Knoxville, TN metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a retail salesperson make in Knoxville, TN?

In the Knoxville, TN metropolitan area, retail salespersons earned a median of $31,150 a year ($14.97 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 12,430 of these jobs there. That is 34% below the $47,080 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $23,350 and $47,520; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Tennessee tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $27,209 in take-home pay.

Retail salesperson pay in Knoxville, TN at a glance

Median salary

$31,150$14.97 per hour · $2,596 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$23,350$11.22/hr
25th percentile$27,760$13.34/hr
75th percentile$36,410$17.51/hr
90th percentile$47,520$22.85/hr
Jobs in this metro12,430Location quotient 1.17 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here34% belowAll-jobs median $47,080
Against Tennessee3% belowStatewide median $31,950
Against the U.S.12% belowNational median $35,410

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.

Retail salesperson salary in Knoxville, TN after taxes

$31,150
$15,000$65,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$31,150
Net 87%
Fed 5%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$27,209After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,267Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,047Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate12.7%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$1,558 / yr
Tennessee state income taxNo state wage tax$0
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,383 / yr

Retail salespersons 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 retail salespersons earned in the Knoxville, TN metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (TN)
10th percentile$11.22/hr$1,946$23,350$20,839
25th percentile$13.34/hr$2,313$27,760$24,470
MedianMedian$14.97/hr$2,596$31,150$27,209
75th percentile$17.51/hr$3,034$36,410$31,435
90th percentile$22.85/hr$3,960$47,520$40,362

Is $31,150 a good salary in Knoxville, TN?

It depends on what else people there earn and what things cost. Here is the median for retail salespersons 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 household43%of area median income

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

Retail salesperson pay in Knoxville, TN: common questions

What is the median salary for retail salespersons in Knoxville, TN?

The BLS median annual wage for retail salespersons in the Knoxville, TN metro area was $31,150 in May 2025, about $2,596 a month or $14.97 an hour. Statewide, the Tennessee median for this job is $31,950, so the metro pays 3% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for retail salespersons in Knoxville, TN?

The median hourly wage for retail salespersons in Knoxville, TN was $14.97 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $11.22 an hour and one in ten earned more than $22.85.

How many retail salespersons work in Knoxville, TN?

BLS estimated 12,430 jobs for retail salespersons in the metro in May 2025, or 29.3 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.17 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for retail salespersons in Knoxville, TN?

BLS wage estimates for retail salespersons in Knoxville, TN run from $23,350 at the 10th percentile to $27,760 at the 25th, $36,410 at the 75th, and $47,520 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

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

On a median gross salary of $31,150, an estimated $27,209 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,047 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Tennessee in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $3,941 (an effective rate of 12.7%).

How much do retail salespersons make per month in Knoxville, TN?

On the median annual salary of $31,150, gross monthly income is $2,596. After federal, FICA, and Tennessee state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,267 per month (or $1,047 every two weeks).

Is $31,150 a good salary in Knoxville, TN?

At $31,150, the median salary for retail salespersons is 43% of the Knoxville, TN median household income ($72,422). It is 34% 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.