Cost of hiring in Knoxville, TN
BLS counts about 46,920 people in these 17 roles in Knoxville1. Project Coordinator has the highest median ($91,690 a year), Virtual Receptionist the lowest ($35,620), and Customer Support Specialist is the largest job, with about 6,640 people.
Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Median pay by role in Knoxville
| Role | Median per year | vs US median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Administrative Assistant | -3.2% | 4,790 | |
| Data Entry Specialist | -5.7% | 340 | |
| Virtual Receptionist | -6.3% | 1,620 | |
| Bookkeeper | -6.6% | 4,510 | |
| Office Manager | -8.5% | 6,170 | |
| Payroll Specialist | -9.2% | 500 | |
| Accountant | -9.9% | 3,240 | |
| Project Coordinator | -10.4% | 3,650 | |
| HR Assistant | -11.0% | 500 | |
| Recruiter | -11.3% | 2,980 | |
| Executive Assistant | -12.1% | 570 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | -13.2% | 6,640 | |
| E-commerce Order Specialist | -14.8% | 270 | |
| Sales Development Representative | -15.1% | 2,360 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | -16.4% | 6,280 | |
| Marketing Specialist | -20.1% | 1,730 | |
| Paralegal | -20.8% | 770 |
The employer pays more than the wage: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, so a $38,840 median for customer support specialists, the largest of these jobs here, comes to about $50,116 a year. That is an estimate: benefit levels vary by employer.
Knoxville against the US
Knoxville pays below the US median for all 17 roles. The gap is smallest for administrative assistants (-3.2%) and data entry specialists (-5.7%) and largest for paralegals (-20.8%). The middle gap across all 17 is -11.0%: for most of these roles, hiring costs less here than at the US median. Its best national standing is for executive assistants, #173 of 509 areas by median pay; its lowest is for e-commerce order specialists, #232 of 287.
Compared with the US mix of these jobs, Knoxville has more medical administrative assistants (13.4% of these jobs here, against 6.1% nationally) and HR assistants (1.1% against 0.6%), and fewer executive assistants (1.2% against 2.9%) and virtual receptionists (3.5% against 5.7%). Metro areas in other states with the closest overall pay level, measured the same way, are listed below; Saginaw, MI is nearest, at -10.9%.
| Area | Middle gap to the US | Roles with data | Jobs in these roles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wilmington, NC | -10.9% | 17 | 19,910 |
| Erie, PA | -10.9% | 17 | 9,750 |
| Roanoke, VA | -10.9% | 17 | 14,960 |
| Saginaw, MI | -10.9% | 17 | 8,170 |
| Knoxville, TN | -11.0% (this area) | 17 | 46,920 |
| Sandusky, OH | -11.1% | 15 | 3,400 |
How far pay spreads inside each role
From the 10th to the 90th percentile, sales development representatives in Knoxville span $34,120–$103,370, the widest band (3.0×); e-commerce order specialists the narrowest, $30,910–$53,280. Offers cluster nearer the median than nationally for 6 of 17 roles, sales development representatives most ($37,980–$148,840 across the US). Budget from the median for paralegals, office managers, recruiters and 5 more roles: a few well-paid jobs lift the average ($55,750 against a $49,780 median for paralegals).
Knoxville against Tennessee
Against Tennessee as a whole, Knoxville pays more for 3 of 17 roles, led by project coordinators (+6.8%) and payroll specialists (+2.2%), and less for 11, most of all paralegals (-15.4%). It has the highest median in Tennessee for project coordinators.
Other areas in Tennessee
By jobs in these roles, Knoxville is #3 of 14 areas in Tennessee. The table shows the areas closest to it in size, from Nashville-Murfreesboro to the East Tennessee nonmetro area.
| Area | Jobs in these roles | Roles with data |
|---|---|---|
| Nashville-Murfreesboro, TN | 133,260 | 17 |
| Memphis, TN-MS | 59,940 | 17 |
| Chattanooga, TN-GA | 28,700 | 17 |
| Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA | 11,540 | 17 |
| North Central Tennessee (Nonmetro) | 10,290 | 17 |
| Clarksville, TN-KY | 9,360 | 17 |
| Johnson City, TN | 9,340 | 17 |
| West Tennessee (Nonmetro) | 9,320 | 17 |
| South Central Tennessee (Nonmetro) | 8,960 | 17 |
| East Tennessee (Nonmetro) | 8,610 | 17 |
Questions
Which role costs the most to hire in Knoxville?
Of the 17 roles we track, Project Coordinator: a median of $91,690 a year, about $118,310 with benefits; the lowest is Virtual Receptionist, $35,620.
Is hiring in Knoxville cheaper than the US median?
Yes, for every role we track: all 17 medians are below the US figure, the furthest for paralegals (-20.8%).
Sources
2 sources, with links
How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-12.