workers.
| Schedule | Gross a week | Take-home a week | Take-home a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 hours a week* | $340 | $311 | $16,169 |
| 30 hours a week | $510 | $451 | $23,449 |
| 40 hours a week | $680 | $588 | $30,592 |
| 40 hours + 5 overtime | $808 | $691 | $35,919 |
| 40 hours + 10 overtime | $935 | $793 | $41,246 |
*If this is your only job. With a second job, withholding on each is likely too low unless you adjust your W-4.
Is $17 an hour good pay in Tennessee?
- Minimum wage: $17 an hour is 2.3 times the federal minimum wage of $7.25, which applies in Tennessee. Tennessee has no state minimum wage law.
- Among Tennessee workers: It's about the 24th percentile of hourly pay in Tennessee (BLS, May 2025) — roughly 24 in 100 workers earn less. The median is $22.78 an hour.
- Local prices: Tennessee's price level is 91.9% of the U.S. average (BEA Regional Price Parities), so $30,592 a year buys about what $33,299 would at national-average prices.
- Rent: the 30% rule points to about $884 a month. Check it with your debts.
- A 50/30/20 budget: about $1,275 a month for needs, $765 for wants and $510 for savings. Plan it in the budget calculator.
Jobs in Tennessee that pay about $17 an hour
Occupations whose median wage in Tennessee is within 4% of $17 an hour, most common first. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
Cooks, Restaurant
Median $17.51 an hour in Tennessee · 28,220 jobs
Security Guards
Median $17.31 an hour in Tennessee · 27,690 jobs
Packers and Packagers, Hand
Median $17.30 an hour in Tennessee · 14,030 jobs
Receptionists and Information Clerks
Median $16.79 an hour in Tennessee · 11,460 jobs
Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria
Median $17.10 an hour in Tennessee · 10,680 jobs
How Tennessee compares on $17 an hour
Tennessee ranks tied for 1st of 51 (with 7 others) for take-home pay on $17 an hour (1st = keeps the most). Here it is next to its neighbors.
| State | After tax, per hour | A year | Minimum wage | vs Tennessee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tennessee | $14.71 | $30,592 | $7.25 | — |
| Alabama | $14.02 | $29,168 | $7.25 | −$1,424 a year |
| Arkansas | $14.31 | $29,771 | $11.00 | −$821 a year |
| Georgia | $14.22 | $29,576 | $7.25 | −$1,016 a year |
| Kentucky | $14.17 | $29,472 | $7.25 | −$1,120 a year |
| Missouri | $14.36 | $29,867 | $15.00 | −$725 a year |
| Mississippi | $14.38 | $29,909 | $7.25 | −$683 a year |
| North Carolina | $14.27 | $29,690 | $7.25 | −$902 a year |
| Virginia | $14.12 | $29,373 | $12.77 | −$1,219 a year |
How the federal tax on $35,360 ($17 an hour) is worked out
Taxable income is $35,360 minus the 2026 standard deduction ($16,100) = $19,260. Each slice is taxed at its own rate:
| Rate | Income in this bracket | Tax |
|---|---|---|
| 10% | $12,400 | $1,240 |
| 12% | $6,860 | $823 |
| Total | $19,260 | $2,063 |
Common questions
How much is $17 an hour after taxes in Tennessee?
About $14.71 for every hour you work, or $30,592 a year at 40 hours a week ($35,360 gross). Taxes take about 13.5% of your pay, for a single filer in 2026 with no pre-tax deductions.
How much is $17 an hour a week after taxes in Tennessee?
About $588 a week at 40 hours, from $680 gross. Paid every two weeks, each paycheck is about $1,177.
How much is $17 an hour a month after taxes in Tennessee?
About $2,549 a month at 40 hours a week, from $2,947 gross.
Is $17 an hour good pay in Tennessee?
$17 an hour is 2.3 times the federal minimum wage of $7.25, which applies in Tennessee. Tennessee has no state minimum wage law. It's about the 24th percentile of hourly pay in Tennessee (BLS, May 2025) — roughly 24 in 100 workers earn less. The median hourly wage for all jobs in Tennessee is $22.78. After taxes and local prices, $30,592 a year buys about what $33,299 would at national-average prices.
Is Tennessee a high-tax state for $17 an hour?
It ranks tied for 1st of 51 (with 7 others) among the 50 states and D.C. for take-home on $17 an hour. The most you'd keep is $30,592 a year, in 8 places including Tennessee, Florida, North Dakota; the least, $28,267 in Oregon.
More hourly rates
Other hourly rates in Tennessee
- $13 an hour in Tennessee
- $14 an hour in Tennessee
- $15 an hour in Tennessee
- $16 an hour in Tennessee
- $18 an hour in Tennessee
- $19 an hour in Tennessee
- $20 an hour in Tennessee
- $21 an hour in Tennessee
$17 an hour in every state · $35,000 a year in Tennessee · $40,000 a year in Tennessee · Tennessee paycheck calculator · All pay conversions
Sources and method
Our 2026 engine applies IRS Publication 15-T withholding, Social Security and Medicare (methodology). Tennessee doesn't tax wages. Local income taxes are not included. Minimum wages: U.S. Department of Labor. Wage distribution and jobs: BLS OEWS May 2025. Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities.
- Publication 15-T (2026), Federal Income Tax Withholding Methods — Internal Revenue Service. Accessed October 14, 2026.
- State Minimum Wage Laws — U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division. Accessed October 14, 2026.
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed October 14, 2026.
- Regional Price Parities by State — U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. Accessed October 14, 2026.