Knoxville, TN · CBSA 28940
Nuclear Engineer Salary in Knoxville
VerifiedPublished metro-area wages for nuclear engineers in Knoxville, TN, from the BLS OEWS May 2024 release — with the local distribution set against Tennessee and the national benchmark.
Nuclear Engineers in Knoxville earn a median of $174,380 per year, per BLS OEWS May 2024. The middle 50% earn $93,980–$239,200; the top 10% earn at least $239,200. That is 37% above the national median. BLS reports 200 employed locally.
Median wage
Verified$174,380
+37% vs national
Top 10% earn
≥$239,200
BLS topcodes at this level
Employed in metro
200
Reliability Low (46% RSE)
Nuclear Engineer pay — Knoxville vs Tennessee vs national
All three distributions are published BLS percentiles on a single shared scale.
| Percentile | Annual wage | vs national |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentileentry / low | $93,980 | +6% |
| 25th percentile | $93,980 | -9% |
| Median50th percentile | $174,380 | +37% |
| 75th percentile | $239,200 | +52% |
| 90th percentiletop earners | ≥$239,200 | +28% |
| Meanaverage | $180,510 | +34% |
How concentrated nuclear engineers are in Knoxville
Location quotient compares local concentration to the national rate. Above 1.00 means this metro employs the occupation more densely than the country overall.
Location quotient
5.08
Jobs per 1,000
0.48
Metro rank (pay)
#2 of 24
All engineering roles
$106,357
At a location quotient of 5.08, Knoxville is a genuine hub for this discipline — the occupation is roughly 5.1× as concentrated here as nationally, which usually means deeper employer competition and more lateral options.
Frequently asked questions
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Source details
Published wage from BLS OEWS May 2024 for SOC 17-2161 (Nuclear Engineers), Knoxville, TN (metro area).
Benchmarks come from published government wage data via BLS OEWS. Local and emerging-role figures are labeled estimates. Full methodology →