Project Coordinator salary in Knoxville, TN
Project coordinators earn more in Knoxville than anywhere else in Tennessee. Expect a median of $91,690 a year1, 6.8% above the Tennessee statewide median of $85,890 and 10.4% below the US median of $102,320. Nationally it ranks #268 of 518 areas. BLS counts about 3,650 people in this job here, 18% of the Tennessee total.
BLS occupation 13-1082, 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 | $57,660 | $91,690 | $132,780 | |
| Tennessee | $56,450 | $85,890 | $135,350 | |
| United States | $61,580 | $102,320 | $167,970 |
The middle half of project coordinators in Knoxville earns $72,730–$114,730. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $132,780, only 2.3 times the bottom tenth, against 2.7 times across the US, so the going rate is easier to read. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $42,000 wide, against $42,130 across Tennessee and $54,660 nationally: employers in Knoxville pay within a narrower band.
What to budget for a project coordinator here
| Point in the local range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $57,660 | $4,805 | $27.72 | $74,400 |
| 25th percentile | $72,730 | $6,061 | $34.97 | $93,845 |
| Median | $91,690 | $7,641 | $44.08 | $118,310 |
| 75th percentile | $114,730 | $9,561 | $55.16 | $148,039 |
| 90th percentile | $132,780 | $11,065 | $63.84 | $171,329 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $23,040 a year in pay and about $29,729 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $18,960 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 $102,320 falls between the median and the 75th percentile in Knoxville, and the Tennessee statewide median of $85,890 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 $26,620 to the $91,690 median and brings it to $118,310 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 project coordinators 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
Project coordinators have the highest median of the 17 roles we track in Knoxville; virtual receptionists have the lowest, at $35,620.
| Role | Median | vs project coordinator | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project Coordinator | this role | 3,650 | |
| Accountant | -17.8% | 3,240 | |
| Recruiter | -26.5% | 2,980 | |
| Executive Assistant | -26.6% | 570 | |
| Office Manager | -30.7% | 6,170 |
Measured against the US median, project coordinators rank #8 of the 17 roles we track in Knoxville (-10.4%), between accountants (-9.9%) and HR assistants (-11.0%). The typical role here is at -11.0%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Project coordinators hold 7.8% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Knoxville, 5.7% across Tennessee and 6.7% nationally. The job is a bigger 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 $77,580 in the West Tennessee nonmetro area to $91,690 in Knoxville, a gap of $14,110 a year. The one area in Tennessee with more project coordinators, Nashville-Murfreesboro, TN ($85,990), pays less: a bigger pool at a lower median.
| Area | Median | vs Knoxville | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Knoxville, TN | this area | 3,650 | |
| East Tennessee (Nonmetro) | -3.0% | 330 | |
| Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA | -4.8% | 550 | |
| Chattanooga, TN-GA | -4.9% | 1,750 | |
| Nashville-Murfreesboro, TN | -6.2% | 7,950 | |
| Memphis, TN-MS | -7.2% | 2,960 | |
| Morristown, TN | -9.8% | 180 |
Knoxville against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Knoxville is #46 of 517 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, Flint and Scranton-Wilkes-Barre pay just above Knoxville and Columbus and Tucson just below. All four are within $190 a year of the median in Knoxville. Of the three markets with about as many project coordinators, two pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Knoxville | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greenville-Anderson, SC | +3.4% | 3,600 | jobs | |
| Charleston-North Charleston, SC | +3.3% | 3,510 | jobs | |
| Scranton-Wilkes-Barre, PA | +0.1% | 870 | pay | |
| Flint, MI | +0.0% | 510 | pay | |
| Knoxville, TN | this area | 3,650 | ||
| Columbus, IN | -0.2% | 140 | pay | |
| Tucson, AZ | -0.2% | 2,310 | pay | |
| Louisville, KY-IN | -9.8% | 3,630 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a project coordinator in Knoxville, TN?
About $118,310 a year at the median, or $9,859 a month: $91,690 in pay plus about $26,620 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do project coordinators earn in Knoxville?
The median was $91,690 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $57,660, the 90th $132,780, and the middle half earned $72,730 to $114,730.
Is Knoxville the most expensive area in Tennessee for project coordinators?
Yes. Its median of $91,690 is the highest of 14 areas in Tennessee. The East Tennessee nonmetro area comes next at $88,910.
How many project coordinators work in Knoxville?
BLS counts about 3,650 in the May 2025 survey. That is 18% of the Tennessee total of 20,780. Only Nashville-Murfreesboro has more in Tennessee.
Does a project coordinator cost more than an accountant in Knoxville?
Yes: $16,310 a year more at the median. The medians are $91,690 and $75,380.
Sources
4 sources, with links
- BLS OEWS May 2025, 13-1082: 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.