$21 an Hour in Tennessee — After-Tax Take-Home (2026)
At $21/hour (2,080 hours/year), your gross annual income is $43,680. After federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare (Tennessee has no state income tax), your take-home pay is $17.92/hr. In Tennessee's medium cost-of-living environment, this is enough to get by in Tennessee, though budget carefully.
Pay Period Breakdown
Full Tax Breakdown — Tennessee, Single Filer
How Does Tennessee Compare?
See how $21/hr take-home differs in other states at the same wage:
Equivalent Annual Salary Pages
$21/hr = $43,680/year gross. See the full state-by-state salary breakdown:
Adjacent Rates in Tennessee
Same Rate, Other States
Cost of Living in Tennessee
- Avg 1BR rent in Nashville: $1,200/mo — over the 30% rule (33% of gross monthly)
- Minimum comfortable income in Tennessee: $40,000/yr
- Your net annual: $37,277 ($2,723 below comfortable threshold)
- Purchasing power equivalent in Texas: ~$22.1/hr
Working at $21/hr in Tennessee
At this wage level, Tennessee's zero income tax creates a meaningful take-home advantage. Nashville's growth has pushed costs up significantly, but outside the Nashville metro — Knoxville, Chattanooga, Memphis — this income goes considerably further. The high sales tax is the primary financial headwind.
At ${rate}/hr, you work roughly 67 hours each month to cover a typical 1BR in Nashville (${rent.toLocaleString()}/mo) -- that's above the 30% gross income guideline. This wage is 2.9x Tennessee's federal minimum wage of ${ctx.minWage}/hr. Your combined effective tax rate at ${rate}/hr in Tennessee is 14.7% -- federal income tax accounts for 7.0%, FICA 7.6% (no Tennessee state income tax).
Tennessee's economy has transformed dramatically. Nashville is now a major healthcare (HCA Healthcare HQ), music, and tech hub. Memphis is a logistics powerhouse (FedEx world HQ). Volkswagen, GM, and Ford all have major manufacturing facilities in the state. The state has attracted significant corporate relocations.
Tennessee has no income tax on wages — wages have never been taxed at the state level. The Hall Tax on investment income was fully eliminated in 2021. Tennessee has no estate tax. The state relies on sales tax, which averages 9.55% — among the highest in the US.
Tennessee follows the federal minimum wage of $7.25/hr.
Monthly Budget on $21/hr in Tennessee
Based on $3,106/month take-home. Percentages follow common 50/30/20 guidelines adjusted for Tennessee's cost of living.
Overtime Pay — $21/hr in Tennessee
At time-and-a-half ($31.50/hr), here's what overtime adds to your annual net income in Tennessee. Your marginal tax rate at this income level is ~13.5%.
Hours to Afford Common Purchases at $21/hr
How many hours of work (gross) to buy common items. Actual cost in after-tax hours is higher — divide by your $17.92 net hourly rate for the true cost in time.
Frequently Asked Questions
21 an hour -- is it a good wage in Tennessee?
21/hr in Tennessee gives you $37,277/year after taxes -- enough to get by in Tennessee, though budget carefully. Avg 1BR rent in Nashville: $1,200/month (exceeds the 30% rule).
What is 21 an hour after taxes in Tennessee?
21/hr in Tennessee = $37,277/year or $3,106/month net. Effective rate: 14.7%.
How does 21/hr go further -- Tennessee or Texas?
21/hr in Tennessee has similar purchasing power to ~22.1/hr in Texas.
What does 21/hr look like as a monthly budget in Tennessee?
On $3,106/month in Tennessee: rent $1,200, food $373, transport $311, savings $311, surplus ~$415.
How much does overtime add at 21/hr in Tennessee?
At 1.5x (31.50/hr OT), 5 extra hrs/week adds ~$6,800/year net; 10 hrs/week adds ~$13,650/year.