Bookkeeper salary in Knoxville, TN
Hiring a bookkeeper costs less in Knoxville than in Tennessee or the country as a whole. The median is $47,320 a year1: 1.8% below the Tennessee statewide median of $48,180 and 6.6% below the US median of $50,670. Among US areas it comes in at #274 of 521. BLS counts about 4,510 people in this job here, 12% of the Tennessee total.
BLS occupation 43-3031, 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 | $35,160 | $47,320 | $65,090 | |
| Tennessee | $35,000 | $48,180 | $67,730 | |
| United States | $36,000 | $50,670 | $74,550 |
The middle half of bookkeepers in Knoxville earns $39,400–$56,740. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $65,090, only 1.9 times the bottom tenth, against 2.1 times across the US, so the going rate is easier to read. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $17,340 wide, against $18,130 across Tennessee and $17,950 nationally: employers in Knoxville pay within a narrower band.
What to budget for a bookkeeper here
| Point in the local range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $35,160 | $2,930 | $16.90 | $45,368 |
| 25th percentile | $39,400 | $3,283 | $18.94 | $50,839 |
| Median | $47,320 | $3,943 | $22.75 | $61,058 |
| 75th percentile | $56,740 | $4,728 | $27.28 | $73,213 |
| 90th percentile | $65,090 | $5,424 | $31.29 | $83,987 |
The step from the 25th percentile to the median is $7,920 a year; from the median to the 75th it is $9,420, or about $12,155 once benefits are added. 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 $50,670 falls between the median and the 75th percentile in Knoxville, and the Tennessee statewide median of $48,180 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 $13,738 to the $47,320 median and brings it to $61,058 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 bookkeepers 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 #10 by median pay, between paralegals ($49,780) and administrative assistants ($46,000). Project Coordinator is the highest at $91,690.
| Role | Median | vs bookkeeper | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Payroll Specialist | +11.8% | 500 | |
| Paralegal | +5.2% | 770 | |
| Bookkeeper | this role | 4,510 | |
| Administrative Assistant | -2.8% | 4,790 | |
| HR Assistant | -4.8% | 500 |
Measured against the US median, bookkeepers rank #4 of the 17 roles we track in Knoxville (-6.6%), between virtual receptionists (-6.3%) and office managers (-8.5%). The typical role here is at -11.0%, so, measured against the US, bookkeepers cost more in Knoxville than the area's general pay level would suggest. Bookkeepers hold 9.6% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Knoxville, 10.4% across Tennessee and 8.7% nationally. That is close to the national mix.
Other areas in Tennessee
Across the 14 areas of Tennessee with data for this job, the median runs from $40,700 in Johnson City to $50,810 in Nashville-Murfreesboro, a gap of $10,110 a year. All 2 areas in Tennessee with more bookkeepers than Knoxville also pay more, among them Nashville-Murfreesboro, TN ($50,810) and Memphis, TN-MS ($48,400).
| Area | Median | vs Knoxville | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nashville-Murfreesboro, TN | +7.4% | 13,790 | |
| Memphis, TN-MS | +2.3% | 6,320 | |
| Knoxville, TN | this area | 4,510 | |
| Chattanooga, TN-GA | -0.8% | 2,920 | |
| Clarksville, TN-KY | -2.2% | 1,000 | |
| Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA | -3.5% | 1,170 | |
| East Tennessee (Nonmetro) | -3.7% | 1,190 |
Knoxville against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Knoxville is #51 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, Idaho Falls and Birmingham pay just above Knoxville and Beaumont-Port Arthur and Gettysburg just below. All four are within $70 a year of the median in Knoxville. Of the three markets with about as many bookkeepers, all three pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Knoxville | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hartford-West Hartford, CT | +25.7% | 4,660 | jobs | |
| Rochester, NY | +7.5% | 4,380 | jobs | |
| Tulsa, OK | +2.0% | 4,400 | jobs | |
| Birmingham, AL | +0.0% | 5,430 | pay | |
| Idaho Falls, ID | +0.0% | 830 | pay | |
| Knoxville, TN | this area | 4,510 | ||
| Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX | -0.1% | 1,370 | pay | |
| Gettysburg, PA | -0.1% | 290 | pay |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a bookkeeper in Knoxville, TN?
About $61,058 a year at the median, or $5,088 a month: $47,320 in pay plus about $13,738 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do bookkeepers earn in Knoxville?
The median was $47,320 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $35,160, the 90th $65,090, and the middle half earned $39,400 to $56,740.
Is Knoxville cheaper than the rest of Tennessee for bookkeepers?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $47,320 against $48,180 statewide. The next area up in Tennessee is Memphis at $48,400, the next down Chattanooga at $46,920.
How many bookkeepers work in Knoxville?
BLS counts about 4,510 in the May 2025 survey. That is 12% of the Tennessee total of 37,680. Only Nashville-Murfreesboro and Memphis have more in Tennessee.
Does a bookkeeper cost more than an administrative assistant in Knoxville?
Yes: $1,320 a year more at the median. The medians are $47,320 and $46,000.
Sources
4 sources, with links
- BLS OEWS May 2025, 43-3031: 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.