SOC 43-9051 · Knoxville, TN metro

Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service Salary in Knoxville, TN

The average salary for mail clerks and mail machine operators (except postal service) in Knoxville, Tennessee is $35,290 a year ($16.97 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $35,280: half of the 80 people in this job in the Knoxville, TN metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 15% less than the U.S. average for this job ($41,650).

$35,290average per year

$16.97 / hourMedian $35,280Take-home ≈ $30,536

  • $24K10th
  • $30K25th
  • $35KMedian
  • $38K75th
  • $45K90th

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

80people in this job
-15%vs U.S. average
#3 of 5Tennessee metros
93cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service pay range in Knoxville

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $23,920 a year or less, while the top 10% make $44,730 or more. The middle half of mail clerks and mail machine operators (except postal service) in Knoxville earn between $30,260 and $37,630.

  • $24K10th
  • $30K25th
  • $35KMedian
  • $38K75th
  • $45K90th

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

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$35,290$2,941$16.97
Median$35,280$2,940$16.96
Entry level (25th percentile)$30,260$2,522$14.55
Experienced (75th percentile)$37,630$3,136$18.09

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

Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service pay in Knoxville vs. Tennessee and the U.S.

Mail clerks and mail machine operators (except postal service) in Knoxville earn about the same as the Tennessee average ($35,590) and 15% less than the U.S. average ($41,650). At the median the gap is -10% against the U.S. median of $39,280.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Knoxville$35,290$35,280$23,920$44,73080
Tennessee$35,590$35,610$25,370$45,430760
United States$41,650$39,280$30,780$54,82055,230

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

Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service salary after taxes in Knoxville

On the average salary of $35,290, a single filer in Knoxville takes home about $30,536 a year, or $2,545 a month and $1,174 every two weeks. Taxes take 13% 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 mail clerks and mail machine operators (except postal service)? 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 $35,290 buys what about $38,123 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.7 times the median wage of all jobs in Knoxville ($47,080). A typical home costs $367,158, or 10.4 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $35,290 is worth in another city

Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service salary in other Tennessee cities

Knoxville ranks 3rd of 5 Tennessee metro areas for this job; Memphis pays the most ($38,850).

All Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service salaries in Tennessee

Highest-paying cities for mail clerks and mail machine operators (except postal service)

San Francisco, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($52,100).

Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service salary by city

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Reviewed before it counts. Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service in Knoxville, TN.

Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service salary in Knoxville: questions

How much do mail clerks and mail machine operators (except postal service) make an hour in Knoxville?

$16.97 an hour on average, and $16.96 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level mail clerks and mail machine operators (except postal service) salary in Knoxville?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $23,920 a year and the 25th percentile is $30,260, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the mail clerks and mail machine operators (except postal service) take-home pay in Knoxville?

About $30,536 a year ($2,545 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $35,290. Tennessee has no state income tax.

Do mail clerks and mail machine operators (except postal service) earn more in Knoxville than elsewhere?

The average here is 15% less than the U.S. average for this job ($41,650).

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 43-9051; area Knoxville, TN (28940). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.6%.
  • 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 0.55, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.55).

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