Tennessee ranks 44 out of 51 on average hourly earnings

Tennessee ranks among the lowest-earning states in the nation, according to new  data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics,(opens in a new tab) Tennessee ranks 44 out of the 50 states and Washington, D.C., with an average hourly wage of $31.79 and an average working week of 34.7 hours, meaning the average. Tennessee takes home $1,103.11 per week. The national average wage is $35.66 per hour with the average American working 33.96 hours a week. Washington, D.C., has the highest average hourly wage at $57.39, followed by Washington state at $44.15 per hour,  and Massachusetts at $43.45 per hour. Mississippi reports the lowest hourly wage at $28.98 per hour on average, with Arkansas the second-lowest at $29.53, and Iowa  following at $30.59.