Mid-level Materials Scientist salary in Knoxville, TN

Based on 46 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level II in the Knoxville, TN metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Oak Ridge.

Also listed as: Research Associate Materials Science

Median salary$87,419
Middle 50%$84.3k–$93.3k
vs. all levels here−0%comparison median $87,703
Filings46FY2025–FY2026 · latest two fiscal years

Salary range

Box: middle 50% of filings. Whiskers: 10th–90th percentile. 99% of filings are between $78,743 and $136,805.
PercentileSalary
10th$83,262
25th$84,336
50th (median)$87,419
75th$93,341
90th$123,108

Salary by year

Median salary

$60k $80k $100k FY2020: median $73,145 (20 filings) FY2021: median $73,145 (27 filings) FY2022: median $77,100 (33 filings) FY2023: median $77,700 (35 filings) FY2024: median $86,616 (41 filings) FY2025: median $86,810 (32 filings) FY2026: median $87,703 (14 filings) FY20 FY21 FY22 FY23 FY24 FY25 FY26

Filings per year

FY2020: 20 filings FY20 FY2021: 27 filings FY21 FY2022: 33 filings FY22 FY2023: 35 filings FY23 FY2024: 41 filings FY24 FY2025: 32 filings FY25 FY2026: 14 filings FY26 41
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$73,145$71,874$73,85420
FY2021$73,145$72,565$74,74827
FY2022$77,100$73,805$107,73633
FY2023$77,700$76,903$94,10635
FY2024$86,616$81,362$121,20041
FY2025$86,810$84,330$94,58732
FY2026$87,703$87,461$93,34114

Cost of living

Knoxville's median mid-level Materials Scientist salary of $87,419 is worth about $94,400 at national average prices.

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

Employers filing at this level

EmployerMedianFilings
Ut-Battelle, Llc (Oak Ridge National Laboratory)$87,41946

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

By experience level

Wage levelMedianFilings
Entry-level · Level I $84,048 10
Mid-level · Level II $87,419 46
Senior · Level III $124,584 14
Expert · Level IV too few 6

Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.

Minimum H-1B salary by level

Wage levelPrevailing wage (most common)Median offered salaryFilings
Entry-level · Level I$51,750$84,04810
Mid-level · Level II$70,803$87,41946
Senior · Level III$83,366$124,58414

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.