Data Entry Specialist salary in Knoxville, TN
Hiring a data entry specialist costs less in Knoxville than in Tennessee or the country as a whole. The median is $38,990 a year1: 3.7% below the Tennessee statewide median of $40,490 and 5.7% below the US median of $41,340. Among US areas it comes in at #202 of 394. About 340 data entry specialists work here, 14% of the Tennessee total.
BLS occupation 43-9021, 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 | $28,550 | $38,990 | $51,810 | |
| Tennessee | $29,940 | $40,490 | $57,310 | |
| United States | $31,200 | $41,340 | $58,790 |
The middle half of data entry specialists in Knoxville earns $34,270–$46,260. The top tenth earns $51,810 or more, 1.8 times the bottom tenth, close to the US pattern of 1.9 times. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $11,990 wide, against $12,710 across Tennessee and $12,650 nationally: employers in Knoxville pay within a narrower band.
What to budget for a data entry specialist here
| Point in the local range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $28,550 | $2,379 | $13.73 | $36,839 |
| 25th percentile | $34,270 | $2,856 | $16.48 | $44,219 |
| Median | $38,990 | $3,249 | $18.75 | $50,310 |
| 75th percentile | $46,260 | $3,855 | $22.24 | $59,690 |
| 90th percentile | $51,810 | $4,318 | $24.91 | $66,852 |
Pay climbs faster above the median than below it here: the 75th percentile is $7,270 over the median, the 25th only $4,720 under it. An offer at the 75th percentile adds about $9,381 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 $41,340 falls between the median and the 75th percentile in Knoxville, and the Tennessee statewide median of $40,490 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 $11,320 to the $38,990 median and brings it to $50,310 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 data entry specialists 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 #14 by median pay, between e-commerce order specialists ($39,330) and customer support specialists ($38,840). Project Coordinator is the highest at $91,690.
| Role | Median | vs data entry specialist | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| HR Assistant | +15.5% | 500 | |
| E-commerce Order Specialist | +0.9% | 270 | |
| Data Entry Specialist | this role | 340 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | -0.4% | 6,640 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | -1.5% | 6,280 |
Measured against the US median, data entry specialists rank #2 of the 17 roles we track in Knoxville (-5.7%), between administrative assistants (-3.2%) and virtual receptionists (-6.3%). The typical role here is at -11.0%, so, measured against the US, data entry specialists cost more in Knoxville than the area's general pay level would suggest. Data entry specialists hold 0.7% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Knoxville, 0.7% across Tennessee and 0.8% nationally. That is close to the national mix.
Other areas in Tennessee
Across the 13 areas of Tennessee with data for this job, the median runs from $34,680 in the East Tennessee nonmetro area to $44,490 in Nashville-Murfreesboro, a gap of $9,810 a year. All 2 areas in Tennessee with more data entry specialists than Knoxville also pay more, among them Nashville-Murfreesboro, TN ($44,490) and Memphis, TN-MS ($41,270).
| Area | Median | vs Knoxville | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nashville-Murfreesboro, TN | +14.1% | 760 | |
| Memphis, TN-MS | +5.8% | 550 | |
| Chattanooga, TN-GA | +1.2% | 120 | |
| Knoxville, TN | this area | 340 | |
| Clarksville, TN-KY | -2.8% | 40 | |
| South Central Tennessee (Nonmetro) | -3.2% | 50 | |
| Morristown, TN | -5.1% | 30 |
Knoxville against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Knoxville is #63 of 389 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, Wheeling and Cape Coral-Fort Myers pay just above Knoxville and Lafayette-West Lafayette and Davenport-Moline just below. All four are within $30 a year of the median in Knoxville. Of the three markets with about as many data entry specialists, one pays more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Knoxville | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln, NE | +6.2% | 330 | jobs | |
| Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL | +0.0% | 190 | pay | |
| Wheeling, WV-OH | +0.0% | 50 | pay | |
| Knoxville, TN | this area | 340 | ||
| Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN | -0.1% | 40 | pay | |
| Davenport-Moline, IA-IL | -0.1% | 150 | pay | |
| Columbia, SC | -7.1% | 350 | jobs | |
| El Paso, TX | -20.0% | 360 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a data entry specialist in Knoxville, TN?
About $50,310 a year at the median, or $4,192 a month: $38,990 in pay plus about $11,320 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for data entry specialists in Knoxville?
The median was $38,990 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $28,550, the 90th $51,810, and the middle half earned $34,270 to $46,260.
Is Knoxville cheaper than the rest of Tennessee for data entry specialists?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $38,990 against $40,490 statewide. The next area up in Tennessee is Chattanooga at $39,450, the next down Clarksville at $37,890.
How many data entry specialists work in Knoxville?
BLS counts about 340 in the May 2025 survey. That is 14% of the Tennessee total of 2,360. Only Nashville-Murfreesboro and Memphis have more in Tennessee.
Does a data entry specialist cost more than a customer support specialist in Knoxville?
Yes: $150 a year more at the median. The medians are $38,990 and $38,840.
Sources
4 sources, with links
- BLS OEWS May 2025, 43-9021: 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.