Knoxville, TN metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a medical assistant make in Knoxville, TN?

In the Knoxville, TN metropolitan area, medical assistants earned a median of $38,880 a year ($18.69 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 2,550 of these jobs there. That is 17% below the $47,080 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $32,980 and $47,890; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Tennessee tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $33,420 in take-home pay.

Medical assistant pay in Knoxville, TN at a glance

Median salary

$38,880$18.69 per hour · $3,240 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$32,980$15.85/hr
25th percentile$37,050$17.81/hr
75th percentile$44,050$21.18/hr
90th percentile$47,890$23.02/hr
Jobs in this metro2,550Location quotient 1.14 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here17% belowAll-jobs median $47,080
Against Tennessee2% belowStatewide median $39,570
Against the U.S.15% belowNational median $45,690

Run the numbers on your own pay

Same U.S. tax tables as the rest of the site. Change the salary, state, or filing status.

Medical assistant salary in Knoxville, TN after taxes

$38,880
$15,000$80,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$38,880
Net 86%
Fed 6%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$33,420After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,785Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,285Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate14%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,486 / yr
Tennessee state income taxNo state wage tax$0
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,974 / yr

Medical assistants pay range in Knoxville, TN, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Knoxville, TN metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What medical assistants earned in the Knoxville, TN metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (TN)
10th percentile$15.85/hr$2,748$32,980$28,679
25th percentile$17.81/hr$3,088$37,050$31,950
MedianMedian$18.69/hr$3,240$38,880$33,420
75th percentile$21.18/hr$3,671$44,050$37,574
90th percentile$23.02/hr$3,991$47,890$40,660

Is $38,880 a good salary in Knoxville, TN?

It depends on what else people there earn and what things cost. Here is the median for medical assistants next to both.

Median household income$72,422Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)92.67.4% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household53.7%of area median income

The same job statewide and nationally, and a calculator for your own paycheck.

Medical assistant pay in Knoxville, TN: common questions

What is the median salary for medical assistants in Knoxville, TN?

The BLS median annual wage for medical assistants in the Knoxville, TN metro area was $38,880 in May 2025, about $3,240 a month or $18.69 an hour. Statewide, the Tennessee median for this job is $39,570, so the metro pays 2% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for medical assistants in Knoxville, TN?

The median hourly wage for medical assistants in Knoxville, TN was $18.69 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $15.85 an hour and one in ten earned more than $23.02.

How many medical assistants work in Knoxville, TN?

BLS estimated 2,550 jobs for medical assistants in the metro in May 2025, or 6.0 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.14 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for medical assistants in Knoxville, TN?

BLS wage estimates for medical assistants in Knoxville, TN run from $32,980 at the 10th percentile to $37,050 at the 25th, $44,050 at the 75th, and $47,890 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do medical assistants take home after taxes in Knoxville, TN?

On a median gross salary of $38,880, an estimated $33,420 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,285 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Tennessee in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $5,460 (an effective rate of 14%).

How much do medical assistants make per month in Knoxville, TN?

On the median annual salary of $38,880, gross monthly income is $3,240. After federal, FICA, and Tennessee state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,785 per month (or $1,285 every two weeks).

Is $38,880 a good salary in Knoxville, TN?

At $38,880, the median salary for medical assistants is 53.7% of the Knoxville, TN median household income ($72,422). It is 17% below the $47,080 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 92.6, so prices here run 7.4% below the U.S. average.