Construction Managers salary in Knoxville, TN
Median pay for construction managers in Knoxville, TN: $81,140/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $54,480 – $136,490 · about 900 employed locally
Below the typical metro median ($100,035) by −$18,895 (-19%).
What it's really worth in Knoxville
With Knoxville's cost of living at 92 (US=100), that $81,140 has the buying power of about $87,972 in an average-cost US metro.
Local context: median household income $66,715 · median home $367,158 · median rent $1,762/mo.
How Knoxville ranks for this job
On raw pay, Knoxville, TN is 171st of the 186 metros we hold construction managers wages for. Once Knoxville's cost of living is applied, it ranks 172nd.
Pay and living costs are roughly in step here, so Knoxville sits in much the same place whether you look at raw salary or spending power.
What that salary buys in Knoxville
A median home in Knoxville, TN costs $367,158 — about 4.5× this salary, against a typical US metro figure of 4.7×. Buying is more attainable here than in the average metro on this income.
Median rent of $1,762/mo works out at 26% of gross pay — inside the conventional 30% affordability ceiling.
Where construction managers earn more
Pay on its own is only half the picture, so each row shows what rent costs there relative to Knoxville.
| Metro | Median pay | vs Knoxville | Rent vs Knoxville |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York, NY | $158,380 | +95% | 2× |
| San Jose, CA | $141,640 | +75% | 2.1× |
| Anchorage, AK | $135,530 | +67% | 1× |
| San Francisco, CA | $134,670 | +66% | 1.8× |
Same job elsewhere in TN
| Metro | Median pay | vs Knoxville | Rent vs Knoxville |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nashville, TN | $89,300 | +10% | 1× |
| Kingsport, TN | $86,280 | +6% | 0.8× |
| Chattanooga, TN | $84,940 | +5% | 0.9× |
| Memphis, TN | $84,690 | +4% | 0.8× |
Staying in TN keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Who hires construction managers around Knoxville
Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.
- Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) · Energy
- Clayton Homes · Manufacturing
Other jobs in Knoxville
Source: US BLS OEWS (May 2023) median annual wage; cost of living from BEA; home price and rent from Zillow; household income from US Census ACS. Rankings are across the 186 metros we hold wage data for in this occupation. Estimates for guidance only. See methodology.