SOC 47-4011 · Knoxville, TN metro

Construction and Building Inspectors Salary in Knoxville, TN

The average salary for construction and building inspectors in Knoxville, Tennessee is $59,070 a year ($28.40 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $58,150: half of the 440 people in this job in the Knoxville, TN metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 24% less than the U.S. average for this job ($77,730).

$59,070average per year

$28.40 / hourMedian $58,150Take-home ≈ $49,643

  • $40K10th
  • $47K25th
  • $58KMedian
  • $69K75th
  • $83K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

440people in this job
-24%vs U.S. average
#5 of 9Tennessee metros
93cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Construction and Building Inspectors pay range in Knoxville

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $39,520 a year or less, while the top 10% make $82,540 or more. The middle half of construction and building inspectors in Knoxville earn between $46,800 and $68,830.

  • $40K10th
  • $47K25th
  • $58KMedian
  • $69K75th
  • $83K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$59,070$4,922$28.40
Median$58,150$4,846$27.96
Entry level (25th percentile)$46,800$3,900$22.50
Experienced (75th percentile)$68,830$5,736$33.09

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.

Construction and Building Inspectors pay in Knoxville vs. Tennessee and the U.S.

Construction and building inspectors in Knoxville earn 4% less than the Tennessee average ($61,410) and 24% less than the U.S. average ($77,730). At the median the gap is -22% against the U.S. median of $74,690.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Knoxville$59,070$58,150$39,520$82,540440
Tennessee$61,410$59,870$38,670$84,6002,500
United States$77,730$74,690$47,140$114,200146,720

State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.

Construction and Building Inspectors salary after taxes in Knoxville

On the average salary of $59,070, a single filer in Knoxville takes home about $49,643 a year, or $4,137 a month and $1,909 every two weeks. Taxes take 16% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and no state income tax.

Tennessee paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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Is Knoxville a good place for construction and building inspectors? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Knoxville area are 7% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 92.6), so the average $59,070 buys what about $63,812 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.2 times the median wage of all jobs in Knoxville ($47,080). A typical home costs $367,158, or 6.2 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $59,070 is worth in another city

Construction and Building Inspectors salary in other Tennessee cities

Knoxville ranks 5th of 9 Tennessee metro areas for this job; Nashville pays the most ($65,160).

All Construction and Building Inspectors salaries in Tennessee

Highest-paying cities for construction and building inspectors

San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($124,420).

Construction and Building Inspectors salary by city

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Reviewed before it counts. Construction and Building Inspectors in Knoxville, TN.

Construction and Building Inspectors salary in Knoxville: questions

How much do construction and building inspectors make an hour in Knoxville?

$28.40 an hour on average, and $27.96 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level construction and building inspectors salary in Knoxville?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $39,520 a year and the 25th percentile is $46,800, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the construction and building inspectors take-home pay in Knoxville?

About $49,643 a year ($4,137 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $59,070. Tennessee has no state income tax.

Do construction and building inspectors earn more in Knoxville than elsewhere?

The average here is 24% less than the U.S. average for this job ($77,730).

Sources and how to read this page

  • Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 47-4011; area Knoxville, TN (28940). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 3.6%.
  • U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
  • Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
  • Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
  • Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and no state income tax.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 1.10, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

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