Payroll Specialist salary in Knoxville, TN
For this job Knoxville sits between the state and national figures, with a median of $52,910 a year1. That is 2.2% above the Tennessee statewide median of $51,780, and 9.2% below the US median of $58,260. Among US areas it comes in at #279 of 486. BLS counts about 500 people in this job here, 14% of the Tennessee total.
BLS occupation 43-3051, 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 | $37,020 | $52,910 | $77,980 | |
| Tennessee | $36,270 | $51,780 | $75,160 | |
| United States | $39,500 | $58,260 | $81,350 |
Payroll specialists at the 90th percentile earn $77,980, 2.1 times the 10th percentile; the US ratio is 2.1. The middle half of payroll specialists in Knoxville earns $44,460–$65,000. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is $20,540 wide, between the figure for Tennessee ($16,050) and the US figure ($21,610).
What to budget for a payroll specialist here
| Point in the local range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $37,020 | $3,085 | $17.80 | $47,768 |
| 25th percentile | $44,460 | $3,705 | $21.38 | $57,368 |
| Median | $52,910 | $4,409 | $25.44 | $68,271 |
| 75th percentile | $65,000 | $5,417 | $31.25 | $83,871 |
| 90th percentile | $77,980 | $6,498 | $37.49 | $100,619 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $12,090 a year in pay and about $15,600 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $8,450 in pay. 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 $58,260 falls between the median and the 75th percentile in Knoxville, and the Tennessee statewide median of $51,780 falls between the 25th percentile and the median.
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 $15,361 to the $52,910 median and brings it to $68,271 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 payroll 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 #8 by median pay, between sales development representatives ($59,400) and paralegals ($49,780). Project Coordinator is the highest at $91,690.
| Role | Median | vs payroll specialist | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marketing Specialist | +18.9% | 1,730 | |
| Sales Development Representative | +12.3% | 2,360 | |
| Payroll Specialist | this role | 500 | |
| Paralegal | -5.9% | 770 | |
| Bookkeeper | -10.6% | 4,510 |
Measured against the US median, payroll specialists rank #6 of the 17 roles we track in Knoxville (-9.2%), between office managers (-8.5%) and accountants (-9.9%). The typical role here is at -11.0%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Payroll specialists hold 1.1% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Knoxville, 1.0% across Tennessee and 1.0% 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 $43,340 in the West Tennessee nonmetro area to $55,960 in Nashville-Murfreesboro, a gap of $12,620 a year. All 2 areas in Tennessee with more payroll specialists than Knoxville also pay more, among them Nashville-Murfreesboro, TN ($55,960) and Memphis, TN-MS ($53,420).
| Area | Median | vs Knoxville | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nashville-Murfreesboro, TN | +5.8% | 1,460 | |
| Memphis, TN-MS | +1.0% | 520 | |
| Knoxville, TN | this area | 500 | |
| Clarksville, TN-KY | -0.9% | 100 | |
| Chattanooga, TN-GA | -2.0% | 190 | |
| Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA | -3.3% | 90 | |
| South Central Tennessee (Nonmetro) | -4.7% | 100 |
Knoxville against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Knoxville is #57 of 482 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, Lafayette-West Lafayette and Athens-Clarke County pay just above Knoxville and North Port-Bradenton and Lakeland-Winter Haven just below. All four are within $200 a year of the median in Knoxville. Of the three markets with about as many payroll specialists, one pays more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Knoxville | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | +7.1% | 500 | jobs | |
| Athens-Clarke County, GA | +0.0% | 80 | pay | |
| Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN | +0.0% | 100 | pay | |
| Knoxville, TN | this area | 500 | ||
| North Port-Bradenton, FL | +0.0% | 380 | pay | |
| Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL | -0.4% | 220 | pay | |
| Tulsa, OK | -0.4% | 520 | jobs | |
| El Paso, TX | -8.1% | 490 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a payroll specialist in Knoxville, TN?
About $68,271 a year at the median, or $5,689 a month: $52,910 in pay plus about $15,361 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do payroll specialists earn in Knoxville?
The median was $52,910 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $37,020, the 90th $77,980, and the middle half earned $44,460 to $65,000.
Is Knoxville cheaper than the rest of Tennessee for payroll specialists?
No, it costs more: a median of $52,910 against $51,780 statewide. The next area up in Tennessee is Memphis at $53,420, the next down Clarksville at $52,420.
How many payroll specialists work in Knoxville?
BLS counts about 500 in the May 2025 survey. That is 14% of the Tennessee total of 3,680. Only Nashville-Murfreesboro and Memphis have more in Tennessee.
Does a payroll specialist cost more than a paralegal in Knoxville?
Yes: $3,130 a year more at the median. The medians are $52,910 and $49,780.
Sources
4 sources, with links
- BLS OEWS May 2025, 43-3051: 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.