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Data Scientists salary in Knoxville, TN

Median pay for data scientists in Knoxville, TN: $87,310/yr

Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $34,770 – $130,410 · about 230 employed locally

Below the typical metro median ($93,540) by −$6,230 (-7%).

What it's really worth in Knoxville

With Knoxville's cost of living at 92 (US=100), that $87,310 has the buying power of about $94,661 in an average-cost US metro.

Local context: median household income $66,715 · median home $367,158 · median rent $1,762/mo.

Full Knoxville cost of living & taxes →

How Knoxville ranks for this job

On raw pay, Knoxville, TN is 112th of the 171 metros we hold data scientists wages for. Once Knoxville's cost of living is applied, it ranks 99th.

Pay and living costs are roughly in step here, so Knoxville sits in much the same place whether you look at raw salary or spending power.

What that salary buys in Knoxville

A median home in Knoxville, TN costs $367,158 — about 4.2× this salary, against a typical US metro figure of 4.7×. Buying is more attainable here than in the average metro on this income.

Median rent of $1,762/mo works out at 24% of gross pay — inside the conventional 30% affordability ceiling.

Where data scientists earn more

Pay on its own is only half the picture, so each row shows what rent costs there relative to Knoxville.

MetroMedian payvs KnoxvilleRent vs Knoxville
San Jose, CA $171,800 +97% 2.1×
San Francisco, CA $163,430 +87% 1.8×
Seattle, WA $135,610 +55% 1.3×
Washington, DC $135,080 +55% 1.4×

Same job elsewhere in TN

MetroMedian payvs KnoxvilleRent vs Knoxville
Kingsport, TN $115,440 +32% 0.8×
Memphis, TN $101,120 +16% 0.8×
Nashville, TN $97,290 +11%
Clarksville, TN $78,020 −11% 0.8×

Staying in TN keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.

Who hires data scientists around Knoxville

Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.

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 171 metros we hold wage data for in this occupation. Estimates for guidance only. See methodology.