Mid-level Chemist salary in Knoxville, TN

Based on 18 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level II in the Knoxville, TN metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Oak Ridge.

Also listed as: Quality Control Chemist, Analytical Chemist

Median salary$84,955
Middle 50%$82.5k–$90.9k
vs. all levels here−1%comparison median $85,580
Filings18FY2025–FY2026 · latest two fiscal years

Salary range

Box: middle 50% of filings. Whiskers: 10th–90th percentile. 99% of filings are between $79,283 and $134,589.
PercentileSalary
10th$79,835
25th$82,458
50th (median)$84,955
75th$90,909
90th$120,500

Salary by year

Median salary

$60k $75k $90k FY2022: median $74,655 (16 filings) FY2023: median $80,549 (16 filings) FY2024: median $82,154 (22 filings) FY2025: median $82,728 (11 filings) FY20 FY21 FY22 FY23 FY24 FY25 FY26

Filings per year

FY2020: 6 filings FY20 FY2021: 4 filings FY21 FY2022: 16 filings FY22 FY2023: 16 filings FY23 FY2024: 22 filings FY24 FY2025: 11 filings FY25 FY2026: 7 filings FY26 22
Shaded: FY2025–FY2026, the years behind the figures above. Median shown for years with at least 10 filings. FY2026 covers Q1–Q3 only.
Show as table
Fiscal yearMedianP25P75Filings
FY2020–––6
FY2021–––4
FY2022$74,655$72,897$98,92516
FY2023$80,549$76,463$110,20816
FY2024$82,154$79,131$113,98322
FY2025$82,728$80,885$84,98711
FY2026–––7

Cost of living

Knoxville's median mid-level Chemist salary of $84,955 is worth about $91,800 at national average prices.

Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; Knoxville = 92.6).

Compared with all workers here

All Chemists in the Knoxville, TN area earned a median of $99,790 in May 2025 (100 employed). The H-1B median here is $84,955, 15% lower.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS metropolitan area estimates. BLS wages include some incentive pay; H-1B figures are base salary.

Employers filing at this level

EmployerMedianFilings
Ut-Battelle, Llc (Oak Ridge National Laboratory)$84,95518

Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.

By experience level

Wage levelMedianFilings
Entry-level · Level I too few 4
Mid-level · Level II $84,955 18
Senior · Level III too few 8
Expert · Level IV – 0

Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.

Minimum H-1B salary by level

Wage levelPrevailing wage (most common)Median offered salaryFilings
Mid-level · Level II$65,936$84,95518

The prevailing wage is the minimum an employer must pay for this job and area. Amounts vary by county within a metro and by wage source.