Updated May 2026 · BLS OEWS 2025 reference period
Knoxville, TN Average Salary 2026
Cost of living, occupation-by-occupation pay, and percentile ranges from official BLS data.
The average salary in Knoxville, TN, Tennessee is $102,143 as of 2026, based on Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data (2025 reference period) covering 61 occupations and roughly 73,920 workers. Adjusted for Knoxville, TN's cost-of-living index of 90.3, that nominal average translates to $113,115 of purchasing power in an average-cost U.S. metro. The highest-paying tracked occupation is Family Medicine Physician at $460,080; the lowest is Welder at $48,040.
Knoxville, TN, TN has below-baseline cost-of-living (index 90.3), which means the $102,143 average median wage translates to higher real purchasing power than the same number would in higher-COL markets.
Highest-paying role in Knoxville, TN on BLS data is Family Medicine Physician at $460,080 median. Top-paying roles in any U.S. city skew toward physicians, executives, tech specialists, and licensed professionals; the specific ranking varies with the local industry mix. Lower-COL cities like Knoxville, TN often outperform higher-COL ones on cost-adjusted real income for the same role, especially for workers in mid-paying occupations whose gross wages do not vary as much by city.
Salaries by Occupation in Knoxville, TN
| Role | Category | Median | Range (10th–90th) | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Family Medicine Physician | Healthcare | $460,080 | $189,830 – $621,030 | 590 |
| Obstetrician/Gynecologist | Healthcare | $365,260 | $56,380 – $370,590 | 30 |
| Pediatrician | Healthcare | $164,720 | $164,720 – $232,030 | 0 |
| Dentist | Healthcare | $157,900 | $84,360 – $259,320 | 220 |
| Computer and Information Systems Manager | Technology | $143,650 | $95,610 – $219,970 | 1,380 |
| Financial Manager | Finance | $133,570 | $63,900 – $262,970 | 2,090 |
| Pharmacist | Healthcare | $132,460 | $85,160 – $159,200 | 990 |
| Human Resources Manager | Management | $132,200 | $83,290 – $233,640 | 530 |
| Marketing Manager | Management | $131,040 | $79,410 – $258,450 | 930 |
| Lawyer | Legal | $126,520 | $77,800 – $263,220 | 1,250 |
| Optometrist | Healthcare | $125,090 | $47,830 – $164,930 | 80 |
| Software Developer | Technology | $121,750 | $68,880 – $161,870 | 2,390 |
| Veterinarian | Healthcare | $121,160 | $100,470 – $170,290 | 260 |
| Sales Manager | Management | $119,380 | $68,510 – $234,160 | 1,410 |
| Computer Network Architect | Technology | $117,480 | $78,930 – $161,510 | 480 |
| Nurse Practitioner | Healthcare | $109,740 | $85,210 – $135,170 | 1,630 |
| Electrical Engineer | Engineering | $108,590 | $75,120 – $166,210 | 630 |
| Physician Assistant | Healthcare | $107,980 | $91,640 – $141,670 | 240 |
| General and Operations Manager | Management | $104,590 | $51,410 – $253,540 | 8,660 |
| Medical and Health Services Manager | Healthcare | $104,250 | $67,290 – $191,990 | 1,880 |
| Business Professor (Postsecondary) | Education | $103,010 | $67,530 – $319,760 | 260 |
| Information Security Analyst | Technology | $102,210 | $59,700 – $165,010 | 480 |
| Engineers (Other) | Engineering | $99,650 | $61,530 – $162,430 | 940 |
| Mechanical Engineer | Engineering | $99,070 | $63,200 – $148,980 | 760 |
| Management Analyst | Management | $97,470 | $65,080 – $171,240 | 1,530 |
| Civil Engineer | Engineering | $96,320 | $63,860 – $160,350 | 1,110 |
| Physical Therapist | Healthcare | $96,110 | $64,850 – $124,190 | 590 |
| Industrial Engineer | Engineering | $95,750 | $68,410 – $132,320 | 960 |
| Occupational Therapist | Healthcare | $94,490 | $58,870 – $116,330 | 290 |
| Architect | Engineering | $94,310 | $61,430 – $131,170 | 380 |
| Data Scientist | Technology | $92,640 | $61,980 – $149,090 | 320 |
| Audiologist | Healthcare | $92,570 | $74,340 – $92,570 | 0 |
| Network Architect | Technology | $87,400 | $62,460 – $128,190 | 880 |
| Software Quality Assurance Tester | Technology | $85,970 | $57,820 – $114,700 | 220 |
| Computer Systems Analyst | Technology | $85,730 | $60,930 – $126,620 | 1,210 |
| Financial Analyst | Finance | $85,570 | $49,200 – $135,050 | 590 |
| Dental Hygienist | Healthcare | $84,640 | $81,380 – $97,700 | 590 |
| Financial Examiner | Finance | $84,510 | $48,330 – $159,040 | 100 |
| Web Designer | Technology | $80,710 | $47,290 – $123,780 | 200 |
| Personal Financial Advisor | Finance | $80,370 | $43,880 – $436,010 | 420 |
| Speech-Language Pathologist | Healthcare | $78,060 | $54,590 – $108,290 | 400 |
| Registered Nurse | Healthcare | $77,240 | $57,070 – $97,360 | 9,500 |
| Computer Network Support Specialist | Technology | $76,820 | $49,710 – $101,770 | 350 |
| Accountant | Finance | $75,380 | $50,470 – $125,680 | 3,240 |
| Computer Occupations (Other) | Technology | $66,960 | $45,410 – $116,520 | 1,370 |
| Computer Programmer | Technology | $66,760 | $46,790 – $102,170 | 110 |
| Loan Officer | Finance | $63,830 | $39,650 – $116,770 | 930 |
| Secondary School Teacher | Education | $63,130 | $50,380 – $77,070 | 2,820 |
| Writer/Author | Creative | $63,080 | $44,410 – $141,480 | 180 |
| Market Research Analyst | Management | $62,890 | $36,600 – $104,200 | 1,730 |
| Elementary School Teacher | Education | $61,980 | $49,880 – $72,940 | 3,360 |
| Web Developer | Technology | $60,720 | $35,350 – $93,190 | 240 |
| Plumber | Trades | $59,860 | $38,940 – $79,560 | 1,700 |
| Clinical Laboratory Technologist | Healthcare | $58,650 | $37,390 – $82,340 | 1,320 |
| Electrician | Trades | $58,640 | $38,020 – $79,530 | 2,170 |
| Public Relations Specialist | Creative | $57,360 | $38,900 – $103,110 | 420 |
| Graphic Designer | Creative | $56,720 | $37,150 – $85,920 | 470 |
| Carpenter | Trades | $50,400 | $36,600 – $70,100 | 1,280 |
| Paralegal | Legal | $49,780 | $38,990 – $75,660 | 770 |
| Automotive Technician | Trades | $48,540 | $31,580 – $79,680 | 2,280 |
| Welder | Trades | $48,040 | $38,280 – $63,980 | 1,780 |
What These Numbers Tell You
The single highest-paying occupation tracked in Knoxville, TN is Family Medicine Physician, with a median of $460,080 and a 90th-percentile reading of $621,030. That $431,200 spread between the 10th and 90th percentiles is typical for a role of this seniority — entry-level workers cluster near the bottom of the band, while senior specialists and managers earn at the top.
Across all 61 BLS-tracked occupations in Knoxville, TN, the average median salary is $102,143. The top five roles average $258,322 — about 2.5× the citywide average — which is the expected shape for a U.S. metro economy: a small concentration of high-skill, high-credential occupations sits well above the broader middle.
Knoxville, TN runs below the U.S. average on cost of living (index 90.3, about 10% below the national mean). Lower nominal salaries here often translate to comparable or better purchasing power than higher headline numbers in coastal hubs.
Salary Negotiation in Knoxville, TN
For salary negotiation in Knoxville, TN, the practical input is the percentile band for your role and city, not the citywide average. The OEWS publishes 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, and 90th percentile wages for every metro and occupation; you can find your role's exact percentile in the table above and use the SalaryTruth percentile calculator to anchor your offer. Cost-of-living index 90.3 should also factor in any cross-metro comparison.
For city-vs-city moves, the right benchmark is COL-adjusted pay rather than nominal pay. Our COL-adjusted salaries guide shows the exact math; the negotiation playbook covers how to use BLS percentile bands to anchor offers.
How Knoxville, TN Salary Data Is Built
Wages on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program — a federal survey of more than 1.2 million U.S. establishments, published once per year by Metropolitan Statistical Area and Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code. We pull the BLS data file for Knoxville, TN, match each occupation against our role catalog, and surface percentile wages alongside employment counts. The cost-of-living index (90.3) is a composite of housing, food, transportation, and utility data from public sources, calibrated to a U.S. national average of 100. Read the full methodology.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average salary in Knoxville, TN in 2026?
The average salary in Knoxville, TN is $102,143 as of 2026, based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics' OEWS 2025 release covering 61 occupations. The mean (employment-weighted average) gives slightly more weight to large occupations; the median across roles is also close to $102,143. The top-paying role is Family Medicine Physician at $460,080.
Is $100,000 a good salary in Knoxville, TN?
In Knoxville, TN, $100,000 has the purchasing power of $110,742 in an average-cost U.S. metro (COL index 90.3). That is above $100K of buying power — a $100K salary stretches further in Knoxville, TN than in most U.S. metros. Compared to the city's average median of $102,143, $100K is below the typical worker.
What are the highest-paying jobs in Knoxville, TN?
The top-paying tracked occupations in Knoxville, TN are Family Medicine Physician ($460,080), Obstetrician/Gynecologist ($365,260), Pediatrician ($164,720), and Dentist ($157,900). Across the top 10, median salaries range from $126,520 to $460,080. See the full ranking at /ranking/highest-paying-jobs/knoxville.
How does Knoxville, TN's cost of living affect salaries?
Knoxville, TN has a cost-of-living index of 90.3, 10% below the U.S. national average. A nominal salary of $102,143 in this metro has the equivalent purchasing power of $113,115 in an average-cost U.S. city. Housing is the dominant driver of this gap; in higher-COL markets, mortgage or rent typically eats 5–15 percentage points more of pre-tax pay than in average-cost metros.
How many people are employed in Knoxville, TN?
Across the 61 BLS-tracked occupations on this page, total employment in the Knoxville, TN metro is approximately 73,920. BLS OEWS sample-based estimates cover all major occupational categories but exclude very small or volatile fields where the sample is too thin to publish.
Where does this Knoxville, TN salary data come from?
Every wage figure on this page is sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program at bls.gov/oes — public domain federal survey data covering about 1.2 million U.S. employers. The same data is used by the U.S. Department of Labor for prevailing wage determinations.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Knoxville, TN MSA, 2026 release. Public domain. See bls.gov/oes. Cite as: "SalaryTruth, BLS OEWS 2026."
Last refreshed 2026-05-21 · 61 occupations · COL Index 90.3.