Retail Salesperson Salary in Knoxville, TN
Retail salespersons in Knoxville, TN earned a median of $31,150 a year ($14.97 an hour) and a mean of $34,990 in May 2025. The median is 12.0% below the U.S. median ($35,410), ranking 308th of 528 areas, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- Median annual
- $31,150
- Median hourly
- $14.97
- Mean annual
- $34,990
- Jobs on record
- 12,430
Grey needle: U.S. median, $35,410 a year.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, metropolitan and nonmetropolitan area file, May 2025. Wage and salary jobs only; the self-employed are not counted. OEWS pay excludes overtime, shift differentials and non-production bonuses. Confirm any figure on bls.gov/oes. Latest BLS release: May 2025, published May 15, 2026; checked November 10, 2026.
How does Knoxville compare on pay for retail salespersons?
Knoxville, TN ranks 308th of the 528 metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas with a published median.
| Area | Rank | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Knoxville, TN | 308 | $31,150 | 12,430 |
| Northern Indiana nonmetropolitan area | 308 | $31,150 | 4,630 |
| South Nebraska nonmetropolitan area | 310 | $31,100 | 3,380 |
Source: BLS OEWS metropolitan and nonmetropolitan area file, May 2025. Rank 1 is the highest median among 528 areas with a published figure.
How does pay here compare with Tennessee and the U.S.?
The $31,150 median is 2.5% below the Tennessee median ($31,950), and 12.0% below the U.S. median ($35,410).
| Area | Median | 10th percentile | 90th percentile | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Knoxville, TN | $31,150 | $23,350 | $47,520 | 12,430 |
| Tennessee | $31,950 | $23,720 | $47,720 | 87,380 |
| United States | $35,410 | $27,210 | $47,890 | 3,897,860 |
Source: BLS OEWS metropolitan and nonmetropolitan area file, May 2025; BLS OEWS state and national files, May 2025.
How does this job compare with all jobs in Knoxville?
The $31,150 median is $15,930 below the $47,080 median for all occupations in Knoxville, a pay ratio of 0.66 to 1.
Retail salespersons hold 2.93% of the jobs in Knoxville, against 2.51% of jobs across the U.S., a location quotient of 1.17.
Source: BLS OEWS metropolitan and nonmetropolitan area file, May 2025; BLS OEWS metropolitan totals and national file, May 2025.
How many retail salespersons work in Knoxville?
BLS counts 12,430 jobs in Knoxville, TN, 0.32% of the 3,897,860 in the U.S. That is 29.3 of every 1,000 jobs in Knoxville, a location quotient of 1.17: the occupation's share of local jobs is 1.17 times its national share, so it is more concentrated here than in the U.S. as a whole.
Source: BLS OEWS metropolitan and nonmetropolitan area file, May 2025 and national file.
Related jobs in Knoxville
Related occupations from O*NET; pay from BLS OEWS metropolitan and nonmetropolitan area file, May 2025.