Knoxville, TN · CBSA 28940
Software Engineer Salary in Knoxville
VerifiedPublished metro-area wages for software engineers in Knoxville, TN, from the BLS OEWS May 2024 release — with the local distribution set against Tennessee and the national benchmark.
Software Engineers in Knoxville earn a median of $113,180 per year, per BLS OEWS May 2024. The middle 50% earn $92,530–$132,070; the top 10% earn $164,370. That is 15% below the national median and 4% below the Tennessee median. BLS reports 2,130 employed locally.
Median wage
Verified$113,180
-15% vs national
Top 10% earn
$164,370
90th percentile
Employed in metro
2,130
Reliability Good (5.4% RSE)
Software 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 | $73,880 | -7% |
| 25th percentile | $92,530 | -10% |
| Median50th percentile | $113,180 | -15% |
| 75th percentile | $132,070 | -22% |
| 90th percentiletop earners | $164,370 | -22% |
| Meanaverage | $116,610 | -19% |
How concentrated software 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
0.48
Jobs per 1,000
5.10
Metro rank (pay)
#177 of 381
All engineering roles
$106,357
At a location quotient of 0.48, this occupation is thinner on the ground in Knoxville than nationally. Pay can still be competitive, but the local employer pool is smaller.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a software engineer make in Knoxville?
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Where does Knoxville rank nationally for software engineers?
Source details
Published wage from BLS OEWS May 2024 for SOC 15-1252 (Software Developers), Knoxville, TN (metro area).
Benchmarks come from published government wage data via BLS OEWS. Local and emerging-role figures are labeled estimates. Full methodology →