SOC 29-2057 · Knoxville, TN metro

Ophthalmic Medical Technicians Salary in Knoxville, TN

The average salary for ophthalmic medical technicians in Knoxville, Tennessee is $41,970 a year ($20.18 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $39,140: half of the 240 people in this job in the Knoxville, TN metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 11% less than the U.S. average for this job ($47,060).

$41,970average per year

$20.18 / hourMedian $39,140Take-home ≈ $35,903

  • $36K10th
  • $37K25th
  • $39KMedian
  • $47K75th
  • $51K90th

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

240people in this job
-11%vs U.S. average
#3 of 9Tennessee metros
93cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Ophthalmic Medical Technicians pay range in Knoxville

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $36,070 a year or less, while the top 10% make $50,980 or more. The middle half of ophthalmic medical technicians in Knoxville earn between $36,760 and $46,740.

  • $36K10th
  • $37K25th
  • $39KMedian
  • $47K75th
  • $51K90th

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

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$41,970$3,498$20.18
Median$39,140$3,262$18.82
Entry level (25th percentile)$36,760$3,063$17.67
Experienced (75th percentile)$46,740$3,895$22.47

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

Ophthalmic Medical Technicians pay in Knoxville vs. Tennessee and the U.S.

Ophthalmic medical technicians in Knoxville earn about the same as the Tennessee average ($43,190) and 11% less than the U.S. average ($47,060). At the median the gap is -14% against the U.S. median of $45,570.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Knoxville$41,970$39,140$36,070$50,980240
Tennessee$43,190$38,890$32,870$60,1701,760
United States$47,060$45,570$35,700$61,94071,010

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

Ophthalmic Medical Technicians salary after taxes in Knoxville

On the average salary of $41,970, a single filer in Knoxville takes home about $35,903 a year, or $2,992 a month and $1,381 every two weeks. Taxes take 14% 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 ophthalmic medical technicians? 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 $41,970 buys what about $45,339 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.8 times the median wage of all jobs in Knoxville ($47,080). A typical home costs $367,158, or 8.7 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $41,970 is worth in another city

Ophthalmic Medical Technicians salary in other Tennessee cities

Knoxville ranks 3rd of 9 Tennessee metro areas for this job; Nashville pays the most ($49,880).

All Ophthalmic Medical Technicians salaries in Tennessee

Highest-paying cities for ophthalmic medical technicians

Santa Rosa, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($91,160).

Ophthalmic Medical Technicians salary by city

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Reviewed before it counts. Ophthalmic Medical Technicians in Knoxville, TN.

Ophthalmic Medical Technicians salary in Knoxville: questions

How much do ophthalmic medical technicians make an hour in Knoxville?

$20.18 an hour on average, and $18.82 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level ophthalmic medical technicians salary in Knoxville?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $36,070 a year and the 25th percentile is $36,760, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the ophthalmic medical technicians take-home pay in Knoxville?

About $35,903 a year ($2,992 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $41,970. Tennessee has no state income tax.

Do ophthalmic medical technicians earn more in Knoxville than elsewhere?

The average here is 11% less than the U.S. average for this job ($47,060).

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 29-2057; area Knoxville, TN (28940). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.2%.
  • 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 1.26, this job is 1.3 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.

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