Mid-level Physicist salary in Knoxville, TN

Based on 28 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level II in the Knoxville, TN metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Oak Ridge.

Also listed as: Medical Physicist, Assistant Physicist

Median salary$129,807
Middle 50%$119.4k–$139.4k
vs. all levels here+30%comparison median $100,155
Filings28FY2025–FY2026 · latest two fiscal years

Salary range

Box: middle 50% of filings. Whiskers: 10th–90th percentile. 99% of filings are between $87,235 and $162,676.
PercentileSalary
10th$94,876
25th$119,426
50th (median)$129,807
75th$139,362
90th$153,072

Salary by year

Median salary

$100k $120k $140k FY2022: median $117,442 (22 filings) FY2023: median $115,008 (13 filings) FY2024: median $125,004 (19 filings) FY2025: median $130,008 (19 filings) FY20 FY21 FY22 FY23 FY24 FY25 FY26

Filings per year

FY2020: 6 filings FY20 FY2021: 8 filings FY21 FY2022: 22 filings FY22 FY2023: 13 filings FY23 FY2024: 19 filings FY24 FY2025: 19 filings FY25 FY2026: 9 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–––8
FY2022$117,442$83,663$120,77422
FY2023$115,008$111,000$117,77413
FY2024$125,004$120,504$129,24519
FY2025$130,008$126,582$147,24619
FY2026–––9

Cost of living

Knoxville's median mid-level Physicist salary of $129,807 is worth about $140,200 at national average prices.

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

Compared with all workers here

All Physicists in the Knoxville, TN area earned a median of $165,010 in May 2025 (120 employed). The H-1B median here is $129,807, 21% 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)$129,80728

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

By experience level

Wage levelMedianFilings
Entry-level · Level I $86,220 27
Mid-level · Level II $129,807 28
Senior · Level III too few 7
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
Entry-level · Level I$67,018$86,22027
Mid-level · Level II$92,706$129,80728

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.