Physicist salary in Knoxville, TN

Based on 62 certified H-1B filings in the Knoxville, TN metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Oak Ridge.

Also listed as: Medical Physicist, Assistant Physicist

Median salary$100,155

Middle 50%$86.3k–$133k

vs. national median+11%comparison median $90,000

Filings62FY2025–FY2026 · latest two fiscal years

Salary range

National median

$25k$50k$75k$100k$125k$150k$175k$200k

Box: middle 50% of filings. Whiskers: 10th–90th percentile. 99% of filings are between $62,878 and $171,682.

Median salary

Filings per year

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 year	Median	P25	P75	Filings
FY2020	$97,290	$83,391	$109,717	16
FY2021	$95,004	$73,604	$116,591	31
FY2022	$112,386	$79,347	$120,774	30
FY2023	$99,607	$76,688	$117,733	24
FY2024	$121,744	$87,330	$135,293	34
FY2025	$126,582	$86,217	$145,732	40
FY2026	$92,001	$87,211	$126,612	22

Knoxville's median Physicist salary of $100,155 is worth about $108,200 at national average prices.

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

All Physicists in the Knoxville, TN area earned a median of $165,010 in May 2025 (120 employed). The H-1B median here is $100,155, 39% lower.

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

Employer	Median	Filings
Ut-Battelle, Llc (Oak Ridge National Laboratory)	$126,735	50
The University Of Tennessee	too few	9
Indiana University	too few	2

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

Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.

Wage level	Prevailing wage (most common)	Median offered salary	Filings
Entry-level · Level I	$67,018	$86,220	27
Mid-level · Level II	$92,706	$129,807	28

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.