Lead financial strategy, planning, and reporting for the entire organization. Median salary in Memphis: $225K/year. Data from BLS, O*NET, and H-1B disclosures.
Figures represent annual base salary in Memphis, Tennessee. Reviewed by SalaryOptics Editorial · How we calculate this →
Analysis derived from the salary, COL, tax, and labor-market figures above — specific to this role and city.
Chief Financial Officers in Memphis earn approximately 10% lower than the US national median for this role — a $25,000 discount on annual base salary. Memphis's lower wage level partially reflects the area's cost-of-living index of 82 (US avg = 100).
Adjusted for Memphis's cost-of-living index (82), the median Chief Financial Officer salary buys the equivalent of $274,390 in a US-average-cost city. That's $24,390 more purchasing power than the national median — a meaningful real-wage advantage.
Tennessee has no state income tax, which is worth roughly $20,925 per year at this salary level compared to a California Chief Financial Officer on the same gross pay. A Memphis Chief Financial Officer would need to earn $248,071 in California to net the same take-home.
Based on BLS 2022–2032 Employment Projections and WEF Future of Jobs Report 2026. At current growth rates, median salary reaches $225K by 2030.
Enter your email for free access. We'll send salary market updates — unsubscribe anytime.
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
The median Chief Financial Officer salary in Memphis, TN is $225,000 per year as of Q1 2026. This figure represents the midpoint of all reported compensation for this role in the Memphis–TN metropolitan area, based on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics, H-1B visa disclosures from the Department of Labor, and O*NET occupational data.
Entry-level Chief Financial Officers in Memphis with 0–2 years of experience typically earn between $158,000 and $225,000 annually. Mid-career professionals with 3–7 years command $225,000 to $324,000, while senior-level practitioners with 8+ years of experience regularly earn $324,000 to $468,000 or more.
Memphis has a cost of living index of 82 compared to the US national average of 100. This means your salary goes approximately 18% further in Memphis than the national average. Crucially, Tennessee has no state income tax — giving Memphis-based Chief Financial Officers an immediate 3–5% take-home pay advantage over workers in states like California (9.3%) or New York (6.85%).
Bachelor's in Finance; MBA or CPA; 15+ years experience. 30% of these roles offer some remote flexibility.