Knoxville, TN metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a receptionist make in Knoxville, TN?

In the Knoxville, TN metropolitan area, receptionists earned a median of $35,620 a year ($17.12 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 1,620 of these jobs there. That is 24% below the $47,080 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $25,310 and $44,300; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Tennessee tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $30,801 in take-home pay.

Receptionist pay in Knoxville, TN at a glance

Median salary

$35,620$17.12 per hour · $2,968 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$25,310$12.17/hr
25th percentile$29,200$14.04/hr
75th percentile$39,840$19.15/hr
90th percentile$44,300$21.30/hr
Jobs in this metro1,620Location quotient 0.65 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here24% belowAll-jobs median $47,080
Against Tennessee2% aboveStatewide median $34,910
Against the U.S.6% belowNational median $38,010

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.

Receptionist salary in Knoxville, TN after taxes

$35,620
$15,000$75,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$35,620
Net 86%
Fed 6%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$30,801After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,567Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,185Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate13.5%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,094 / yr
Tennessee state income taxNo state wage tax$0
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,725 / yr

Receptionists 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 receptionists earned in the Knoxville, TN metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (TN)
10th percentile$12.17/hr$2,109$25,310$22,453
25th percentile$14.04/hr$2,433$29,200$25,642
MedianMedian$17.12/hr$2,968$35,620$30,801
75th percentile$19.15/hr$3,320$39,840$34,191
90th percentile$21.30/hr$3,692$44,300$37,775

Is $35,620 a good salary in Knoxville, TN?

It depends on what else people there earn and what things cost. Here is the median for receptionists 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 household49.2%of area median income

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

Receptionist pay in Knoxville, TN: common questions

What is the median salary for receptionists in Knoxville, TN?

The BLS median annual wage for receptionists in the Knoxville, TN metro area was $35,620 in May 2025, about $2,968 a month or $17.12 an hour. Statewide, the Tennessee median for this job is $34,910, so the metro pays 2% above the state.

What is the hourly pay for receptionists in Knoxville, TN?

The median hourly wage for receptionists in Knoxville, TN was $17.12 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $12.17 an hour and one in ten earned more than $21.30.

How many receptionists work in Knoxville, TN?

BLS estimated 1,620 jobs for receptionists in the metro in May 2025, or 3.8 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.65 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for receptionists in Knoxville, TN?

BLS wage estimates for receptionists in Knoxville, TN run from $25,310 at the 10th percentile to $29,200 at the 25th, $39,840 at the 75th, and $44,300 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

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

On a median gross salary of $35,620, an estimated $30,801 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,185 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Tennessee in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $4,819 (an effective rate of 13.5%).

How much do receptionists make per month in Knoxville, TN?

On the median annual salary of $35,620, gross monthly income is $2,968. After federal, FICA, and Tennessee state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,567 per month (or $1,185 every two weeks).

Is $35,620 a good salary in Knoxville, TN?

At $35,620, the median salary for receptionists is 49.2% of the Knoxville, TN median household income ($72,422). It is 24% 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.