How Much Does a Medical Assistant Make in Knoxville, TN in 2026?
Typical pay for Medical Assistants in Knoxville, from federal wage data (May 2025), with the ten-year trend and how the city compares across Tennessee.
BLS OES May 2025 · Knoxville metro area
A typical Medical Assistant in Knoxville, Tennessee earns $18.69 per hour, or $38,880 per year, according to the latest government wage data for the area (May 2025). Calculated from the annual figure, that is roughly $3,240 a month. Entry-level positions typically offer around $32,980, and the top 10% of earners make over $47,890.
That pay is 2% below the Tennessee figure of $39,570 and 15% below the national figure of $45,690. Knoxville ranks 4th of 10 metro areas in Tennessee for Medical Assistant pay. About 2,550 Medical Assistants work in the Knoxville area.
Medical Assistant pay in Knoxville at a glance
- Typical pay is $18.69 an hour, or $38,880 a year.
- That is 2% below the Tennessee figure, ranking 4th of 10 metro areas in the state.
- Entry-level positions typically offer around $32,980; the top 10% make over $47,890.
- Typical pay rose +37% from 2015 to 2025, against +37% for Tennessee as a whole.
BLS OES May 2025
How much does a Medical Assistant make in Knoxville?
Pay in Knoxville runs from entry-level positions at around $15.85 an hour to more than $23.02 for the top 10% of earners. The table sets each career stage against the Tennessee and national figures.
Medical Assistant pay by career stage in Knoxville
| Career stage | Knoxville | Tennessee | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | $32,980$15.85 an hour | $34,840$16.75 an hour | $36,050$17.33 an hour |
| First years | $37,050$17.81 an hour | $37,160$17.86 an hour | $38,470$18.50 an hour |
| Typical Medical Assistant | $38,880$18.69 an hour | $39,570$19.02 an hour | $45,690$21.97 an hour |
| Experienced | $44,050$21.18 an hour | $45,580$21.91 an hour | $49,180$23.65 an hour |
| Top 10% | $47,890$23.02 an hour | $48,540$23.34 an hour | $59,310$28.52 an hour |
BLS OES May 2025 · city figures cover the Knoxville area as BLS defines it
Medical Assistant pay growth in Knoxville
Typical (median) annual wage for Medical Assistants in the Knoxville area · BLS OES May estimates, 2015 to 2025 · hover a bar for the year-over-year change
In 2015, typical Medical Assistant pay in Knoxville was $28,450 a year. By 2025 it had reached $38,880, a change of +37%, compared with +37% for Tennessee over the same years.
How Knoxville compares with other Tennessee cities
Nashville pays Medical Assistants the most in Tennessee at $44,620 a year, $5,740 more than Knoxville. The lowest-paying area in the state is Morristown at $36,760.
| # | City | Typical pay | Hourly | Vs Knoxville | Medical Assistants employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nashville | $44,620 | $21.45 | +15% | 6,340 |
| 2 | Chattanooga | $40,160 | $19.31 | +3% | 2,060 |
| 3 | Memphis | $39,260 | $18.87 | +1% | 3,350 |
| 4 | Knoxville | $38,880 | $18.69 | this city | 2,550 |
| 5 | Bristol metro incl. Kingsport | $38,040 | $18.29 | -2% | 690 |
| 6 | Johnson City | $37,740 | $18.15 | -3% | 760 |
| 7 | Clarksville | $37,390 | $17.98 | -4% | 670 |
| 8 | Jackson | $37,280 | $17.92 | -4% | 420 |
| 9 | Cleveland | $37,170 | $17.87 | -4% | 230 |
| 10 | Morristown | $36,760 | $17.67 | -5% | 240 |
Every metro area in Tennessee with Medical Assistant wage data · BLS OES May 2025 · Tennessee typical pay $39,570
Is Knoxville a good place to work as a Medical Assistant?
Medical Assistants in Knoxville earn less than the national figure: typical pay is $38,880 a year, 15% below the national rate. For every 1,000 jobs in the Knoxville area, about 6.0 are Medical Assistant positions; nationally, the figure is closer to 5.3. Medical Assistant jobs make up about the same share of the job market as they do across the country.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Medical Assistant make in Knoxville, TN?
- A typical Medical Assistant in Knoxville earns $38,880 a year, or $18.69 an hour, according to BLS wage data for May 2025. Entry-level pay runs about $32,980 and the top 10% earn over $47,890.
- How much does a Medical Assistant make an hour in Knoxville?
- Typical hourly pay for Medical Assistants in Knoxville is $18.69. Entry-level hourly pay runs about $15.85, and the top 10% earn over $23.02 an hour.
- What is the starting pay for a Medical Assistant in Knoxville?
- Entry-level Medical Assistant positions in Knoxville typically offer around $15.85 an hour, or $32,980 a year.
- Is Medical Assistant pay in Knoxville higher than in the rest of Tennessee?
- Knoxville pay is 2% below the Tennessee figure of $39,570 a year, ranking 4th of 10 metro areas in the state. Nashville pays the most in Tennessee at $44,620.