SOC 29-1127 · Knoxville, TN metro

Speech-Language Pathologists Salary in Knoxville, TN

The average salary for speech-language pathologists in Knoxville, Tennessee is $79,430 a year ($38.19 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $78,060: half of the 400 people in this job in the Knoxville, TN metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 20% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($99,493).

$79,430average per year

$38.19 / hourMedian $78,060Take-home ≈ $64,709

  • $55K10th
  • $62K25th
  • $78KMedian
  • $96K75th
  • $108K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

400people in this job
-20%vs U.S. metro average
#8 of 10Tennessee metros
93cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Speech-Language Pathologists pay range in Knoxville

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $54,590 a year or less, while the top 10% make $108,290 or more. The middle half of speech-language pathologists in Knoxville earn between $62,420 and $96,470.

  • $55K10th
  • $62K25th
  • $78KMedian
  • $96K75th
  • $108K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$79,430$6,619$38.19
Median$78,060$6,505$37.53
Entry level (25th percentile)$62,420$5,202$30.01
Experienced (75th percentile)$96,470$8,039$46.38

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

Speech-Language Pathologists salary after taxes in Knoxville

On the average salary of $79,430, a single filer in Knoxville takes home about $64,709 a year, or $5,392 a month and $2,489 every two weeks. Taxes take 19% of gross pay.

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

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Is Knoxville a good place for speech-language pathologists? 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 $79,430 buys what about $85,806 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.7 times the median wage of all jobs in Knoxville ($47,080). A typical home costs $367,158, or 4.6 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $79,430 is worth in another city

Speech-Language Pathologists salary in other Tennessee cities

Knoxville ranks 8th of 10 Tennessee metro areas for this job; Chattanooga pays the most ($91,860).

All Speech-Language Pathologists salaries in Tennessee

Highest-paying cities for speech-language pathologists

El Centro, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($139,700).

Speech-Language Pathologists salary by city

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Speech-Language Pathologists salary in Knoxville: questions

How much do speech-language pathologists make an hour in Knoxville?

$38.19 an hour on average, and $37.53 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level speech-language pathologists salary in Knoxville?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $54,590 a year and the 25th percentile is $62,420, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the speech-language pathologists take-home pay in Knoxville?

About $64,709 a year ($5,392 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $79,430. Tennessee has no state income tax.

Do speech-language pathologists earn more in Knoxville than elsewhere?

The average here is 20% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($99,493).

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 29-1127; area Knoxville, TN (28940). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 3.6%.
  • 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 0.81, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

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