fizkes // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. General and operations managers
- Median annual wage: $103,360
- Median hourly wage: $49.69
- Total employment: 8,930 people (21.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Knoxville
Despite recession fears and falling consumer confidence, the job market in the United States has remained relatively stable in 2025 thus far. According to May 2025 Bureau of Labor Statistics data, around 177,000 new jobs were added in April, a slight decrease from the 185,000 new jobs added in the month before, but an extension of the country's 52-month streak of job growth. Unemployment rates also held relatively steady between April 2024 and April 2025, coming in at around 4%.
Of course, that doesn't necessarily mean Americans have it easy in the workplace. A December 2024 Payscale report found that nearly half (47%) of business organizations struggle to balance fair pay practices with spend optimization, and 18% plan to reduce pay increases in 2025 as a result.
For context, median weekly earnings across all employees in the U.S. stood at $1,194 in the first quarter of 2025. This represents an increase of 4.8% from a year prior and exceeds the Consumer Price Index's 2.7% increase in the same time period. However, there's one caveat: Earnings go much further in some places than in others.
In fact, the very definition of a "high-paying" job varies by location, as well as other factors such as industry and benefits. Even a six-figure salary may be considered low-income in places with an unusually high cost of living. Meanwhile, technology, finance, and health care jobs lead in terms of salary, but benefits like remote work can make other lower-paying jobs more desirable.
Regardless, anyone seeking a high-paying job should start by looking at the numbers. Stacker used BLS data to find the 50 highest-paying jobs in Knoxville. Jobs are ranked by their median annual pay as of May 2024, so any jobs without annual compensation figures available were excluded from this analysis.
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2 / 50#49. Political science teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $104,190
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 40 people (0.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Matej Kastelic // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Business teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $104,710
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 290 people (0.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Compensation and benefits managers
- Median annual wage: $104,970
- Median hourly wage: $50.47
- Total employment: 50 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Clinical and counseling psychologists
- Median annual wage: $105,630
- Median hourly wage: $50.78
- Total employment: 100 people (0.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Stokkete // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Physician assistants
- Median annual wage: $105,840
- Median hourly wage: $50.89
- Total employment: 290 people (0.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kzenon // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Optometrists
- Median annual wage: $107,000
- Median hourly wage: $51.44
- Total employment: 90 people (0.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Biological science teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $107,180
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 220 people (0.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Nurse practitioners
- Median annual wage: $107,320
- Median hourly wage: $51.59
- Total employment: 1,930 people (4.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Sunshine Seeds // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Industrial production managers
- Median annual wage: $107,860
- Median hourly wage: $51.85
- Total employment: 730 people (1.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Education administrators, all other
- Median annual wage: $108,080
- Median hourly wage: $51.96
- Total employment: 90 people (0.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Electrical engineers
- Median annual wage: $110,890
- Median hourly wage: $53.31
- Total employment: 560 people (1.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Software developers
- Median annual wage: $113,180
- Median hourly wage: $54.41
- Total employment: 2,130 people (5.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Worawee Meepian // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officers
- Median annual wage: $115,230
- Median hourly wage: $55.40
- Total employment: 40 people (0.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Database architects
- Median annual wage: $115,830
- Median hourly wage: $55.69
- Total employment: 60 people (0.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Training and development managers
- Median annual wage: $116,830
- Median hourly wage: $56.17
- Total employment: 110 people (0.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
creativemarc // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Administrative services managers
- Median annual wage: $118,050
- Median hourly wage: $56.76
- Total employment: 940 people (2.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Computer network architects
- Median annual wage: $119,670
- Median hourly wage: $57.53
- Total employment: 640 people (1.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Public relations managers
- Median annual wage: $120,480
- Median hourly wage: $57.92
- Total employment: 100 people (0.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nicola Forenza // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Lawyers
- Median annual wage: $121,020
- Median hourly wage: $58.19
- Total employment: 1,060 people (2.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Halfpoint // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Materials engineers
- Median annual wage: $121,390
- Median hourly wage: $58.36
- Total employment: Not available
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Human resources managers
- Median annual wage: $125,530
- Median hourly wage: $60.35
- Total employment: 510 people (1.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
luchschenF // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Physicists
- Median annual wage: $126,690
- Median hourly wage: $60.91
- Total employment: 100 people (0.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Physical scientists, all other
- Median annual wage: $126,880
- Median hourly wage: $61.00
- Total employment: 70 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Zivica Kerkez // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Veterinarians
- Median annual wage: $127,680
- Median hourly wage: $61.39
- Total employment: 210 people (0.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Purchasing managers
- Median annual wage: $128,440
- Median hourly wage: $61.75
- Total employment: 180 people (0.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Health and safety engineers, except mining safety engineers and inspectors
- Median annual wage: $128,460
- Median hourly wage: $61.76
- Total employment: 60 people (0.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prostock-studio // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Dentists, general
- Median annual wage: $128,910
- Median hourly wage: $61.98
- Total employment: 240 people (0.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
dokurose // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Sales managers
- Median annual wage: $130,300
- Median hourly wage: $62.65
- Total employment: 1,560 people (3.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kanghophoto // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Financial managers
- Median annual wage: $131,930
- Median hourly wage: $63.43
- Total employment: 2,010 people (4.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Pharmacists
- Median annual wage: $132,620
- Median hourly wage: $63.76
- Total employment: 1,030 people (2.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Marketing managers
- Median annual wage: $136,340
- Median hourly wage: $65.55
- Total employment: 890 people (2.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Engineering teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $136,550
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 250 people (0.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
VE.Studio // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Natural sciences managers
- Median annual wage: $138,240
- Median hourly wage: $66.46
- Total employment: 120 people (0.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Physics teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $139,180
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 50 people (0.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Syda Productions // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Economics teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $140,180
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 50 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Frame Stock Footage // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Computer and information systems managers
- Median annual wage: $142,120
- Median hourly wage: $68.33
- Total employment: 1,270 people (3.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BOY ANTHONY // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Architectural and engineering managers
- Median annual wage: $145,200
- Median hourly wage: $69.81
- Total employment: 570 people (1.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Pediatricians, general
- Median annual wage: $159,180
- Median hourly wage: $76.53
- Total employment: Not available
TaLaNoVa // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Sales engineers
- Median annual wage: $163,270
- Median hourly wage: $78.49
- Total employment: 160 people (0.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Skycolors // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Commercial pilots
- Median annual wage: $167,740
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 110 people (0.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Law teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $171,280
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 80 people (0.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Lobanov // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Nuclear engineers
- Median annual wage: $174,380
- Median hourly wage: $83.84
- Total employment: 200 people (0.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Chief executives
- Median annual wage: $188,480
- Median hourly wage: $90.61
- Total employment: 600 people (1.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Sebastian Duda // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates
- Median annual wage: $197,740
- Median hourly wage: $95.07
- Total employment: 30 people (0.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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LightField Studios // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Nurse anesthetists
- Median annual wage: $210,580
- Median hourly wage: $101.24
- Total employment: 480 people (1.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BlurryMe // Shutterstock
47 / 50#1. General internal medicine physicians (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 140 people (0.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wutzkohphoto // Shutterstock
48 / 50#1. Physicians, all other (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 480 people (1.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
49 / 50#1. Family medicine physicians (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 550 people (1.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Obstetricians and gynecologists (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 40 people (0.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou, writing by Cu Fleshman, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 364 metros.
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