Accountant salary in Knoxville, TN
Hiring an accountant costs less in Knoxville than in Tennessee or the country as a whole. The median is $75,380 a year1: 1.9% below the Tennessee statewide median of $76,840 and 9.9% below the US median of $83,680. Among US areas it comes in at #316 of 521. BLS counts about 3,240 people in this job here, 12% of the Tennessee total.
BLS occupation 13-2011, area Knoxville, TN. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Knoxville against Tennessee and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Knoxville, TN | $50,470 | $75,380 | $125,680 | |
| Tennessee | $49,920 | $76,840 | $122,160 | |
| United States | $56,020 | $83,680 | $144,090 |
The middle half of accountants in Knoxville earns $62,710–$95,930. The top tenth earns $125,680 or more, 2.5 times the bottom tenth, close to the US pattern of 2.6 times. The mean ($82,250) is 9% over the median, so a group of high earners pulls the average up; price a typical hire from the median. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is $33,220 wide, between the figure for Tennessee ($32,360) and the US figure ($42,790).
What to budget for an accountant here
| Point in the local range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $50,470 | $4,206 | $24.26 | $65,123 |
| 25th percentile | $62,710 | $5,226 | $30.15 | $80,916 |
| Median | $75,380 | $6,282 | $36.24 | $97,265 |
| 75th percentile | $95,930 | $7,994 | $46.12 | $123,781 |
| 90th percentile | $125,680 | $10,473 | $60.42 | $162,168 |
Pay climbs faster above the median than below it here: the 75th percentile is $20,550 over the median, the 25th only $12,670 under it. An offer at the 75th percentile adds about $26,516 a year in employer cost. These percentiles describe what people in the job earn locally, not experience levels, so place your offer by the tasks and seniority you need.
For scale, the US median of $83,680 falls between the median and the 75th percentile in Knoxville, and the Tennessee statewide median of $76,840 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Knoxville
Pay is only part of it. Benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, which adds about $21,885 to the $75,380 median and brings it to $97,265 a year. Recruiting, equipment and office space come on top. Benefit levels vary by employer, so treat this as an estimate.
We place executive assistants, customer support and e-commerce staff today; for accountants we answer within one business day whether we can help. Enter the monthly pay you have in mind to compare it with a local hire. The fee field shows our standard fee3; Deel's contractor plan is the default payroll tool4.
Other roles in Knoxville
Of the 17 roles we track in Knoxville, this one ranks #2 by median pay, after project coordinators ($91,690); recruiters come next at $67,370.
| Role | Median | vs accountant | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project Coordinator | +21.6% | 3,650 | |
| Accountant | this role | 3,240 | |
| Recruiter | -10.6% | 2,980 | |
| Executive Assistant | -10.7% | 570 | |
| Office Manager | -15.7% | 6,170 |
Measured against the US median, accountants rank #7 of the 17 roles we track in Knoxville (-9.9%), between payroll specialists (-9.2%) and project coordinators (-10.4%). The typical role here is at -11.0%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Accountants hold 6.9% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Knoxville, 7.5% across Tennessee and 9.1% nationally. The job is a smaller part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Tennessee
Across the 14 areas of Tennessee with data for this job, the median runs from $64,710 in Johnson City to $78,080 in Nashville-Murfreesboro, a gap of $13,370 a year. All 2 areas in Tennessee with more accountants than Knoxville also pay more, among them Nashville-Murfreesboro, TN ($78,080) and Memphis, TN-MS ($76,960).
| Area | Median | vs Knoxville | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA | +0.7% | 780 | |
| North Central Tennessee (Nonmetro) | +0.4% | 640 | |
| South Central Tennessee (Nonmetro) | +0.2% | 530 | |
| Knoxville, TN | this area | 3,240 | |
| Morristown, TN | -3.4% | 240 | |
| Clarksville, TN-KY | -3.5% | 510 | |
| Jackson, TN | -4.5% | 520 |
Knoxville against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Knoxville is #64 of 521 US areas for this job. It is one of the larger markets for this job, with pay near the middle of the US range. Outside Tennessee, Abilene and Muskegon-Norton Shores pay just above Knoxville and Rockford and Fort Wayne just below. All four are within $130 a year of the median in Knoxville. Of the three markets with about as many accountants, two pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Knoxville | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albuquerque, NM | +6.0% | 3,260 | jobs | |
| Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA | +1.5% | 3,210 | jobs | |
| Muskegon-Norton Shores, MI | +0.1% | 300 | pay | |
| Abilene, TX | +0.0% | 550 | pay | |
| Knoxville, TN | this area | 3,240 | ||
| Rockford, IL | -0.2% | 850 | pay | |
| Fort Wayne, IN | -0.2% | 1,640 | pay | |
| Columbia, SC | -8.2% | 3,260 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an accountant in Knoxville, TN?
About $97,265 a year at the median, or $8,105 a month: $75,380 in pay plus about $21,885 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do accountants earn in Knoxville?
The median was $75,380 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $50,470, the 90th $125,680, and the middle half earned $62,710 to $95,930.
Is Knoxville cheaper than the rest of Tennessee for accountants?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $75,380 against $76,840 statewide. The next area up in Tennessee is the South Central Tennessee nonmetro area at $75,550, the next down Morristown at $72,810.
How many accountants work in Knoxville?
BLS counts about 3,240 in the May 2025 survey. That is 12% of the Tennessee total of 27,340. Only Nashville-Murfreesboro and Memphis have more in Tennessee.
Does an accountant cost more than a recruiter in Knoxville?
Yes: $8,010 a year more at the median. The medians are $75,380 and $67,370.
Sources
4 sources, with links
- BLS OEWS May 2025, 13-2011: bls.gov
- BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, private industry, June 2026: bls.gov
- Stafka pricing: stafka.com
- Deel pricing, contractor management: deel.com
How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-12.