How Much Does a Physician Assistant Make in Knoxville, TN in 2026?
Typical pay for Physician 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 Physician Assistant in Knoxville, Tennessee earns $51.91 per hour, or $107,980 per year, according to the latest government wage data for the area (May 2025). Calculated from the annual figure, that is roughly $8,998 a month. Entry-level positions typically offer around $91,640, and the top 10% of earners make over $141,670.
That pay is 9% below the Tennessee figure of $118,240 and 21% below the national figure of $135,880. Knoxville ranks 6th of 9 metro areas in Tennessee for Physician Assistant pay. About 240 Physician Assistants work in the Knoxville area.
Physician Assistant pay in Knoxville at a glance
- Typical pay is $51.91 an hour, or $107,980 a year.
- That is 9% below the Tennessee figure, ranking 6th of 9 metro areas in the state.
- Entry-level positions typically offer around $91,640; the top 10% make over $141,670.
- Typical pay rose +14% from 2015 to 2025, against +36% for Tennessee as a whole.
BLS OES May 2025
How much does a Physician Assistant make in Knoxville?
Pay in Knoxville runs from entry-level positions at around $44.06 an hour to more than $68.11 for the top 10% of earners. The table sets each career stage against the Tennessee and national figures.
Physician Assistant pay by career stage in Knoxville
| Career stage | Knoxville | Tennessee | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | $91,640$44.06 an hour | $93,380$44.89 an hour | $99,380$47.78 an hour |
| First years | $99,990$48.07 an hour | $102,690$49.37 an hour | $120,670$58.02 an hour |
| Typical Physician Assistant | $107,980$51.91 an hour | $118,240$56.85 an hour | $135,880$65.33 an hour |
| Experienced | $125,190$60.19 an hour | $132,500$63.70 an hour | $163,980$78.84 an hour |
| Top 10% | $141,670$68.11 an hour | $141,670$68.11 an hour | $190,280$91.48 an hour |
BLS OES May 2025 · city figures cover the Knoxville area as BLS defines it
Physician Assistant pay growth in Knoxville
Typical (median) annual wage for Physician Assistants in the Knoxville area · BLS OES May estimates, 2015 to 2025 · hover a bar for the year-over-year change
In 2015, typical Physician Assistant pay in Knoxville was $94,480 a year. By 2025 it had reached $107,980, a change of +14%, compared with +36% for Tennessee over the same years.
How Knoxville compares with other Tennessee cities
Franklin pays Physician Assistants the most in Tennessee at $129,050 a year, $21,070 more than Knoxville. The lowest-paying area in the state is Johnson City at $100,060.
| # | City | Typical pay | Hourly | Vs Knoxville | Physician Assistants employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Franklin | $129,050 | $62.04 | +20% | 750 |
| 2 | Memphis | $121,900 | $58.61 | +13% | 290 |
| 3 | Clarksville | $121,710 | $58.51 | +13% | 80 |
| 4 | Chattanooga | $121,600 | $58.46 | +13% | 180 |
| 5 | Bristol metro incl. Kingsport | $117,490 | $56.49 | +9% | 130 |
| 6 | Knoxville | $107,980 | $51.91 | this city | 240 |
| 7 | Jackson | $104,600 | $50.29 | -3% | 60 |
| 8 | Morristown | $103,350 | $49.69 | -4% | 30 |
| 9 | Johnson City | $100,060 | $48.11 | -7% | 130 |
Every metro area in Tennessee with Physician Assistant wage data · BLS OES May 2025 · Tennessee typical pay $118,240
Is Knoxville a good place to work as a Physician Assistant?
Physician Assistants in Knoxville earn less than the national figure: typical pay is $107,980 a year, 21% below the national rate. For every 1,000 jobs in the Knoxville area, about 0.6 are Physician Assistant positions; nationally, the figure is closer to 1.0. That makes Physician Assistants a smaller part of the local job market than usual, so employers draw from a smaller pool of qualified candidates.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Physician Assistant make in Knoxville, TN?
- A typical Physician Assistant in Knoxville earns $107,980 a year, or $51.91 an hour, according to BLS wage data for May 2025. Entry-level pay runs about $91,640 and the top 10% earn over $141,670.
- How much does a Physician Assistant make an hour in Knoxville?
- Typical hourly pay for Physician Assistants in Knoxville is $51.91. Entry-level hourly pay runs about $44.06, and the top 10% earn over $68.11 an hour.
- What is the starting pay for a Physician Assistant in Knoxville?
- Entry-level Physician Assistant positions in Knoxville typically offer around $44.06 an hour, or $91,640 a year.
- Is Physician Assistant pay in Knoxville higher than in the rest of Tennessee?
- Knoxville pay is 9% below the Tennessee figure of $118,240 a year, ranking 6th of 9 metro areas in the state. Franklin pays the most in Tennessee at $129,050.