Accountants & Auditors salary in Knoxville, TN
Median pay for accountants & auditors in Knoxville, TN: $71,260/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $49,090 – $114,900 · about 3,310 employed locally
Below the typical metro median ($74,290) by −$3,030 (-4%).
What it's really worth in Knoxville
With Knoxville's cost of living at 92 (US=100), that $71,260 has the buying power of about $77,260 in an average-cost US metro.
Local context: median household income $66,715 · median home $367,158 · median rent $1,762/mo.
How Knoxville ranks for this job
On raw pay, Knoxville, TN is 126th of the 187 metros we hold accountants & auditors wages for. Once Knoxville's cost of living is applied, it ranks 94th.
Pay here goes further than the headline number suggests — Knoxville is one of the places where accountants & auditors gain ground in real terms, because local costs are low relative to what the job pays.
What that salary buys in Knoxville
A median home in Knoxville, TN costs $367,158 — about 5.2× this salary, against a typical US metro figure of 4.7×. Buying is harder here than in the average metro on this income.
Median rent of $1,762/mo works out at 30% of gross pay — inside the conventional 30% affordability ceiling.
Where accountants & auditors earn more
Pay on its own is only half the picture, so each row shows what rent costs there relative to Knoxville.
| Metro | Median pay | vs Knoxville | Rent vs Knoxville |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose, CA | $113,980 | +60% | 2.1× |
| San Francisco, CA | $103,990 | +46% | 1.8× |
| New York, NY | $103,900 | +46% | 2× |
| Washington, DC | $97,320 | +37% | 1.4× |
Same job elsewhere in TN
| Metro | Median pay | vs Knoxville | Rent vs Knoxville |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nashville, TN | $76,440 | +7% | 1× |
| Memphis, TN | $72,060 | +1% | 0.8× |
| Chattanooga, TN | $70,140 | −2% | 0.9× |
| Kingsport, TN | $66,780 | −6% | 0.8× |
Staying in TN keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Who hires accountants & auditors around Knoxville
Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.
- Clayton Homes · Manufacturing
Other jobs in Knoxville
Source: US BLS OEWS (May 2023) median annual wage; cost of living from BEA; home price and rent from Zillow; household income from US Census ACS. Rankings are across the 187 metros we hold wage data for in this occupation. Estimates for guidance only. See methodology.